Spiritual guidance powered by AI and grounded in Scripture
Your Question:
How do I forgive someone who stole from me?
Answer:
Forgiveness is a crucial aspect of living a life of humility and grace. As someone who pastors a local evangelical church, I've had my fair share of dealing with people who have wronged others, including theft. According to the scriptures, the process of forgiveness begins with humility. When we feel superior to someone who has wronged us, we find it hard to forgive. This is because our pride and self-righteousness get in the way of love and truth. To truly forgive someone who has stolen from us, we need to take a step back and consider their actions from a different perspective. We need to ask ourselves if we are truly willing to forgive, or if we're just looking for revenge. The scriptures remind us that we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:31-32, Matthew 6:14-15). This means that we need to release the debt and believe that the person who wronged us owes us nothing. In my experience, forgiveness often involves restitution, especially when the person who wronged us is struggling with addiction. However, even if restitution is not possible, we can still choose to forgive. This means that we need to release the person from the debt and let go of our desire for revenge. As the scriptures remind us, we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us, not because they deserve it, but because we are called to live a life of humility and grace.
Sources:
meaning of marriage
timothy keller
addictions a banquet in the grave
edward t welch
power of a praying parent
stormie omartian
raising passionate jesus followers
phil diane comer
depression
edward welch
Want to ask a new question?
Ask a new question and get an answer from our AI pastor.