Last week I wrote about personal holiness and the importance of obeying the Ten Commandments. I mentioned that I would write about the Sabbath this week, but someone asked me to write about forgiveness, so that is my focus today.

If you want to learn more about how to keep the Sabbath holy, CLICK HERE to see some good videos about that.

The best book I ever read about forgiveness is “Total Forgiveness” by RT Kendall. If you or someone you know is struggling with forgiving someone, including yourself, I recommend reading that book.

Kendall says that he ultimately wrote his book after going through a long and difficult process to forgive someone who offended him deeply. When Kendall shared his story with a friend, the friend told Kendall, “Totally forgive them!” That shocked Kendall and seemed impossible.

Kendall was told, “Until you totally forgive them you will be in chains. Release them and you will be released.”

Jesus promises, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)

When I flipped open to Chapter One of Kendall’s book today, this jumped at me:

Many marriages could be healed overnight if both parties would stop pointing the finger. Love is a choice. Total forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling – at least at first – but is rather an act of the will.

The best way I personally have found to forgive someone who had hurt me significantly is to pray daily for blessings for that person. At first it’s difficult to even think of blessing that person. Sometimes, I need to start my prayer by asking God to give me his heart for that person. Eventually, over time, I find I actually want the person who wronged me to be blessed, although not necessarily by me.

Kendall says, “Total forgiveness is not necessarily reconciliation. Sometimes that is very undesirable. When you totally forgive, you don’t tell anyone what they did. There are 2 exceptions.”

Today while searching the web for videos with Kendall talking about Total Forgiveness, I came across these outstanding ones.

RT Kendall on Total Forgiveness (Video 1)

 
RT Kendall on Total Forgiveness (Video 2)

 
RT Kendall on Total Forgiveness (Video 3)

 
 
Total Forgiveness (Part 1)

 
Total Forgiveness (Part 2)

 
Total Forgiveness (Part 3)

 
Total Forgiveness (Part 4)

 
Total Forgiveness (Part 5)

 
 
More blessings

1) Four Promises of Forgiveness

2) The Transforming Power of Total Forgiveness

Blessings to learn to totally forgive anyone who has hurt you!