Someone should make a movie called Forgiveness: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We’ve all encountered it: Having to face the ugliness of hurt, pushing through the pain, and exerting the discipline of forgiving someone who did us wrong – bad, if you will. And when we come to the place of letting go, cutting the cord, handing it all to the Lord, it really can be something very good. Jesus reminds us to forgive others so that we will be forgiven.

We know all about feeling we’ve been wronged. But we need to be truthful about being on the other end of it: of having wronged someone. Somehow it often doesn’t seem as serious to us when we’re on the other side of the story; but our excuses are a security blanket. As we continue in the shaking of our nation, we need to acknowledge a shaking in ourselves, as well. We look within and wade through every single sin, small or great against another. It’s not comfortable and can even be bad and ugly. And we repent, which leads to goodness.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We hate any damage that comes between us and another. We’ve cried, we’ve carried gut sadness and anger, we’ve spent too much time reviewing something that happened or was said or done. We know the hurt. But we also know how much You have forgiven – so much more than we are faced with. Maybe they haven’t or will never ask forgiveness. Maybe they don’t care. Maybe they still intend the hurt. But we don’t want the chain that comes with unforgiveness. We’ll leave that for them to deal with, and choose to walk into the beautiful light of forgiveness. Here and now we truly and completely forgive ________ and we wipe that slate clean. And should that hurt reappear we resolve to wipe it clean again. And again. Until it dissolves. Because Satan is the great accuser, but we don’t want to be like him. We want to be like You.

And we look inside ourselves and we confess every single thing. We list them here. ____________ And we are so sorry for the sadness or hurt or harm we have done. Please forgive us. We ask for healing for the person we have offended. We ask for help and blessing for them. As far as the east is from the west please remove our sins from us. We resolve to be better.

We know that in Your justice is mercy, the mercy for which we are all so very grateful. We pray that in our intention to show mercy, we will not get in bed with the devil. We will not agree with his intentions in order to make ourselves feel open-hearted. We will not pretend wrong is okay as long as we love. We will not dismiss holiness as outdated. We will be defensive of Your honor. We don’t want to hurt You or cause offense to Your Name. And we need Your insight, discernment, and wisdom in this. We ask for Your mind in these matters so that we don’t make light of the sin You died for just to make ourselves feel generous.

Thank You, Lord, for forgiving us. You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. We love You so much. So very much.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, 1966, story by Sergio Leone and Luciano Vincenzoni. Screenwriters: Sergio Leone, Luciano Vincenzoni, Furio Scarpell, Agenore Incrocci. Movie directed by Sergio Leone; Scripture: Matthew 5; Image: Fair Use.