Forgiveness: What Jesus Teaches About Letting Go

Hey there, Carpooling with Jesus family. Imagine for a second that Jesus was right here in the car with us. Pretty cool, right? What kind of advice do you think he'd give you about today? Maybe it would be about how to treat your friends, your siblings, or even your teachers. Well, buckle up, because today we're talking about something that can totally change the way we handle friendships: forgiveness. I'm Pastor Justin. Let's dive in. Have you ever had a moment when a friend hurt your feelings, or maybe you got into an argument with your brother or sister? Yeah, we've all been there. And forgiveness can be tough. But guess what? Jesus has some pretty awesome advice. So let's dive into the Bible and see what he has to say. Here's a verse from Colossians chapter three, verse thirteen. Bear with each other and forgive one another. If any of you have a grievance against someone, forgive them as the Lord forgave you. Wow. That's a big one. Did you catch the last part? Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Think about all the times you've messed up. Maybe you said something you didn't mean, or forgot to do something you promised. But God doesn't hold that against us. Instead, he forgives us because he loves us so much, and he wants us to show that same forgiveness to others. Let me tell you a quick story. When I was a kid, I had a best friend named Josh. One day Josh was over my house, and he accidentally broke one of my favorite action figures. My superhero with a cape and the moving arms and everything. I was really upset. I didn't talk to him the whole day. But then my mom said something I'll never forget. She said, Justin, everyone makes mistakes, and holding onto anger will only hurt you. You should forgive Josh the way Jesus forgave you. So I did. I forgave Josh, and guess what? Not only did we stay best friends, but he even surprised me by fixing my action figure the best he could. That's what forgiveness does. It restores relationships and brings people closer together. Here's the truth about forgiveness, friends. It doesn't mean you're saying what someone did was okay. It just means you're letting go of the anger and choosing to love them instead. Forgiveness is like hitting the reset button. It gives everyone a chance to have a fresh start. Here's my challenge for you today. Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe it's a friend or a sibling. Or maybe even yourself. Talk to Jesus about it, and ask him to help you forgive. Remember, when we forgive, we're showing the same kind of love that Jesus shows us. All right friends. That's it for today's ride on Carpooling with Jesus. Remember, forgiveness isn't just something we do for others. It's something that sets us free too. I can't wait to hear how you put forgiveness into practice this week. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love this podcast, go leave a rating or review so we can see it, and share it with your parent friends so they can have faith-filled car rides too. Let's answer this question before we get out of the car. What would you say is the hardest part of forgiving someone that's hurt you?