Clearing The Pool
Receiving Forgiveness Is As Important As Giving It
by Eric Elkin
“No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”
Do people need to be forgiven? This question is different than the need to forgive. Psychologically speaking, our ability to offer forgiveness is essential to our mental and physical health. However, my question is not about giving forgiveness but our need to receive it. Do people need to receive forgiveness to be healthy?
Truthfully, I am not the best person to answer this question. The feelings of guilt swimming in my mind look like a crowded public pool on the hottest day of summer. I feel guilty for things I had nothing to do with. I crave forgiveness and am deeply appreciative when I receive it.
In searching for an answer to my question on the internet, I found very little information. Most articles focused on our need to forgive, not our need to be forgiven. One piece, written by Peg O'Connor Ph.D., agreed with my experience. Some people absolve themselves too quickly, while others cannot forgive themselves at all. Still, even in the case of self-forgiveness, the emphasis is on our ability to offer, not receive it.
Maybe the question is something each one of us needs to consider individually. Is there a need in your life to feel forgiven? Are you masking this need by pretending it is not there? Can some of the anger you carry or the anxiety you bear be due to a need to feel pardoned?
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
If you are a person in need of forgiveness, then today's reading is for you. The first five words of the reading fill the reader's heart with hope. The days are surely coming when something new will be written in your heart. Think about that for a moment. You will not need to read instructions or perform particular duties. The unique thing God is doing is already deep within you.
The law on your heart is not about doing good or believing in God. Instead, God is determined to believe in you, regardless of your feelings. The law is not about remembering the sabbath or keeping a name holy. Instead, the law is "I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more."
This is not some obscure passage found buried in scripture. Jeremiah 31:34 is the sum total of all scripture. These words are the heart and soul of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Woman at the Well, and the Passion of Christ. The spirit of this law breathes through all of the letters found in the New Testament. They are repeated in Revelation 21:3ff. God will be their God, and they will be his people. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
I need forgiveness, and my life depends on it. When the guilt swimming in my head gets too crowded, I like knowing God will blow the whistle and clear out the pool. I find hope, comfort, and freedom, knowing this to be true. Maybe you possess the same need. Jeremiah reminds us our need to receive forgiveness is just as important as giving it.
Click to read Jeremiah 31:31-34
Reflection Questions:
How would you describe your need for forgiveness? Is it a real need or not that big of a deal?
Has anyone ever harmed you and not realized the hurt they caused you?
What are the chances you have harmed someone without realizing it?
Where do you find healing from emotional pain?
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