Forgiveness. The most demanding aspect of being a christian.

Our Father
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil, for the kingdom the power and the glory are yours
For ever and ever amen

Why is it that so many christians have this mistaken belief, that forgiving others is an optional part of being a christian. jesus said it "if you do not forgive you can not be forgiven". People say "Oh but you dont know my story". Which is correct I dont. However I know that our Lord is faithful and that if we ask for his assistance and his strength to forgive someone. He will honour that.

When forgiveness came up for me shortly after becomming a christian, my response was like "God are you nuts?" you dont know what I've been through, how can you ask me to forgive that *sshole. God said "In the times that you struggled, I carried you. I wept with you, and comforted you when you hurt so much you wanted to die. I dont ask you to forgive for his sake, I ask you to forgive because your unforgiveness is holding you in bondage. Your hatred and unforgiveness is holding you prisoner and I desire for you to be free of that so you can live the life I designed for you to live"

Psalm 139


O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.

2
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my every thought when far away.

3
You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.

4
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, LORD.

5
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!

7
I can never escape from your spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!

8
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead,[a] you are there.

9
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

11
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night--


12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are both alike to you.

13
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother's womb.

14
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.

15
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

17
How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God!
They are innumerable!

18
I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up in the morning,
you are still with me!

19
O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!

20
They blaspheme you;
your enemies take your name in vain.

21
O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn't I despise those who resist you?

22
Yes, I hate them with complete hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.

23
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.

24
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.