Here's how this verse plays out in my life and yours. So you're trying to work things out with God, serve him, pray, worship, live for God, etc... and all of the sudden it becomes apparent that you have some issues with someone - a person, friend, parent, etc... Ultimately, the problem is that they've hurt or angered you in some way and so now you need to forgive them.
Here's what we like to do in these situations. Let's pray about it, think about it, talk to God about it, talk to some other friends about it, talk... think... talk... try to forget.... talk.... think... pray some more...., but basically none of those options really cut it according to this verse. Basically, Jesus is saying forget about all the worship and prayer stuff, forget about talking about it to others and then praying some more, it's time to just deal with it.
In fact, this verse actually gives us a wake up call when it comes to our unforgiveness. If you choose to not forgive you basically put God in a situation where he can't extend his forgiveness to you. Scary thought here - what you're willing to do for someone else, God is willing to give to you, but what you're not willing to give to someone else God is not willing to give to you.
There's a major disconnect in our lives when we choose to not forgive. It comes in not understanding how much we've already been forgiven by God. If we don't come to grips with how much love and forgiveness God has already poured on us it's really quite impossible for us to be willing to forgive others. It's only when we begin to really see how much we've been forgiven that no amount of hurt or pain we've experienced can match up to how much hurt and pain we've caused God.
Bottom Line: If you can't forgive others, God can't forgive you. Think about it, why should He? You've done alot more to offend him than others have done to you. You owe it to yourself, to others and to God to choose to forgive.
This is a tough one. Keep wrestling with it.
PE
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