Elements of Forgiveness

Are there relationships on your team that need to experience forgiveness? These relationships could be player to player, player to coach, or coach to coach. If there is a lack of forgiveness in any relationship on your team, it will hinder the unity and the joy on your team.

The first three verses of Philemon give us three key elements that help us lay a good foundation for forgiveness in our families and teams: Humility, Determination and Power.

First, it is important we have an attitude of humility when seeking to forgive someone or be forgiven. Second, it is also important to be determined to follow through with the process of forgiveness. Yet, even with humility and determination, it is still hard to forgive. We need more.  We need the power to forgive.

What gives us the power to forgive? Look at verse 3: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice first the word grace. This is the power by which we are made right with God. Paul understood that without the grace of God, he would be hopelessly lost in his sin. In reading the word grace, Philemon would have been reminded how God graciously saved him from his sin.

Then notice the word peace. Peace is the result of our salvation by grace. Paul reminds Philemon (and us) that he was once an enemy of God, yet by God’s grace he now has peace with God.

The source of this grace and peace is “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” By using these familiar words in his greeting, Paul was reminding Philemon where the power for all forgiveness is found: in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For Philemon to forgive his runaway slave as Jesus had forgiven him, he needed to understand that this could only be accomplished by Jesus in him.

Coach, for you and me to forgive others, we, too, must understand that it must be done by the power of Jesus in us. His power in us can give us the humility and determination it takes to extend forgiveness to those who have sinned against us.

If you use the power of Jesus in you to forgive and seek forgiveness, it will transform your home, your school and your team.