In January of 1956, the world was shocked at the news that five American missionaries in the Ecuadorian jungles had been speared to death by Aucan Indians – one of the most savage tribes in the world.

Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot, one of the missionaries who had been killed. At the time of Jim’s death, she was left with a baby daughter, Valerie, to care for on her own.

Everyone would have understood if Elisabeth and her daughter retreated in fear and pain to the United States, never to return to Ecuador again. But that is not what they chose to do.

When Valerie was only three years old, Elisabeth and Rachel Saint (the sister of another one of the missionaries who had been killed) headed back into Auca territory to finish the mission that their husband and brother had begun.

They worked tirelessly to translate the Bible into the Aucan language, bringing the message of salvation to the tribe who had killed their loved ones.

In her book, “The Savage My Kinsman,” Elisabeth shares, “The fact that Jesus Christ died for all makes me interested in the salvation of all, but the fact that Jim loved and died for the Aucas intensifies my love for them.”

A Gospel of Forgiveness

When we hear stories like this, we are inspired that a regular person, weak and sinful like ourselves, could put aside hurt, fear, pain, anger and reach out in love to one who has wounded them so deeply.

But that is exactly what Christ did for us: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Even on the Cross, as He suffered at the hands of those who nailed Him there, He prayed for them: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34.

Forgiveness is a Choice, Not a Feeling

Many of us have been wounded deeply by others. Perhaps we are waiting to forgive until time has passed – which we hope will somehow make us “ready” to forgive. We may be waiting for our hearts to heal and for our emotions to line up with the decision to forgive. We may simply be waiting until we aren’t so angry.

But we learn from Christ that forgiveness is first an act of the will, not the emotions: “Forgive one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). We can choose to extend forgiveness to others for this simple reason: Christ forgave us.

Forgiving is Not Condoning Sin

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
― C.S. Lewis

When He calls us to forgive, Christ is not asking us to excuse someone’s sin or condone it. He is not telling us to say what happened to us wasn’t wrong. Our confession can acknowledge the reality of our pain as well as our choice to forgive: “What (this person) did to me was wrong. But I choose to forgive them because Christ has forgiven me.”

When we forgive a person, we release ourselves from the bitterness that poisons our hearts and we entrust that person to Christ, who is the Righteous Judge.

Forgiveness is a Witness to the World

Finally, when we choose to forgive by the grace and love of Christ, we testify to the world that love is stronger than death, forgiveness more powerful than hatred, and that a new story of redemption can be written over a painful past.

Who has injured you, friend? To whom do you still hold a grudge? Have you allowed bitterness to take hold of your heart, thinking that your unforgiveness is justified by the depth of the wrongs you have experienced?

Christ knows your pain and wants to heal you. He calls you higher – to forgive others as He has forgiven you.

Don’t wait until you feel ready. Choose to forgive now and let the healing begin.