“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV).

     I recently had arthroscopic surgery. The surgeon skillfully repaired a torn meniscus on the interior portion of my left knee. I am amazed and grateful for the advances modern medicine continues making.

     Yet I recognize the value of my partnership in the healing process. The exercises prescribed by a physical therapist have proven invaluable to my recovery. The physician has done his work. It is up to me to do my part, as well.

     What is true of our physical healing is true to navigating the process of forgiving those who have harmed us. Forgiveness is a two-part process. First, Jesus commands us to forgive those who have incurred a debt against us. Very simply, Jesus is speaking to the Old Testament law that required an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus, however, requires that we resist the temptation for retribution. Such action on our part asks that we make a deliberate decision not to bring up the past or rub the nose of our detractors, again and again, in the offense they committed.

     Additionally, forgiveness is a process of letting go of the pain and impact the infraction initially had on us. But this healing process requires the work of Jesus, as well as a consistent effort on our part. We need to make regular appointments in prayer with our Great Physician just as we would with a medical surgeon. We must lay our hearts repeatedly on the examination table so that our damaged emotions might heal over time.

     Following a message I recently preached on forgiving our detractors, an individual confided that she had not forgiven two people for their duplicitous actions. I asked this person whether she had shared her pain with Jesus in prayer. She had. Then I asked what her emotional pain level was compared to the initial infraction on a scale of one to ten. She admitted that the ache within her heart had improved from a ten to a four.

     I congratulated her on the progress she is making. Her diligent work in prayer, combined with Jesus’ power to heal, is leading this person on a pathway to full recovery. While not completely freed from her emotional pain, she is better today than yesterday. And should she continue pursuing her spiritual exercises, I have every confidence she will be even better tomorrow than today.

     So, for those of you who struggle with the tough task of forgiving those who hurt you, be encouraged. You are not alone. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep asking. The door to healing has been opened and your path to full recovery is well on the way.