Unilateral forgiveness is hard. But since we are awash in God's love and acceptance, we have more than enough of His love to extend to another. Hence, we forgive people whether they are sorry or not, whether they apologize or not. Forgiveness is the ‘currency’ of God’s economy of love. As God spent His love on us, so can we on others, paying it forward. Thus the offending person’s actions or reactions become, objectively, irrelevant.
And lest some very hurt person should read this and sink into despair, be encouraged: forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s a choice and an act of faith. Yes, it may be the hardest thing you ever do, but when your faith is tested in this way, you will become perfectly secure in God’s love and acceptance.
Good morning Dr. Greg,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post.
In my life, there have been times that I have held a grudge and not forgiven someone, waiting for them to ask to be forgiven. I have found that this is like drinking the poison and waiting for the other person to die. I suffer all of the ill effects of that grudge and the other person is free! I have also found that what the bible says is true. Bitterness, once rooted, springs up and defiles many. I thought I could have wonderful relationships and still harbor ill feelings toward one. But the bitterness in one began to spoil all of the other ones as well.
Yes, forgiveness is hard. It means absorbing the loss or damage from the sin. But the good news is that it is a choice. And because it is a choice, it is another one of those, "get to" priveleges (restricted right or benefit) that we have. Though it may feel like a duty to forgive, it is a privilege because it allows us to live freely. It means not keeping lists and scheming ways to get even (ala Donald trump).
Godspeed!
Larry Q
thank you, again, Larry. Living in a world of imperfect beings makes forgiveness a lifelong, ongoing project.
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