Forgiving and Loving

We talk about forgiveness a lot.  Perhaps it's because we recognize our need to be forgiven daily.  At the remembrance of a sin we committed, we are anxious to experience and feel forgiveness from God.  We know the blood of Jesus washes us as white as snow, and even when we as Christians commit sin, we approach God seeking his forgiveness.

We also know how easy it is to say or do something that is harmful to another person, bringing about the need for us to seek their forgiveness.  What about when we are the person who is to be forgiving someone else?

That question is so revealing in that it shows so much of the human side of our reaction.  We have been hurt and we want the offending person to hurt as much or more than we hurt.  We might even set a list of conditions they must meet before we will consider forgiving them.   Can we and should we teach them a lesson by withholding forgiveness until they show they deserve it?  That is the forgiveness we wish to target in this blog.

Think with me for a bit how we would define forgiveness.  Korie Robertson gives us a good definition. "Forgiveness is letting go of the desire to make the other person pay for an action that wronged us and caused significant hurt."  She continues, "Forgiveness is saying no to revenge."  While those are sinking in, it's also a good time to consider when we have been wronged, and if we were willing to say no to revenge?   Have we ever had to let go of the desire to make someone pay for their action which wronged us?

To really understand all this, we must consider again, God's forgiveness toward us when we sin against him.  From the scripture comes the warning that we cannot be forgiven if we are unwilling to forgive others. 

Rather than using our standards of forgiving others, we should be using God's way.  Yes, he despises the sin but is always loving and forgiving toward the sinner.  Perhaps we have such a difficult time forgiving others because we do not love them the way God loves them.

I must determine to be more forgiving toward others, loving them, even growing closer to them through the offense and subsequent forgiveness.  That may be a big chore for us, but we must understand the combination of loving and forgiving others is the only way to achieve godly relationships.

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