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To honestly forgive is to develop a relationship and an attitude toward offending persons as if the offense never occurred. Since we are not conditioned to quickly forget, we have a problem with memory. We store a lot of sin in our memory which inhibits our ability to forgive. The ministry of forgiveness, however, is our most potent Christian witness. Reaching out with kindness and grace toward those who have hurt us is our most God-like disposition. While forgiveness is indeed a blessing upon those to whom we express it, there is also a deep personal benefit to us. The weight of revenge and hostility is baggage we do not need to carry. Our emotional and spiritual health requires us to practice the discipline of reconciliation. Perhaps this is why our forgiveness toward others is vitally related to the kind of forgiveness we can experience from God. An unforgiving spirit can never have much in common with the pardoning grace of God. There is a sense in which forgiveness begets forgiveness. Forgiveness which we receive from others and from God prepares us to express forgiveness. By experiencing grace, we are conditioned to be graceful. The humble recognition of our own need to repent of our sins and seek the favor of God as well as others teaches us the value of forgiving "those who trespass against us." How well do you give and receive forgiveness? |
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult aspects of our Christian behavior. It demands much from us in terms of compassion and grace. It stretches our human capacity for love to an unbelievable dimension. Sometimes it seems as if we are ill-equipped to truly forgive those who are offensive. We want some kind of retribution against anyone who disturbs us by their ways or their thoughts. Often that which we think is forgiveness is nothing but a mild indifference or a condescending attitude toward those who sin against us. The burning rage is still there just beneath the surface and will burst into the flames of anger at the slightest provocation.[Click Here] for an index of all available article clippings.