Chances are that if you are in a relationship or friendship or in any interaction with another human being, then you’ve been a position where you have offended or hurt someone and vice versa. It’s the reality of living in a fallen world. And, as such, we need to have compassion and plentiful grace in practicing forgiveness. This is something that I have been learning for many years.
Initially, before I became a Christian, I tried to forgive because I did not want to drink the poison of holding on to the hurt. I would hold on to the hurt so that I wouldn’t forget and in order to keep the person who hurt me at a distance; either to protect myself from future hurt or as payback. I realized that having to relive the hurt every time I remembered the incident was only doing more damage to myself. So, this attempt at forgiveness was really for myself.
After I became a Christian, I tried to forgive knowing that God forgave my sins so I should forgive others as well. This is not only so that I wouldn’t be an ungrateful hypocrite but also for the sake of my prayers. Again, this attempt at forgiveness was mostly for my benefit.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Matthew 6:9-13
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This year, however, I’ve come to the conclusion that I truly don’t know how to actually forgive like God forgives. And, more so, that I desperately needed God’s help to do so. I’ve since been practicing His way and have seen how that has grown me in compassion and softened my heart. I’ve also been humbled to see how He’s been moving in the lives of those I’ve forgiven as a result.
This topic is something that I talk about in greater detail in my latest video called “Live unburdened | Learning to forgive” which is now up on YouTube.
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7
I hope it encourages, and inspires, you to seek God’s help in living out this commandment to forgive one another.
