Why Forgiveness

Forgiving as Christ did.

Why Forgiveness?

To me, to forgive someone means that that person NO LONGER OWES ME A DEBT. So if someone hurts me, my human natural inclination is that they must pay for that hurt. They owe me a DEBT of pain. When I forgive that person, I release them from that debt. They no longer have to suffer to make things right with me. Hum...starting to sound like something Jesus did?

If I do not forgive a fault, but rather dwell on the debt that is owed to me, then I cannot move forward in a relationship. There is no room for love in my heart, when bitterness, anger, and resentment are present.

This works in reverse too. If I am the one to hurt another person, and I do not attempt to make things right by either paying this debt of pain or asking for forgiveness from my debt, then the guilt and shame fester and rot in my heart, making it difficult to let love bloom.

There are two people I'm having a forgiveness issue with right now.

First is myself. I have all these faults, some real, some perceived. I often dwell on my wrongs to the point that I become frozen with guilt and shame. There is no room for love to grow. And not just loving myself, but when I'm consumed with my faults, I cannot let love for others in either.

Second is God. I forget than when I hurt another human being, I have also hurt God! I also forget to ask God's forgiveness for the wrongs I have done. The guilt and shame build up and causes a chasm in my relationship with God. Even worse is when I perceive GOD has hurt ME! By turning His back on me when I need Him, by denying me my "heart's desires" when I believe it's been too long to wait. This stems from not understanding the full nature of God. Sadly, though, when I dwell on these "hurts" I push God further and further away.

Tina B