The strength in Forgiveness
Forgiveness can truly take the great strength but the truth is that very few things are really more worth the effort than forgiveness. That then reminds me of a wonderful line from a book which is titled " Course in Miracles:"
In that book, the writer named "Gerald B. Gardner" writes,
"Forgiveness is the most difficult of all tasks to perform."
Forgiveness is a process, not an event. It is neither a creation nor the accomplishment of some divine being. It is the power and the willingness to release that which you are holding onto, to take that which belongs only to you, to release what you cannot bear to keep, not because it hurts us or is binding, but because it hurts ourselves.
What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is letting go of hurts past. Forgiveness is the release of unneeded anger, hurt feelings and resentments. Forgiveness takes a willingness to put aside our natural instincts for revenge, intolerance, resentment and anger and learn to be kinder and gentler to those we can not avoid or control.
Forgiveness takes a commitment. Forgiveness is not optional. It is a requirement for survival. Without forgiveness those close to us would suffer. Those we give forgiveness to become closer to us in spirit and in truth, giving us the courage to reach out and take care of others when they are hurting.
When we are hurting others we are sending a message that we do not understand or care about them. People who suffer need help and forgiveness from those who care about them. Those who do not suffer need our help and forgiveness. Those who suffer find healing when they receive the message of love and cleansing when they receive the message of cleansing from those whom they have hurt.
Forgiveness is part of the gift of Being Human. God gave us forgiveness so that we would not be justified in our evil actions. Humans are more capable of forgiving than God. God's power is so great that without it all people would be justified in their evil deeds.
So when we are faced with the difficult situation of forgiveness, it is not optional. Forgivable takes a great strength from within because we have been given such an incredible gift. If we choose to use it then God will take greater delight in our obedience to his command.
Imagine what it would feel like to be loved not only by people we know but by people we don't even know. Imagine if there were no more enemies to fight. I don't think we could stand the thought. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It is a great strength to draw upon from within.
The Bible says to forgive those who offend you. We are reminded to forgive those who disrespect us. When we hurt others we should expect them to reciprocate in kind. If they don't then it doesn't matter how much we love them, we can't take their place in our hearts. That's just the way it is.
Jesus said to love Him and be done with it. Love doesn't mean that we tolerate their wrongdoings. Love means that we accept them as they are. We shouldn't expect them to change because that only makes them wrong in our eyes. We need to give them the same respect that we have for ourselves.
Forgiveness is part of building our character. If we want to walk the walk of the Lord then forgiveness is a requirement for us. When we walk the walk of the Lord we need to take the consequences that come along our way. Forgiveness is one such consequence that we can't avoid. It's a part of what being forgiven entails.
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So when we ask if we can forgive those who mistreat us, we are really asking if we can take great strength in forgiving them. Taking responsibility for our actions takes us closer to the Lord. As we are taking responsibility for our actions then we are closer to receiving His blessings on our lives. So the next time you find yourself in a difficult situation that involves forgiveness, think about how having the ability to forgive can strengthen you and take you closer to the Lord.