What's Right? What's Wrong?

Forgiveness means to pardon; a matter of letting go of past incidents of resentment, anger and deep-seated hatred of others, and at times ourselves, no matter what the circumstances. The medical profession informs us that these negative emotions are at the root of many of our physical ailments. Unforgivingness means being imprisoned by our past. Forgiveness frees us from floundering in that past.

When it comes to forgiving, there are those who seldom if ever forgive. Then there are a very limited number who always forgive. That means the vast majority of us fall somewhere in-between the two extremes. Where do you appear on the continuum of forgiveness?

Most people tend to struggle with forgiving. We are more ready to be forgiven than to forgive others. This attitude begins to change only when we begin to understand that forgiving benefits the forgiver as much or more than the forgiven.

Forgiveness is not unlike exercising. When one begins to exercise, it may be painful and actually set one back. But the more one exercises, the better one’s condition becomes. The better one’s condition is, the more eagerly one will want to exercise. Once one begins to reap the benefits of exercising, one will want to exercise more, not less. Likewise, once one begins to reap the benefits of forgiving, one will want to forgive more, not less.

How important is the topic of forgiveness? It’s a recurring theme throughout Scripture. There are 125 separate references that address it. A few examples follow:

+ “If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them.”

+ “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others.”

+ “Be kind and compassionate (loving) to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

+ “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

In the words of Miriam Stark: “Forgiveness is a gift that we choose to offer to those who have offended us. We give the gift; what they do with it is up to them. A true gift comes without expectations. Forgiveness allows us to live in peace with one another and with ourselves, which affords us the opportunity to step away from the hurt.”

It has also been said, “Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.” What do you think?