just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
Within the last couple of weeks, God has placed me in situation after situation where my forgiveness has been asked. And despite every single ounce of me that wants to protect my heart by closing it off, I know that such an action would prevent me being able to call myself a true Christian.
God has created people with the knowledge that we are flawed. We lie. We sin. We unintentionally cause immense amounts of pain to the people who are closest to us. It is a part of who we are in the wake of the original sin. And although we may not always be able to control the situations that we find ourselves in, we can control the love that pours from our heart.
People may ask me for my forgiveness, but that is honestly not my gift to give. God gave his only son to die on the cross as the ultimate act of forgiveness to me. Who am I to turn my back on someone who is asking for my blessing in their healing process? And by denying that blessing, I would also be denying myself the opportunity to heal.
One of my favorite pieces of art is primarily white with different, worn-out colors bleeding down the canvas. In plain black writing it reads, “Life is hard but so very beautiful.” The same can be said for forgiveness. No one has ever said that forgiving someone was easy, but it is one of the most beautiful acts in the world.
So if you have been withholding your forgiveness, I pray that you forgo your pride. Giving someone your forgiveness is giving him the love of God.
