Forgiveness Faux-Pas

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6

I've been reading in Crazy Love the past couple of weeks, and there is a lot of great stuff in that book. Yesterday I was sitting at Barnes and Noble while Bree slept (ironically where I am right now, again) reading chapter 8. It was a "profile of the obsessed" and it discusses what a person who is obsessed with God looks and acts like.

I had three major convictions, but it is the first that I will discuss today.

I recently realized I have a major sin issue with forgiveness. It's not necessarily that I have trouble offering forgiveness because I don't. I know it my heart that God has forgiven me for a lot worse than whatever someone does to me. I also know that if I withhold forgiveness, God will also withhold forgiveness for me - and we can't have that because I mess up daily!

My issue with forgiveness is the forgetting aspect - the casting it as far as the east is from the west and remembering it no more. That part. Can I get an Amen? Because I think a lot of people are onboard with this weakness.

It's easy to say I forgive you. It's not easy to forget what was done, forget the pain, forget how the person made you feel. After offering forgiveness, my tendency is avoiding the person/situation to avoid further hurt or repeated offenses.

How unlike Christ we are.

Luke tells us in chapter 6 verses 32-36 that we aren't set apart from sinners if we only love those who love us.

We a called to love those hate us. Love those who hurt us. Love those who cause us pain. Not just forgive - but LOVE.

I do a horrible job of that, and for that, I pray daily for repentance when I can't control my thoughts and old hurts creep up again. When chatting with my sister about this, she made a great point. It is not natural to forget offenses against us, but we have to take our thoughts captive. Daily.

So, Lord willing, I will be trying to be a lot more forgetful when it comes to pain ... and a lot more in control of my mind.

Lord willing.