One of the hallmarks of Christian character should be the capacity to forgive. Being forgiving of the faults, foibles, and failures of others should characterize our everyday behavior. Why is it that this should be the case?
Being forgiving involves a complicated equation of emotions. When someone offers forgiveness to another, immediately implied is the fact that forgiveness is necessary. That is, one person has been wronged, and another has done wrong. Someone is the offended, and another the offender. Wrapped up in the hurt of being done wrong and the desire to get even, must be a stronger sense of compassion and responsibility as someone who has also had to seek forgiveness. Overpowering the emotions to avenge the wrong done must be the capacity to forgive. Forgiveness involves taking yourself out of that complicated emotional equation. For true forgiveness to be offered, you must view the situation not through the lens of your own emotions, but through the prism compassion and your own true standing.
As someone who has been forgiven, it is important to remember that mercy has been granted to your account. Who are we, then, to withhold that same courtesy from another? The Lord demands us to remember our true standing in His sight: lowly and deserving of hell. We are not so important that we cannot overlook our own faults and need to be forgiven to hold another to a higher standard. When you feel that you have been wronged or hurt, consider that you have been in the offending person's stead yourself. If the holy God of heaven can look down and forgive a wretched sinner such as yourself, how much more should we offer forgiveness when necessary. As the forgiven, we should be apt to forgive and quick to seek healing and restoration.
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