Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not only about releasing others for what they have done to us. It’s also about accepting others for who they are to us.

In Matthew 6:14-15, directly following The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus warns,

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We forgive others; God forgives us. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change how we feel about those who trespass against us. We hate them. And, so long as we hold on to hatred, we are trapped.

I am blessed with enthusiasm. At the core of my enthusiasm is an appreciation for the people God places in my life. Yes, sometimes they trespass against me, and sometimes I return the favor.

However, I have learned to accept others for who they are to me: namely, God’s agents in my life. I don’t always like or appreciate the role they play, but I trust that their presence is part of God’s plan, even in the most painful circumstances.

God is shaping and molding us daily into the people he created us to be. Forgiving others softens the clay.