Walk With Him Wednesday

The Practice of Forgiveness

Forgiveness for me has always been a funny thing. I have always thought that I was quick to forgive and in some cases I think that it's true. But it also seems to me that some people are usually easier to forgive than others. Usually those people are the ones who are seeking forgiveness or the ones who are more likely to admit that they have done something wrong.

The others who don't think they ever do anything wrong or the ones who don't want to admit their wrong doings our loud...those are the hardest ones to forgive. I often want to give them one chance and then...I hold a grudge.

I remember one time going to a class with a friend of mine on forgiveness. I left the class so confused and not even sure I understood what forgiveness was anymore. Did it really have to be this complicated? Did I have to go through so many steps and say a certain number of prayers to be able to forgive someone? It just didn't seem right. The subject kept coming to my mind. Is it really so hard to forgive? I kept thinking about how often God has to forgive me. How often I ask Him for forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not a topic people want to talk about often. Simply because of the forgiveness we hold in our hearts. Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven." I don't think that Jesus was really putting a limit on the number of times we should forgive. I think He was more telling us to live a life of forgiveness.

I remember bringing up this idea of living a life of forgiveness to my friend who took me to that class. Her thoughts...it can't be that easy. But I still hold onto this thought that it is. I simply have to live a life of forgiveness. Since I can't forgive and forget I need to forgive and forgive. Some days it may not be necessary to forgive. But other times I may find myself having to forgive someone day after day. Sounds frustrating? Well I always think about God. How often He forgives me and everyone else He forgives. Why is it so hard for me to give out what is so freely given to me? So I choose to live a life of forgiveness.