Do You Have What It Takes To Have a Forgiving Heart?
How do you feel if your loved one hurt you in some way and you're supposed to forgive as Jesus has forgiven you? Do you reach into your heart at times like that, thinking if you'll find what it takes to forgive him/her?
You're not alone. There were a lot of times that my husband has offended me and few people who were close to my heart that have hurt me so bad, but I've always find myself letting them off the hook and would often choose to forgive.
If we just rely on ourselves, we lack the boundless grace that is able to free the offender completely and forgive the offense. The power to forgive in a relationship ultimately comes from God. All he wants is to pay it forward. Forgiving heart comes from him, and when God's forgiveness fills our heart, we have more than enough to share with others.
There may be one person who has terribly hurt you and you might say "Nooo way! It is impossible for me to forgive; the hurt is too great!", or you would thought "If he's going to do this/that, I'll probably will". Well, good luck with the latter as it takes for some people to really own up to their mistakes and others may never get a clue. And, understand as well that all of us think differently. We are sometimes limited in our own "mind". We just want to think whatever we want to think and act accordingly.
As Jesus said in Luke 23:34, Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing.
With the passage above-mentioned, I thought that some people's knowledge was self-centered and shortsighted like of those who persecuted and crucified Jesus. They didn't know that the One whose life they're trying to end is the One who breathed into them the breath of life (Romans 3:23). If Jesus who's sinless and had endured the pain you could not ever imagined was able to forgive the great injustice given to him, who are we to not forgive others?
We can try to pattern our hearts after God's forgiveness of us. Do you think Jesus died on the cross because we're worthy of it? Not a chance. God forgives out of a grace-filled heart of forgiveness. It cannot be earned, so we must not offer forgiveness with conditions. Just simply forgive and let God take over your loved one's heart about what he/she has done to you. Trust me! You will be amazed how God will intervene in just a snap at times.
Let me share with you the benefits it caused me when I choose to have forgiving heart towards my husband each time we have a misunderstanding:
It sets me and him free.
I always remind myself of the "guilt" I've felt the first time I remorsefully asked forgiveness from God for all of my sins. I'm pretty sure at some point, he feels the same way. So, when I say "I forgive you", I believe I provide him with a similar sense of freedom. 😊
It ends the "battle".
We can start all over again as if the "war" never happened. Lol. We can both breathe the fresh air and connect each other again. 😍
It gets us back on track.
After our relationship was restored, we can pursue the "dream" that we want - to grow deeper. There's an offense that I may not be able to fully forget but I let God deal with it as I don't have the power to forget it. God does (Jeremiah 31:34). However, he does not intend us to forget. It is in fact helpful when you remember the pain that your loved one has caused you. It may prevent you from hurting them in the same way.
A forgiving heart is something we bring our relationship into the light.
You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the LORD forgave you, so you must forgive others. - Colossians 3:13
Oh, what a wonderful feeling once the "fight" within you is over! 😍