Forgiveness

Forgiveness is such an incredibly beautiful thing.  I visited my sister in Columbia yesterday, and her pastor really reminded me of some awesome truths.  Colossians 3 tells us to forgive others as God forgave us.  Not because he forgave us, although that is part of our motivation for sure!  But it is more that we forgive AS He forgave us:  unconditionally, always, whole-heartedly, compassionately, mercifully, gracefully.  Our forgiveness so often looks totally different from that; it looks stingy and cold, stiff and often harsh, rooted in pride and a sense of our deserving better.  True forgiveness is not about overlooking sins towards you; its about releasing a debt you feel is owed.  Releasing it.  Letting it go.  Recognizing that the sin DOES deserve punishment, but Christ already took that punishment.  When you forgive, you aren't being taken advantage of or giving in.  You are admitting that Christ already paid that person's debt, just as he paid your debt.  And that forgiveness leads to life.  Compassionate, humble, gentle forgiveness helps and blesses and builds up the person you are forgiving.  It lets us recognize that they are not doing anything to us that is greater than what we have done and will do to God.  God forgives.  He loves and cares and grows us.  How beautiful.  How devastating to our pride, to our sense of what we deserve, to our feelings of self-righteousness.  All the good we are and can do is because of God at work in us.  His grace.  His love.  His forgiveness.  God has shown us the way; let's follow whole-heartedly after Him, living as he lived, loving as he loved, forgiving as he forgave.