More Thoughts on Forgiveness

Was pondering about forgiveness again.

I move back and forth between two "world's" in my conflict work - the  secular world and the believer's world.  I use the term world because each holds to a worldview when it comes to forgiveness and why it's "good for us".  Having studied and pondered forgiveness from both perspectives, it grieves me to see that the prevalent worldview of the one has infiltrated the other. 

Take, for example, the statement above.  That is a very common perspective on why we ought to forgive.  It's therapeutic, psychologically and emotionally liberating, and hence a good idea.  This is a common argument to rationalize forgiveness from a secular point of view, and now seems to have become popular reasoning amongst believers too, only with the added claim that usually goes something like this:

.....  "besides, the bible says if you don't forgive, neither will you be forgiven".

The trouble here is that this reasoning appeals to the rational, logical being, our "heads" so to speak, so that when we understand the reciprocal benefit of forgiveness, we will be motivated to do it.  This makes forgiveness an act of the mind, motivated by self serving interests and bound to duty.  The heart, and love, gratitude and grace have little to do with it.

Forgiveness, true forgiveness, flows out of love...love and gratitude for the Father who was gracious and loving enough to forgive us first.  And because of that, forgiveness flows out of  love for the other.  If I say I love God, then He says, then love like I do.  His love includes forgiveness.  When He chose (and chooses) to forgive us, it is not something He does for Himself, so He can "get well and move on".  He forgives us to free us because He loves us.  And He loves us to forgive us because He frees us.

Forgiveness flows out the heart desire to love like Jesus loves
Forgiveness flows out of the call to love my enemy, pray for those who persecute me, do good to those that harm me
Forgiveness flows out of "one anothering one another", brotherly love, gentleness, kindness, patience,
Forgiveness flows out of the Spirit

Forgiveness is like music...you hear the beat, your toes starts tapping, then the rhythm moves up your leg into the hips, and then next thing you know, you're dancing wildly.   When you love music, you can't help but dance.  When you love people, you can't help but forgive.

The seeds of forgiveness are found in gratitude...that knowing that I'm a sinner just as capable of evil as the next person, and yet, and yet, God loves and forgives me...

The seeds of forgiveness take root in love...the willingness to love others because God first loves me, and to love others is to love God

And love covers a multitude of sin.

 

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