Forgive as He has forgiven

Forgiveness comes hard when the wounds cut deep. 

When you are the one who has been hit, when you are the one who has been
demeaned, belittled. . .

When the biting lies are about you, and the character you've worked so hard
to build up is crushed with the careless words of a few. . .

When anger and rage are pointed at you, laced with screaming words. . .
When you are called names and treated unfairly with malice and hate. . .

When it is you who are the victim. . . what do you do?


What did He do?

After lashings and screamings, after being spit upon and hated, after this. . .
He stretches out His arms on a wooden cross. . .
He says, "I love you this much". . .


He forgives.

He begs the Father to forgive.

He gives His very life for us. . . the angry, screaming, sinning ones.
He loves where we have hated, He heals where we have hurt, He forgives where we have held bitterness. 


So, when He asks us to turn the other cheek (even when little brother has just hit us), He is not asking us to do anything He did not do. 

When He asks us to walk with the Roman solider 2 miles instead of just one, it is because He walked that mile first.  He has loved and given and poured out all, never despising the road, but walking it with joy.

And when He asks us to forgive, it is only because He has forgiven all already.

Because of His example and gift of salvation, we have the power in His Spirit to forgive anyone and anything.  It's the least we can do for the One who gave all.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness. 
What a simple thing to talk about, especially when it’s about others who need to forgive. Very theological, you know speaking on forgiveness. But when it comes calling on your door, when bitterness of heart has lived there far too long, when it’s that person, sometimes it’s a different story. Oh, how much I need to forgive, to let go and let freedom give wing. And all the more I reflect on how I need forgiveness, for my awful thoughts, my piercing tongue, my hard heart. Let it come easy, let it wash down on me and clear away all the grime and saturate my soul. Forgiven so that I may forgive. Free to free others. Clean to share this purity.

Help me Father, do as You have done for me.