I Forgive You

“Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt you because you have hurt me.”

That’s not my original thought...far from it. But when I read this in one of my favorite books recently, the Holy Spirit highlighted it for me.

This little phrase goes against everything that human fairness demands...you hit me, I hit you back; you yell at me, I yell back; you hold a grudge against me, I hold one against you. Nobody is willing to “give” in these fruitless tug-of-wars.

But “giving” is exactly what is required.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

God expects me to give up my perceived right to fairness, in humble obedience to his command to forgive. After all, look at what he gave up for me.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Thank you, Lord for giving up your right to hurt me, in spite of all the times I have hurt you. Help me to obediently forgive others, even when the world tells me I have the right not to.