Looking from the Lens of Forgiveness

One of the most plausible substances of a believer is their power to forgive but not because they are superheroes but because they themselves have tasted the depth of His forgiveness. But if we lay it down on the table, forgiveness is so hard to spell. It talks about our rights, our pride, our values. It asks you to consider all perspectives. It calls you to weigh things. It is something you can't demand to someone and on the same manner, they can't demand from you. It involves the whole of you.


ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS

Asking for forgiveness is more than being sorry to your actions and more than admitting your fault. I say, it's putting value to the person - to your relationship, to his/her feelings, to him/her as a person. We may have different perspective on the matter but we have to remember that emotions are valid and thus, asking for forgiveness is going beyond our logic.



I believe that the call to ask for forgiveness is not dependent on the consequences it had to make on the person. You don't have to wait for the person to look sorry before you say sorry. Hence, when pride takes the upper hand, remember that we are made from love, for love, and to love.




RELEASING FORGIVENESS

Releasing forgiveness is not a walk in the park because the pain almost always cloud us. But if we will just honestly evaluate it, what good thing can unforgiveness do to us? Even if I ponder it a thousand times, I guess I will never get an answer.



Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34



Looking at Jesus' standard, releasing forgiveness is looking from where the person is coming from (for they do not know what they are doing). Scrutinizing deeper, Jesus released forgiveness to the people who don't even have any intention to say sorry, not even a single hint of a changed heart. Needless to say, we don't get the green light from them. We don't wait for the person to apologize even before we extend forgiveness because actually, releasing them is freeing ourselves as well.

As a final note, here's Gary V's tweet for us to ponder: ‎"One thing that blows my mind away is when Jesus, even while being nailed 2 the cross said "God forgive them 4 they know not what they do"......He said this for a people who only had one thing in mind and that was to kill Him. This is the kind of love this God of ours has for us."