Forgiveness #1

Forgiveness is, according to Jesus, not an option. It is not to be done because it’s a nice thing to do, pretending to be nice, denying the truth of your hurt. It’s not making things right with someone else. That’s reconciliation, and requires not only your forgiveness but also the other’s confession and repentance, a miracle of its own.
Forgiveness is a gift, but you must want it. That is, first must come the conscious decision to forgive, a matter of your will, which has nothing to do with whether your feelings of hurt are totally justified., and has everything to do with your desire for freedom. It is not a moral strategy which you can force yourself to do—not a matter of your self-control. After the decision to forgive, LISTEN to the other, be patient, and PRAY for him. This clears space in your heart for the Lord to work his healing grace in you. The alternative, retaining anger, is like taking poison and expecting the other to die. Forgiveness lifts a huge psychic burden off your shoulders, and so a consummately selfish act. The result is a freedom acquired in no other way. It also opens the way for love to rule in your heart, a feeling like no other!