Forgiveness

Father, forgive them, for they don't know 

what they are doing.

Luke 23:34

What do you do when people mistreat you or those you love?  Does the fire of anger boil within you, with leaping flames consuming your emotions?  Or do you reach somewhere, to some source of cool water, and pull out a bucket of mercy - to free yourself?  Is there any emotion that imprisons the soul more than the unwillingness to forgive?

Don't get on the roller coaster of resentment and anger.  You be the one to say, "Yes, he mistreated me, but I am going to be like Christ.  I'll be the one who says, 'Forgive them, Father..."

The first step toward forgiveness is to see the other person as a human being, not as a source of hurt.  That's how God treated us with mercy - He became one of us, He felt as we feel, He understood our frustrations.  And as a result, when He hung on the cross, He could look at those crucifying Him and ask God to forgive them.

When you forgive someone, you are as close to God as you will ever be, because in that forgiveness you are demonstrating the very heart of God, the merciful King.  If you want to understand God, if you want to draw closer to Him - then forgive someone today.

~ Max Lucado

The Inspirational Study Bible

Word Publishing, 1995