Mindset

Forgiveness is something I struggle with. I can let the little things go easily enough. It’s those big things that stay with me. The deep wounds, the hurts that stretch into every part of life ~ those are the ones I can’t seem to move past.

Ohhhh, who am I kidding! ~ I really don’t even let the little things go.. .. ..

I’m a pretty black and white person. I value justice. Mercy doesn’t make sense to me. I’m grateful for mercy, and I will extend it to you, but only if you haven’t hurt me very badly. If I’ve been wounded deeply, I expect a balancing of the scales.

Make it up to me, beg for my forgiveness, SHOW ME that you are sorry. Talk is cheap, I need to see your apology for it to count.

I’m learning more and more that unforgiveness is not just a sin, it is a sin of pride. Withholding forgiveness from another because the apology didn’t seem sufficient {or because there wasn’t an apology at all} is based off of a self-centered view of life.

You hurt ME. You need to make it up to ME. If you were really sorry, you’d do whatever you needed to do to make ME feel better about it.

Essentially, when I don’t forgive you, I’m saying that I’m more important than you. Even more, I’m saying that Christ’s forgiving work on the cross is not enough to cover your sin against me.

How incredibly prideful!  

Humility is letting go of my rights so that I am able to extend you mercy. Humility is looking at Christ’s example and following suit. Humility is forgiving, even if you don’t apologize. Because there is One who has already paid the price for your sin against me. Because of His incredible gift, I am able to live in peace with you, without demanding repayment.

Easy to write, and yes so very hard to do!

And so, I have been repeating these verses over and over lately, reminding myself to keep my eyes on the truly Humble One as my example.  “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death ~ even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

He gives us the strength to forgive. The strength to be humble.

After all.. . .. He did it first.

Blessings