Losing

Why is forgiveness so hard?

This subject has been on my mind since we visited my family last weekend.  I wrote about one family member that I think is far from God.  I think the root of the problem is unforgiveness - for others, for God and maybe even for herself. 

Jesus tells us to forgive each other "...not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Matthew 18:22  I don't think he means that we are to forgive exactly seventy-seven times, no more and no less.  I think, rather, that he is telling us to forgive each other over and over and over again. 

I think one of the reasons it is so hard is that it feels like we are losing.  We are losing the argument, we are losing the fight, we are losing the point we were trying to make...we feel like we are losing when we forgive.  But really, are we losing?

When we forgive, don't we win by obeying God?  Don't we win by releasing anger and hurt?  God sacrificed his only son so that we might know His forgiveness.  And the only one that lost was Satan. 

When we hold onto our anger, our hurt, our unforgiveness, the only one that wins is Satan and we do lose - we lose the closeness to God that comes with obedience and forgiveness. 

I pray that as I practice forgiveness, it will become easier and easier. 

After all, practice makes perfect, right?

In His Grace...