Thursday; June 12
I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness recently. While I am absolutely thankful that God has forgiven me for what I have done, I also realize the challenge it is for me to forgive others. I know that the Bible repeatedly says something to the effect of, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32), so why is it so hard to let go of what people have done to us? There are several reasons why we choose to hang on to offenses done to us – pride, emotion, selfishness, vindication – each one a powerful force. Yet, I think there is something that might enable us to relinquish our perceived right of revenge – maturity. Many of us have heard the phrase, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). In our own way, we tend to process this in a variety of ways, but I believe this concept of perfection isn’t nece...