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Adele’s Inspiration Cafe Blog
Today’s Post: To Err Is Human, to Forgive is Divine
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
Forgiveness. To err is human, to forgive is divine. I don’t know about you, but I find forgiveness really hard. Both asking for it and providing it to those who I feel have hurt me. Really hard. Yet, every now and then, it is brought to my attention that I have hurt or offended someone. At times, though never intended, we all hurt people we care very much about and must ask forgiveness. Sometimes we are the one who asks for forgiveness, other times we are the one on the forgiving end of things. In a way, it is all part of the seesaw of life relationships. In the past, I have noticed that sometimes it is harder than others to ask for forgiveness, especially where feelings are concerned. That is where discernment comes in from today’s Holy Scripture, to rescue us from our own awkwardness with forgiving.
When we forgive others, we are fulfilling our own circle of faith in Jesus Christ. For un-forgiveness is a plague that, left unchecked, can cause more heartache, emotional upheaval, physical illness, and most of all, spiritual unrest in a hurting soul. Do we really need to forgive others? The Bible says categorically, we are called to forgive 70 times 7, that is, over and over again. But how is that possible in light of our humanness???
Today’s Scripture specifically tells us we must put aside our anger and press on in faith to love one another as God loves us. Do we expect to be forgiven when we ask for it? Surely that hope prevails! Yet when we understand that we are forgiven to the degree that we forgive others, forgiveness suddenly seems necessary and possible through Jesus Christ.
Personally, I often call upon and defer to Jesus to intercede when I am called to forgive and it is difficult. Alone I can do precious little, with Him, all things are possible!
Adele M. Gill | Copyright 2015
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