Today’s Monday Morning Inspiration is all about forgiveness.
Last week, at my centering prayer meeting, the topic of discussion was all about forgiveness. We read excerpts on this topic from several readings and they really spoke to me. I learned a lot from them and I hope you will too.
Here’s What I Learned About Forgiveness…
- We show God’s love to others when we are willing to forgive and when we recognize our own need for forgiveness too.
- God desires for us to be a community of those who forgive not a community of those who judge or condemn.
- Through our forgiving others, God forgives us.
- No one is complete, holy, and perfect. Therefore, we are all sinners and we all need forgiveness.
- We should not live for ourselves alone. Remember, that God’s love shines through us when we live for others. Whatever we lack, God has given to others and we can learn from them. They can complete us in areas where we are deficient.
- Many times, God gives us good things so we can share them with others. We grow in love when we share.
- One of the greatest gifts we can give is to be open to others – to accept them just as they are and to forgive them. Furthermore, when we are open in this way, the presence of the Holy Spirit is made visible within us.
Have You Ever had Trouble Forgiving Someone?
We’ve all had difficulty forgiving someone at some point in our life. We are human after all. But, we must learn to forgive because that is what God calls us to do.
Here a few suggestions that were shared in our group about making the first step toward forgiveness…
- When you are tempted to lash out at someone who has hurt you, pray for them instead. For example, say the person’s name out loud or to yourself and ask God to bless them.
- If you are holding on to a hurt or living in unforgiveness, picture Jesus walking towards that person you are trying to forgive. Remember if Jesus could forgive those who persecuted him, you can forgive too.
- Recognize that when someone says something hurtful, it’s often tied to their mood or to something going on in their life. Being mindful of this in that moment can bring us calm and peace when we are tempted to respond. Then pray for that person who is hurting in some way.
Who do you need to forgive today? Pray for this person and pray for God’s grace to show mercy and forgiveness to them as God has shown to you.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:8-12 (NIV)