Forgiveness

What would be your response if someone stood up and publicly shamed you...humiliated you...hurled insults and accusations at you?  Honestly, my response would probably be to get defensive...to "fight fire with fire"...to list all the reasons that person was wrong or misunderstood what I said or did; to defend myself. But that is not what Jesus did when He was before crowds of screaming people during His crucifixion. He was not just insulted, but beaten, mocked, and brutally tortured to death - hung naked, in shame, on that cross 2000 years ago.

Jesus wasn't angry at the people doing these horrible things.  Was He hurt? I think He was. Not just by the mob of people: one of his closest friends betrayed Him, and one of his best friends denied Him! So, yes, I definitely think He felt emotional pain.  But He didn't feel anger or bitterness or entitlement...He only felt compassion and love.  He felt forgiveness for those who were doing and saying these horrible things.

I think that is what Jesus wants from us when people hurt or wrong us. He wants us to feel love instead of anger; to feel compassion instead of bitterness.  Especially when they don't deserve it.  Because let's be honest, I don't always deserve it either.

Because He died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

We are human...we aren't perfect like Jesus was. We fail each other - sometimes miserably and painfully. Sometimes people are truly monsters and do horrible things to other people. People say and do things out of anger or hurt, and they lash out at those around them. People make mistakes or mishandle things, and need to learn from it and grow. Sometimes it is simply a misunderstanding of intent or words...and yes, it hurts. All of this hurts.

But I think Satan likes to blow situations out of proportion and make us feel like we are entitled to our "rights" and opinions, and even our feelings. I think he wants us to feel wounded, and blinds our eyes to seeing truth. I think sometimes he even gives people what seems like a "righteous anger" in their own minds.

This week I have realized, in a pretty "in my face" way, that I need to take a harder look at my emotions...I need to remember that no matter how I am feeling, or how wrong someone treats me, that I need to get in the Bible and see what God says about it...because Satan may have me utterly convinced that I should feel the way I do (and there is even probably a little truth he mixes in with that!), but before I ever open my mouth or respond, or allow that thought or feeling to fester, I need to ask myself, "is this from God, or is this a contradiction to His Word?"

God's way is the restoration of damaged relationships. His way is forgiveness and love.  John 8:7 - the one who hasn't sinned should throw the first stone.

His way is laying down our stones and grabbing hands instead.

This week has been hard. It would have been very easy to fight back and "throw stones" instead of turning the other cheek; to defend ourselves instead of letting God be our defender. It would be easy to feel bitterness and anger, but God has given me an overwhelming sense of forgiveness and love. What a humbling, eye opening experience! In spite of the pain, I am soooo grateful for Jesus showing me what He truly wants forgiveness to look like.

It's also challenging, because I feel like God is almost audibly telling me that this grace He is giving me for the situation this week - this outpouring of love and forgiveness and compassion I feel - is a tangible example of exactly what He wants from me in another situation that I have been dealing with over the last couple months...where I have been personally hurt - very deeply. But I need to set that aside and just simply love that person in spite of the hurt that they have caused me.

Yes, people hurt us - sometimes all the way to the core of who we are...but that doesn't mean we have to be bitter and angry and hold it against them. Just like Jesus, we CAN choose forgiveness and love.