This week's Carnival of Beauty is on the topic: The Beauty of Forgiveness. The hostess is Julie Blair Lane. The Carnival listings are posted on Wednesday. I am writing and posting this now because everything seems to be working. (I missed out last week because of internet/blogger issues.) There have been quite a variety of topics in this Carnival, but so very few are as important as this one. The Beauty of Forgiveness is amazing. Whether we look at it from the perspective of forgiving others, or from being the one who needs to be forgiven, this is a subject we all must face. Looking for the beauty in forgiveness required a different perspective than just talking about it, or begging for it.
Forgiveness is so important that the Lord included it in His prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us". We can only receive forgiveness in the measure of which we forgive. We want God to forgive us and we often plead with others to forgive us, but are we as hasty to forgive those around us?
The Beauty of Forgiveness is found in the image of its definition. I heard a sermon once on forgiveness. The pastor said that forgiveness had the definition of untying something. I picture it this way: someone hurts us, by accident or design, and the pain caused ties us to that person. We are bound to hi or her and each further thing he or she does may cause the ropes that bind us to dig in further and further causing more pain and anguish. We are left to react to every little movement that person may make. It is though the ropes tighten more and more, cutting deeper and deeper. Left alone, the wounds from the ropes will fester and grow worse. By offering forgiveness, we untie ourselves from them.
We are not saying that what someone did was fine. We are not saying that what he or she did didn't hurt. It did. We are saying that we will no longer be controlled and bound to that person, or the pain. We will be set free.
The Beauty of Forgiveness to me is that its power lies, not in what the other person does, but in what I chose to do. The one who hurt me may not even know what he or she did. He may not realize what happened. She may never ask for forgiveness. He may have already passed away. I may never see her again. It does not matter.
My forgiveness is not based on intent or apologies, or as the case often is, the lack thereof. It is based on the fact that I chose to forgive, knowing that I desire to be forgiven by God Himself for my sins against Him. Who am I to hold a grudge knowing what He gave that I might be forgiven? Why would I wish to remain bound to the pain?
Forgiveness sets me free.
And that, is beautiful.
4 comments:
Amen Kimberly! This is a wonderful topic and I'm so glad you participated. I think there are others who needed this word today.
The Beauty of Forgiveness to me is that its power lies, not in what the other person does, but in what I chose to do.
Yes, it's all about us, isn't it? Sometimes this is a tough pill to swallow, but I'm learning.
I really appreciated this. I had never thought about forgiveness as being an untying but how true it is! How often do we left past hurts dictate our actions toward that person or even toward people that remind us of them? Thank you for your insight.
We can only receive forgiveness in the measure of which we forgive. We want God to forgive us and we often plead with others to forgive us, but are we as hasty to forgive those around us?
I like this part and this is much of the point I tried to get across in my post.
Thanks for sharing.
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