our debts- Forgiveness Pt 2

Forgiveness is so hard when justice is not delivered. We like movies where the bad guys go to jail and the one framed is vindicated.  We want to see mean guys lose the girl. We want everyone who has wronged us and our loved ones to have a very public humiliation. Or maybe it’s just me.

            Once my dad and I were speaking of a sad story of wrongdoing, and I said something about how the person will have to be accountable before God someday. Yes, he said, but so will we. Are we so quick to condemn others and ask for mercy for ourselves? I remember the story in the Bible of the man who begged the king to forgive his debts and then turned around and could not forgive someone who owed him much less money.

            That story always seemed far-fetched to me, and maybe it was meant to be. However, the message is clear: debt is debt. We hope we would never be so hard-hearted as the man in the story.  But if we substitute debt for some other injury- being short-tempered or impatient, for example, the analogy may hit too close to home for our comfort.

If we take a moment to think over everything God has forgiven us for, at such a precious price, it may help us reach beyond our capacity and forgive what we think is unforgivable. What we cannot yet forgive, let us at least bring it to God and be honest about what we are holding onto, since He knows anyway. Let’s strive to be ready to give account for our actions, and let us be defined as ones who forgive. What an awesome way to point to God.