“But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15 (NLT)
A forgiven heart is a forgiving heart. We do not forgive others so that we can receive forgiveness, but the other way around. The person who truly receives forgiveness cannot possibly withhold it from others. To be forgiven, we must own our failings and be ready to admit them. Further, we must come humbly to the one we have wronged, and without any demand or manipulation, offer to them, not our excuses but our acceptance of responsibility for our sin. We seek reconciliation and hope for forgiveness, but that is “theirs” to give.
When we have been on the receiving end of forgiveness, the giving end looks very different. We are able to identify with the one who has come humbly and repentant. Our hearts, though wounded, cannot help but reach back out in grace and love. We know what it is to “need” forgiveness and we cannot bear to tease another spirit by withholding it.
ONETHING: Show my forgiven heart by having a forgiving heart.
The Habit of Love, or what I otherwise call the Habit of Others, requires that I continually decide according to the best interest of others. That is the practical demonstration of “Agape” love. It is not an emotional feeling, but a tangible decision making that seeks the benefits of others. It is that kind of love for the world which caused God to send Jesus.
It is not just a love for the “others” in my life; it is a love for all “others”. We are to love—and forgive those people who are not a part of my life. This is the kind of love Jesus meant when he told us to “love our enemies.”
Plus ONE: Help me to have the Habit of Love and forgive when “others”… “don’t know what they do”.
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