No Wiggle Room

When it comes to forgiving others, most of us wish the Word gave us a little more wiggle room.  Actually, when it comes to forgiveness, we have absolutely no wiggle room.  We may exercise some discretion about who is going to be the recipient of our forgiveness, but discretionary powers do not really belong to anyone who is serious about walking the way Jesus calls us to walk.  There is a Word the Apostle Paul was inspired by the Spirit to write which says to us, ", "...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."  (Ephesians 4:32).  No wiggle room there.  We are to forgive as Christ forgives.  And, in that prayer we pray there is a Word which says, " ...forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors."  (Matthew 6:12)  No wiggle room there.

 

What we like to do is pick and choose.  We like to forgive those who according to our perspective are worthy of being forgiven.  We are ready to forgive some of those who act and speak out the words of regret and sorrow for their offensive behavior directed toward us, but we are not always ready to forgive them just because it is what Christ calls us to do.  The hard truth is that none of us in our right mind want God to forgive according to our meriting that forgiveness.  We would much rather fall on mercy than merit when it comes to being forgiving.

 

The Word points toward forgiveness coming to us according to the measure we are willing to forgive.  And while God will even forgive us for not being forgiving to others, who among us wants to live in a way which is known to be displeasing to Him?  The hard way is the way of the cross.  The cross was a means of offering forgiveness according to mercy and not merit.  It is how Jesus would expect any follower of the way of cross to live....even me and you.