It has never been easy for most us to easily forgive the people who mistreated us, betrayed us, sinned against us or in other possible way, hurt us- intentionally or unintentionally. We ask ourselves why someone can possibly do something which is against and unacceptable for us. We try to understand why they do things, which we think, we don’t even deserve it. We keep on thinking that someone did something wrong to us. Ending up ourselves to a point that we are consumed by the pain we feel, the bitterness we have and isolating ourselves from these people we now hate who at once we loved.

Human understanding has its limitations. There are things that we can’t just simply understand. And understanding other people is one of those. How much more if pride gets in? Our inability to understand someone plus our pride certainly would close our mind and heart to any positive thought that comes along the way. Which causes us hurt, instead of putting an end to that pain we feel by simply letting go oneself out of it and forgiving the person who hurt us. But, come to think, will it vanish the pain? Not even closing it. It only imprisoned us more to the thought of not forgiving these people and continue to dwell with the wrong things they’ve done. Losing our opportunity to know them, entering into their inner selves and be able to understand them. Do we really want that to happen? Of course, as a follower of Christ, we don’t want and we should not. With the wisdom and grace from our Lord Jesus Christ, understanding others is never impossible. It is only God who can teach us how to understand them and be able to forgive them wholeheartedly. It is only Him who can ultimately change our viewpoint and open our hearts on how to genuinely forgive. We just have to be willing to be trained how to have a forgiving heart. Because God doesn’t want us to count the numbers of times we should forgive. He wants us to be forgiving all the time, at any cause- without hesitation, doubt and limitation. It is the quality of forgiveness we are giving, not the quantity of showing how forgiving we are and how capable we are to forgive.

Let us always be reminded that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Who are we that we cannot forgive? Jesus offers his life out of His love for us. Which teaches us that we should always love one another. So, blessed are those who has a pure and loving heart that never counts the number of times they forgive but understand and love the people around and genuinely forgive them.

Source: Neo Jeremiah Voice of the Young Prophet September 17, 2017 issue