As Jesus was teaching us how to pray, He was also teaching us to “forgive those who trespass against us.”
It doesn’t get any more real or in black and white than that. The man Himself is telling us to “forgive those who trespass against us.”
As we’re nearing the season of Lent, it’s a great time to catch up and practice our forgiving.
What does that look like?
What does it mean to forgive?
I’m going to try and keep it simple and give you just one thing to reflect on as you follow Christ’s command for us to forgive.
What to focus on
Before I go on, I want to admit that this is based on something that I read somewhere.
I don’t remember where or what and I don’t remember who wrote it.
This is not my original idea. I am not meaning to steal it, but here it is.
To forgive, to take one step toward forgiveness is to want the best for the person you are trying to forgive.
If you can do that, you can forgive.
Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean you have to invite those who hurt you to Christmas dinner.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean you need to go back and be besties with a bestie who hurt you.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean putting yourself back into a position where you’re going to get hurt by that person again.
Forgiveness just means wanting the best for them.
Forgiveness means you don’t want to see them get hurt.
Forgiveness means you don’t want to seek revenge on them and hurt them back.
Forgiveness means you’ll be happy, or at least content or peaceful, if good things happen to them or they become a better person.
Oh, that’s a tricky one. How do we react if we’re still reeling over whatever may have happened to us, but those who trespassed against us are succeeding and doing well? Can we be happy for them? There’s something to pray about.
I think this is also probably from some book I haven’t read yet, but ask yourself, how would you feel if the person in your life who has hurt you the most would join you in Heaven?
Wouldn’t that be the best possible outcome for both of you?
If you can’t live with that idea, maybe you need to work on your forgiveness.
I, myself, have considered that very notion.
My consolation comes from the fact that if I’m in Heaven and someone who wronged me repeatedly is in Heaven, that means we’re both going to be there as our absolute best selves.
Whatever human weakness led to our rifts before will be removed and we’ll be able to be brothers and sisters as God intended.
There’s a joy in that even if it takes a while to get there.
Who else to forgive
Before I end this, there’s another matter of forgiveness I want to touch on.
There’s one person we may be forgetting to forgive more than anyone else.
If we would make a list of the people that we need to forgive, I bet we’d forget to put this particular person down.
When is the last time you forgave the person whose wrongs, flaws, and sins you know about more than anyone else’s?
When is the last time you forgave yourself?
You may have gone to Confession and said everything, but you still won’t let go of what God has granted his mercy over.
Let’s use the same formula that we used for others.
Do you want to forgive yourself?
Do you want what’s best for yourself?
God doesn’t want you to wallow in what you’ve done, especially if you’ve Confessed those sins.
By our faith, we receive forgiveness for those wrongs if we are truly sorry.
God has forgiven you. God wants the best for you.
Do you forgive you? Do you want what’s best for you?
Don’t let the evil one continue to work on you and drag you down.
It’s ok to forgive yourself. Others may already have. God already has (if you’ve gone to Confession). Now, it’s your turn. Forgive yourself. Want what’s best for you. Be happy about a future filled with forgiveness.
Imagine a world where all of these burdens are lifted, the burdens against ourselves and others.
Now is the time to forgive.
Desire what is best for those who hurt you.
Desire what is best for you.
Ask God to help you “forgive those who trespass against us” as He and others “forgive us our trespasses”.
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for you.