Stingy Forgiveness

Forgiveness. For me this is one of the toughest things that Jesus ever instructed me to do. Over the last year, I have gotten a lot of practice in forgiveness. Both giving it and receiving it. The other day as I was sitting at my desk, I heard the question, “Do you forgive like I forgive?” Of course I don’t forgive like Jesus. I don’t have His superpowers or His perfection. I am just me – walking around trying to live the best that I can as a disciple of Jesus Christ. How am I supposed to forgive like Him and what does that even look like?

Then I thought, STINGY. Yep. That is my type of forgiveness. Cheap. Miserly. Just what will get be by, so I can check one more thing off of my good Christian to do list.

I have become quite capable and even talented at forgiving people, releasing them from what I think they owe me, but never allowing them back into my life. I no longer blame them, or hold the offense against them, but I also don’t really love them as Christ wants me to do.

But I want to forgive like Christ. Lavishly. Extravagantly. With all I have. And continue the relationship. Love the person. This is what Christ does for me. I don’t know how this will look in my life. I don’t know that I will be successful at changing all that I have done for, well, my entire life. But, I do know that I want to be like Christ and I will let Him renew me by the transforming of my mind.