When someone has made a slight blunder and their sincere remorse has been made known, it isn't all that hard to forgive. We pat ourselves on the back and think we did good.
When severely wounded, we ten to embrace the hurt for awhile, play the role of a martyr (being righteous in our own eyes), make them suffer a little ... then maybe we'll forgive. Now we're really good Christians, huh?
Then comes the wound so severe that life will never be the same. They neither seek or deserve forgiveness. Nor are they sorry at all.
There is no cover in which to hide feelings of betrayal, anger, grief, bitterness ... emotions raging so strong they eat your insides away.
Only then can we begin to understand that forgiveness is even more necessary for our survival than theirs, not always because they deserve it but because we do. And in such case, we can know the blessed peace of (for) giving in a depth few have known.
God's way is always in our best interest.
© by Joyce C. Lock