We all need to forgive and be forgiven.
- When I drove through the garage door, Jeff forgave me.
- When I flooded the garage, Jeff forgave me.
- When I blurted out stupid, unfiltered words last week … Jeff forgave me.
His grace towards me when I have been so undeserving has motivated me to be forgiving when he needs it (Though he’s never crashed through the garage OR flooded it … ). We are all in need of forgiveness at times, because we all have a human nature that offends, blunders, and fails. Ever female and every male is imperfect and prone to inflict pain, big or small, on others. We all need to forgive and be forgiven.
When your guy doesn’t forgive
But what about if the man in your life isn’t very forgiving of YOU? Do you still have to try and be forgiving? What if your father spoke unfiltered words of shame that cut you deeply? What if he didn’t speak words of love and acceptance and that cut you deeply? What if your boyfriend or husband or boss or pastor mistreated you and never said “I was so wrong. I’m a dork. Forgive me?” What then?
Love follows forgiveness
A woman once wondered the same thing, a woman who had a trail of wrong-doing that, no doubt, was sprinkled with men who hurt her and misused her. Jesus said her sins were “many,” and He used her as an example of one who forgives and knows what love is. “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:46-48)
You can forgive him
We all need to forgive and be forgiven. If we’ve been forgiven of our blunders, deceitful moments, and bad choices, then we know what it is to be forgiven. Sweet relief, great grace, amazing gift, undeserved blessing! We can love because we are loved. If we experience the forgiveness of God through His Son Jesus, the only right response is to forgive others in return.
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)
Not sure what to do with the guy in your life when his humanity shows through in the form of flaws or failures? Forgive him as you’ve been forgiven.
