Forgiveness is Free

I forgave you, why can't you forgive me?
After everything you've done, you have the nerve?
You're upset about that?


We often don't realize what a skewed view of forgiveness we have. We choose to forgive and then stand there, jaw dropped, flabbergasted that we are not forgiven or treated the same, right? Why?

If forgiveness is freely given, NO strings attached...it should not matter if the forgiveness is reciprocated or not. But, but, but...

It's not like you can forgive someone %89 and then you automatically get a free pass worth %89...or that you forgive until you are even. Or that since you forgave something SO BIG that you deserve their forgiveness.

It doesn't work that way. Forgiveness does not entitle you to be forgiven. Because forgiveness is not about receiving--it's about giving. You give forgiveness.

Christ gave His forgiveness freely. Period. It stops there. Nothing more and nothing less. He did not give it to receive something in return. He did not give it so you would be obligated to follow Him. He gave it because He loves you and me. 

It's not for us to forgive and then wait to receive something in return--like forgiveness back. It's only to be given as a gift...and left there. Freely. We need to get it out of our minds that because we forgive we will automatically be forgiven in return. Only Christ does that. He does not promise that for people. He commands us to forgive, period. 

If we forgive and then get upset because someone is holding a grudge toward us, harboring bitterness or resentment and not extending the same grace toward us--then we are only proving we forgave to receive something--and it wasn't given freely with out the expectation of something in return. 

Forgive BECAUSE you have been forgiven by Christ. Don't forgive TO BE forgiven by others. ♥ ♥ ♥