Forgiveness: What It Is

This is my latest series. It's something I've been pondering over and struggling with for much of this year. Therefore, you can be assured that I'm going to do my best not to make it an academic exercise of what forgiveness is. These are thoughts that are still circling in my head and it's an issue which affects all of us. All of us will need to forgive another at some stage in our lives. If we didn't, then we wouldn't be sinners.

Over the next few days (yes, I'm going to blog every day this working week!), I'm going to explore the topic of forgiveness and ask for your thoughts.

• Forgiveness: What it is
• Forgiveness: What it's not
• Forgiveness: Why do it?
• Forgiveness: The aftermath
• Forgiveness: Have I really forgiven them?

Forgive:
1. to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2. to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3. to grant pardon to (a person).
4. to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies.
5. to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan.
(definition taken from Dictionary.com)

Many questions have been plaguing me this year. It's one thing to grant pardon to someone, but how do I cease to feel resentment? Time does play a part in healing wounds but we are called by God to forgive our enemies. How can I forgive as God does?

Forgiveness means no longer seeing the perpetrator as indebted to you. It requires all of God's strength and love to be able to do this, something he has taught me recently. Forgiveness is letting go of the past and moving on. It is making a conscious decision to forgive - not relying on 'feelings'. It is freely given - not with strings attached.

Forgiveness takes both God and me.