Love is . . . Forgiveness

So often when the subject of forgiveness comes up, we go by our feelings.  We ponder the wrong that was done to us, see how high it goes on our hurt-o-meter, and then we figure out how long it will actually take us to forgive.  We do all sorts of things when we are in this situation.  We act out the silent treatment, we get back at the person, we yell or cry or, if it really hurt, we kick that person out of our lives forever.  But let me ask you something.  Is this love?  (If you are a Christian reading this, I really want you to think about this.)  Is walking in unforgiveness walking in love? 

As followers of Christ, love is who we are.  God is love.  He forgives us of the most horrendous things and accepts us back with open arms.  Let me give an example of love that forgives.

Once there was a man who had two sons.  One day the younger son comes to the father and demands his inheritance.  The father agrees and distributes what he has to the two boys.  Well, the younger son takes off.  He leaves his father’s homestead and he journeys to another country.  He wastes his whole inheritance in frivolous living and indecency. When he has spoiled it all, he cuts covenant with an outsider and labors feeding swine and living in their pen. 

The young man is laying in that muck and filth when he remembers his father and the state of which the home he had left was in. Wealthy, healthy, without want.  So he journeys back.

What would you do?  If you gave someone a large sum of money only for them to waste it and then come running back to you when they were in want, what would you do? 

The father saw his son afar off and he told his servants to make a feast.  He ran to the boy and fell on his neck, so joyful that his son was found again.  He couldn’t care less about the wasted inheritance.  He forgave his son his squandering and welcomed him home. 

In this life, we will get hurt at times.  But that hurt will never go beyond healing.  We need to realize that.  It might feel like something you can’t bear.  But if you allow love to rise above the hurt, healing will come upon its wings.  Unforgiveness is a poison.  It eats you up from the inside out.  But love is the soil from which blessings grow.  Forgiveness is a powerful weapon that we have.  When hurt stands in our way, threatening to overtake us and take down all the joy that we have worked for, we can stand up and say, I choose to forgive and I walk in love.  Hurt may still rise up at times, but when love abides in our hearts, everything else must bow.  Love is master over hurt.  Choose to forgive.