How do you go about showing mercy to those who hurt you? How can you be so quick to forgive and move on? Do you need to distance yourself from them, or do you overlook their shortcomings? When you make the decision to live your life in peace, that’s when you learn to let go of the things that are not serving you well. Then you can start making room for others’ mistakes.
However, this is all easier said than done. I don’t know about you, but I’ve asked God for wisdom in this matter. The word of God doesn’t say that we should write them out of our lives, yet He advises us not to allow “crazy makers” to take away our joy. It is okay to not serve as their doormat. By drawing a boundary, we can express our feelings, thereby allowing them to examine their own heart and hopefully, acknowledge the needs of others through their own love lens.
Furthermore, God’s word tells us to pray for those who persecute us. It is so amazing to know what Jesus said even as He was hanging on the cross. In His agony, Jesus’ concern was for the forgiveness of those who counted themselves among His enemies. He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23: 34). He asked God the Father to forgive the Roman soldiers who had mocked Him, spit on Him, beat Him, whipped Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, and nailed Him to the cross. (Mark 15:29–30).
In this verse “Father, forgive them”, I see how forgiveness ties in with love. But some think that, in spite of their love, if they forgive someone, it shows that they are weak. On the contrary, they are not weak – they are the strongest of all! By practicing forgiveness in their daily walk, they overcome any conflicts which come their way, giving them peace at night. After all, as Jesus’s followers, we are all the answer to his prayer, “Father, forgive them”. If God has forgiven us, who are we to not forgive others?
I must say this from my own experience: I have discovered through my own difficult circumstances that the sooner I forgive, the quicker I feel at peace. I am then able to have love and compassion toward the person who had hurt me. I hope that when I hurt someone (not intentionally but we all fall short at times), they would be quick to forgive me.
Final thoughts, let’s not forget, the courage to keep the gates of mercy (Forgiveness) open and overlook your own pain comes from the Lord who gives generously to those who seek His strength. So for this reason, ask the Lord in faith without ceasing. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)