Of all the characteristics God has given us, none is more blessed than the gift of a forgiving spirit. It’s easy to forgive the person who comes to us and humbles himself before us being sorry for his wrong and begging for our mercy. That puts us in the driver’s seat, and we feel good and big and generous with the power to forgive. We enjoy that role.

When we have been betrayed, abused, or falsely accused and the whole world knows and no one comes to ask our forgiveness, we sometimes choose to remain hurt or even destroyed by the wrong deed done to us. This is when we need to forgive the one responsible.

Holding that hurt and anger in our hearts will torment us day and night. It will force us to center on ourselves, not on our Lord or those who need us. He, the innocent, died for us, the guilty. With His great example of forgiveness, how can we not also forgive? We have no choice. We must if we would follow Jesus.