Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven... Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ.
Sometimes I don't remember the full significance of the forgiveness I have in Christ. Indeed, it goes beyond satisfying the failures of my past. It speaks to the present...to the ongoing relationship I have with God. And the forgiveness God has given me requires that I extend forgiveness to others.
That means that when I forgive others, it must go beyond failures of the past. I'm usually ok with that. But what about the ongoing relationship. That's MUCH harder.
When I've been hurt, I find it hard to remain in ongoing relationship. I'm tempted to take the "fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me" approach. In that mode, I retreat from relationship, establishing a fortress of defenses to protect myself from future harm.
But what I'm discovering is that this retreat approach also prevents me from receiving and offering the love of Christ.
God, grant me the grace to risk including ongoing relationship with the forgiveness I extend to others. Amen.
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