“One forgives to the degree that one loves.”

I read this quote online tonight and I love it so much.

 

Here on the blog, I wrote many times about being the one asking for forgiveness, but tables do turn, right? Time comes when it’s our turn to forgive and forget and show mercy. { I sound like a judge… lol}

 

 

Seriously, I was wondering which is harder: to ask for forgiveness or to be the offended person who needs to forgive. While it’s really hard and painful to realize you’ve hurt someone you love, I think nothing beats the pain of being the one who’s truly hurt by a person you love dearly. {They’re both painful, but being the one who gets hurt is sometimes the harder position to be in--heavier in the heart and forgiving isn’t always as easy as it sounds, isn’t it?}

 

But then I think of Jesus. I think of God.  I wonder how could He forgive that easy. We hurt Him. We break His heart. Many, many times. We refuse listen to Him and we disobey His commands. And yet He still takes us back. He still forgives. Like the father who patiently waits for his prodigal son to come home. Like the loving father who quickly runs at the sight of his repentant son from afar.

 

I know only one reason behind that quickness to pardon and forgive.

LOVE.

 

He forgives much because He loves much.

He has not even spared His own Son so we might be reconciled to Him.

And when we’ve experienced  that ocean of love and forgiveness, love just overflows—back to God and towards people who have broken our hearts as well. Because of His love is pure and perfect, our pain and our heartbreaks—and sometimes our anger—can turn into pure love, compassion and forgiveness. He just wants us to run to Him, for He is the one who comforts us, heals our hearts and teaches us how to forgive.

 

Forgiveness, they say, is the final form of love. And we’ve seen that from the Author of love Himself. He has forgiven the unforgivable because He loves much. We can learn that kind of love from Him too—a love that knows how to forgive.

 

Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs.

Proverbs 10:12

 

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