Civility & Forgiveness

In the Lord’s Prayer, the fourth stanza says, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”  

 Three verses later the Lord says,

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”   

Social media has created an environment where we seem to have forgotten this on a large scale.  If we are not careful, instead of us having differences of opinion, our interactions become me versus you.  If your exchanges are only confrontational, you cannot be my or anyone else’s friend.  If you are so narrow minded as to fall for that cycle of living, you become the problem.  

This is the difference between disagreement and hate. 

We need to stop. I mean it.  Stop.  Right now.

Stop.  Even if it’s for purely selfish reasons.  Not forgiving others and perpetuating hate will tear you apart.  It’s a weight that gets heavier as you carry it around with you all the time.  You become more and more angry on the inside.  You start to live in fear instead of love.  You feel helpless instead of giving.  It will spill over into your daily interactions and ruin your relationships.    

Go back to the first paragraph.  Forgive yourself.  Depending on whatever belief system is applicable to you, ask God to forgive you.  Then at the same time, forgive anyone who has “trespassed” against you in anyway. 

Let it go.  Forgive them.  That does not mean you have to go to their house for Christmas or do business with them again.  It simply means, let it go.  Forgive them as you would like to be forgiven for your mistakes, ignorance, or selfishness.    

As of this moment, I forgive everyone who has ever trespassed against me.  I release any anger, hostility, frustration, or desire for revenge.  No longer will this have a place in my mind or in my heart.   

There, that feels better.  You are welcome to hold me to it.  I want you to.   

Let’s all get back to creating spectacular, to loving one another, to caring for each other. 

Life is both too short and too long not to.   

Living Every Minute,

Dr. Tim