It'll cost you to forgive

Recently my wife and I exchanged our truck for a more family friendly vehicle in preparation for baby Funk to come into the world. Is it just me, or is it a little disappointing when you buy something and the next day a flock of birds dump all over it? At that moment I had a few options:

1. I could track down those lousy fowl and make them clean up their mess. This option posed some obvious problems.

2. I could bring a gun when I track them down and make them pay for their crime (duck hunt flashbacks).

3. I could forgive them and clean up the mess myself.

These are the options we're all given any time someone hurts us, abuses us, or sins against us in any way: Make them fix the problem they caused, hurt them back, forgive them. Notice that in all three options someone pays for the damages. It's either them or you. If I forgive it doesn't mean the problem goes away. In my silly illustration, if I forgive the birds, I'm still left with #2 all over my car which needs to be cleaned. Forgiveness will cost you. But does it cost more or less than revenge?

We sinned against God and he was left with the same three choices we have when people sin against us. Make us fix it, make us pay, forgive us. He chose to forgive us. And it cost him. If something truly wrong has happened it will always come with a cost. That's why Jesus had to die. His death on the cross shows us the high cost of our sin. But his resurrection showed us something even more amazing. When we decide to forgive a death occurs - I have to die to my right for revenge, my desire for justice, and my feelings of unfairness. It's hard. It's painful. It's self destructive. But it's not the end of the story. Just as Jesus rose from the dead after the greatest act of forgiveness ever, we can be assured that when we forgive we will find new life and personal restoration.

...and to be honest, when I think about what he's forgiven me for....and what he's forgiven other people for, do I really think I have a good enough reason to withhold forgiveness?

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you" - Colossians 3:14

P.S. People commonly misinterpret Jesus' message of forgiveness to say that we should just let people get away with sin. This is not the truth. It's ok to call the police. It's ok to kick him out. It's ok to protect yourself from getting hurt. But you will never truly be free until you forgive, absorb the sin, nail it to the cross with your old self, and let Jesus give you a new life.