Not Forgiving

Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.  — Anne Lamott Traveling Mercies

We’ve all done it. You get so many at someone and you refuse to let it go. While you’re stewing in your rage, they seem totally fine and unaffected. And we think, “But don’t they feel the pain I feel?!” They may or may not - we’ll never know. But we sure are feeling the pain.

Often the following verse is used to explain how we feel after we’ve been forgiven. But what if there’s more to it - what if it’s also about what it feels like to forgive others? (the context of Jesus’s words here could go either way):

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. - John 8:36

We’ll be thinking and praying about forgiveness all week. If you’d like to dive in more deeply, read this really helpful article by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes: Why Are Christians So Bad at Forgiveness.