The gift of restoration

Francis of Assisi reminded us, "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned." Errors or offenses happen, don't they? We might be the offender, or the offended, but either way, there can be a significant amount of distress caused. Consequences are 'due' whenever there is an offense. Eat a few extra calories each day and the 'offense' will end up with the scale tattling on your indiscretions! Drive consistently over the speed limit and you are likely to encounter a radar enforcement of your 'offense' at some point that will cost you a significant amount of time or money to deal with your 'offense'. The more we 'offend' or are 'offended', the more we will come to see these occurrences are not without consequence - unless there is an outright forgiveness of the offense.

For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Many times, an offense is not even recognized as an offense by the one committing the offense, but it can be by the one who feels or experiences the offense. When this is the case, we cannot ignore that there are always at least two parties in the offense - the offender and offended. One may be reckless and willful, but if the other is equally unwilling to forgive, nurturing the hurt until it begins to interfere with the relationship, the end result will be a break in the relationship one has with their heavenly Father. The human relationship will suffer, too, but it also wrecks our relationship with God - a relationship where we never want to find any 'gap'.

God was aware that offense would occur - in our relationship with him and with others. He also made a plan for how we were to deal with those offenses - recognized or not, they need to be dealt with quickly, so they don't fester and interfere with our relationship with him! Nurturing your hurt or anger will do more harm to you than you might realize at first. Inner turmoil creates ripe conditions for all manner of unhealthy consequences - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Errors or offenses happen - but so does repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. Thank God for the gift of restoration. Without it, we'd be a pretty miserable lot. Just sayin!