forgiveness

"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God." ~ Thomas Merton

Forgiving others will remain difficult until we know what it is to be forgiven. It is our forgiveness of one another that makes the love of Jesus for us manifest in our lives, for in forgiving one another we act towards one another as He has acted towards us.

The Greek word for forgiveness is charizomai - grace. And to be open to and become channels of God's grace requires surrender, an essential element of love.

To say I have been forgiven is to say I have started to love God, received His peace, and opened up to His grace.

James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?"

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven."