A Good Life requires Forgiveness

"Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good." Romans 12: 21 

This scripture is the conclusion of a challenging guideline on our response to mistreatment. Included is a command to not take revenge, a call to bless those whom you would rather curse, and a mission to live at peace with all to the best of your ability through sincerity of love. This passage begins with a call to transform your mind by constant renewing of God's perspective. The reason may be that God cares that evil does not claim your soul or defeat you. I feel God also cares about your life of goodness in relation to others. 

God gives the motivation for change not in the form of guilt or rule following. Rather, we are to be prompted to transform because of the reassurance of God's justice, the promise of genuine relationships with others, and the blessing of a life characterized by goodness, sincerity, and love. A goodness so strong it defeats evil.

The hardest change is forgiving someone who has mistreated you and choosing to live at peace. Without internal peace it is impossible to live at peace with others. The hurt causes misunderstandings, shame-filled attacks designed for your own protection or attention, and a constant need to be seen and approved of by all around you. The evil has destroyed your ability to live a genuine life focused on true relationships. Relationships built on respect and love. A destroyed life builds relationships on how they personally benefit from them. “A life without love is no life at all.”

Depending on the severity of the mistreatment, the first act of trust in God could be to release the desire for revenge. To understand God will enact justice as required for true love. I will not diminish the power of Jesus Christ's precious blood and say that the worst sinner cannot be seen as righteous under the covering of true faith and following of God. I also will not diminish the love and trust I have in God because of His capacity for wrath on the evil in the world. 

I do want to curse those who have hurt me so deeply there have been years of battle to overcome their sin. My maturity has not reached the transition into genuinely wanting blessing in their lives in place of cursing. Instead, I am in a phase of desiring to be free of any thought of them and surrendering their fate to God. I do not want the evil of their choices to be my story. I certainly do not want the evil to destroy my ability to love. I want the goodness of God, the heart of joy, and the ability to acknowledge the hurting around me and weep with them.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I am a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who in the deepest act of strength took on death itself in order to forgive those whose choices required the sacrifice. The evil was going to destroy everything and everyone, but forgiveness brought life, joy, and peace. 

God grants me the privilege to become like Him and even to great personal sacrifice and pain journey on the path of beautiful pain in order to forgive those who have hurt me. 

In forgiveness, there is peace on earth and life can be lived with a good will toward all.