nah, you're good...

Eph 4:32- Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

I don’t pretend to be the author of this idea, but it is one that I am proud to pay forward.  For the past several months I have been very intentional in saying “you’re forgiven” when someone apologizes to me.  Rather than blow it off or say, “nah you’re good” or “it’s OK”, I let them know that I forgive them.  I think this serves two purposes.  1- it validates the person’s apology.  If someone is indeed sorry for whatever they did to warrant an apology, it isn’t my place to diminish that fact by shrugging off their penitence.  Obviously, there are occasions in which someone doesn’t need to apologize- like when their flight is delayed so the driver has to wait around a little longer… no need to apologize/receive forgiveness for that because unless you were the pilot, you had no bearing on the flight schedule.  But if someone has indeed done something that they are sorry about, far be it from me to tell them their sorrow is unneeded.

2- it allows me to forgive as Jesus forgave me.  That’s a really cool thing.   By forgiving a friend, they feel a teeny tiny little piece of Jesus’ forgiveness that He bestowed upon each and every one of us on the cross.  Not only that, but by forgiving, I am living the life of one who is indeed forgiven, for only a forgiven man can forgive.  That little reassurance of forgiveness of our wrongdoings is really refreshing in our personal lives and fundamental to our faith lives.  May I always share Jesus as I freely forgive as He forgave me!