As we go through life,  we enter in and out of relationships. Friends, family,  significant others. Some relationships last,  some do not. 

Whether they last or not,  at some point on some level,  the other person will hurt us,  great or small, intentional or accidental. Knowing this,  we must also realize that we will hurt them,  great or small, intentional or not.  

How do we handle this?  Many times we will let ourselves hurt and let,  what is many times a misunderstanding, put a wedge between us and the other person. It creates a break in the relationship. Eventually that wedge grows and hurt is added to it so it is actively breaking as we continue down our path. Many times the wedge will become so large that the relationship is finally broken. Satan has won. 

Break,  breaking…Broken. 

How do we repair a broken relationship? First we must forgive the other person. Next we must forgive ourselves. Then, we can apologize whether we think we need to or not because truth is, we (me or you) are not perfect.

You cannot control how someone else acts or responds in a situation but you have control over yourself and walking in the God kind of love covers a multitude of sins, theirs or yours. 

When you find yourself in a situation where you have every right to be angry with someone because they have hurt you deeply,  and you are able to forgive them and love them regardless,  only then will you begin to understand the love God has for us. Only then,  will you begin to understand the amount of love it took Jesus to follow through with the plan God had for his life. 

Could you willingly give up your life for not just one person but for a world of people that are against you?  For people that hate you,  people that turn their backs on you, people that would save a murderer over you,  people that would save a thief over you, people that would rather spit on you than tend to your wounds?  We’ve disregarded people for less than any of these offenses. 

Jesus chose to. He loves us enough to cover all of our sins.  He forgives us before we know we even need to be forgiven. He could have walked away. He could have turned his back on us. He didn’t. 

We are broken and he knew going to the cross,  giving up his life, he gave us an option to be fixed. 

I encourage you today,  forgive those who have trespassed against you,  the same as He has forgiven our trespasses. Meditate on His love and let it envelope you. 

John 3:16-17 (KJV)

For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only begotten Son,  that whosoever believith in him should not perish,  but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.