A touch of the divine

“To err is human, to forgive divine” (Alexander Pope).

When we’ve been deeply wounded, forgiveness is not easy – especially when the wounds have come at the hands of those whom we have loved and trusted.

Alexander Pope said that to forgive is “divine.” Surely, this is key to understanding where forgiveness begins.

From a purely human perspective, we can usually justify bitterness, anger, and even hatred depending on the situation and how badly we’ve been treated. There are those who certainly do not “deserve” our forgiveness. Furthermore, some apparently don’t even want our forgiveness, judging by their refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing. Why bother forgiving in such situations?

God has placed a high calling on our lives, and His commands are always for our good. His Word says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13).

Even if others do not acknowledge their need of forgiveness, we need to forgive them for righteousness’ sake and for the sake of our own well-being.

Bitterness is a burden. It’s heavy. It’s oppressive. It blocks our joy and our ability to walk in God’s blessings.

God knew that forgiveness would not always be easy, and He does not expect us to do this in our own strength.

He sent our Savior Jesus so that we might experience forgiveness and in that experience learn to humbly acknowledge our own faults, our own unworthiness, and prepare us to extend His grace to others.

If “to err is human,” then all of us will fall short and find ourselves in need of forgiveness. And if forgiveness is divine, then we must trust in our Savior’s grace to teach us how to forgive one another.

If you find yourself facing this Christmas with an unforgiving heart, reach out for a touch of the divine and ask God to help you give the gift of forgiveness to someone who needs it.