Once I told a joke on a zoom call and nobody laughed.
Turns out I’m not remotely funny.
Ok, going back to my day job, some things are no laughing matter. One is failure to recognize when we are hurting and responding to people out of hurt. We tend to try to cover up hurt and end up in a demoralized state that is hard to break free from.
You’ve probably heard it said that “hurt people, hurt people”.
The only way to get past hurt is forgiveness. It’s the release from pain for someone. And that someone is you.
Jesus had an opinion on this. In Luke 6:37 (ESV) He said: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Forgiveness is not about justifying wrong actions. It’s about refusing to let someone else’s wrong actions dominate your life. Don’t let people live rent-free in your head. Forgive them, and move forward. Hurt is a primary barrier to motivation. It can certainly hold you back if you let it. Take a moment. Take an honest look in the mirror and ask yourself how many times you have hurt others.
Only in this reflection can you find the grace to forgive someone else, in light of the forgiveness you yourself need. So we can change that saying in ourselves from “hurt people, hurt people” to “forgiven people, forgive people”.
It’s a great way to clear your head and your heart, move forward, stay motivated, and not let circumstances drag you down. The way to stay strong on your journey with Christ is to live in forgiveness.
