Forgiveness can be tough. Some people are extra broken, even whiny, and need more of our grace and love to help them with their issues. They end up in our paths, at church, school, or work, even in the family. Someone has done you wrong, and you want to “bust a cap in them.” How do you deal with difficult people? How do you forgive?
Paul wrote to Philemon, urging him to restore the relationship he had with Onesimus. Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and taken off with the goods. Paul said, “For love’s sake I appeal to you for my child in the faith, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. If you consider me your partner in the ministry, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it.” It was Paul’s passionate plea for Philemon to receive Onesimus, to take him back, to reconcile the differences and forgive him. Paul looks to Christ as the basis for this forgiveness, as Philemon was a church leader, who had faith and loved the Lord and all the saints, and Onesimus was a son in the faith, a fellow worker and brother in Christ. Jesus is the reason to see past a person’s difficulties and imperfections. As Jesus forgave you for your sin and stupidity, so you forgive a brother or sister for theirs.
A.W. Tozer wrote, “We would think that all Christians should be perfect, but a blunt realism forces us to admit that perfection is rare even among the saints. The part of wisdom is to accept our Christian brothers and sisters for what they are rather than for what they should be. We do not wish to make excuses, but it is necessary that we face facts. And the plain fact is that the average Christian, even the true Christian, is yet a long way from being like Christ in character and life. There is much that is imperfect about us, and it is fitting that we recognize it and call upon God for charity to put up with one another. The perfect church is not on this earth. The most spiritual church is sure to have in it some who are still bothered by the flesh. However earnestly we may desire that our Christian brother go on toward perfection, we must accept him as he is and learn to get along with him. To treat an imperfect brother impatiently is to advertise our own imperfections.”
Now is the time to accept that person’s shortcomings and fix what is broken. Now is the time to come together and work things out. Now is the time to forgive as Christ forgave you.