Good Day, God!
Forgiving is an incredibly powerful tool for good. That’s why it is so upsetting to me to hear it misused, misunderstood and misapplied.
- Forgiving is NOT forgetting
- Forgiving is NOT condoning
- Forgiving is NOT ignoring
- Forgiving is NOT excusing
Those definitions have been used for years to un-empower the people who were being harmed. THAT is not what Jesus meant or wanted. Jesus who LOVES us commands us to CARE for the LEAST of THESE. And that would mean for us to care for . . ourselves . . . each other . . . we are all included in the “Least.”
And in my mind, CARING means we CONFRONT predators — we bring their predatory behavior to their attention — and we pray for them to be healed . . . or to WANT to be healed — and to know that You love them.
If we had a very sick and very contagious individual running around infecting others . . . we would not recommend forgiving him or her. We would recommend an isolation ward.
Sigh. I feel better now, God. That just really WANTED to be SAID!
Oh, and just a word of what Forgiveness is truly about: Forgiving others spares us from the consequences of living out of an unforgiving heart.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
SO true and SO well put, Margie!
MUCH love, Lani
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