Today I have pondered what forgiveness, mercy, and grace mean. Forgiveness does not mean allowing someone to do it again,
or being foolish enough to even speak to someone you know you shouldn't. Mercy is not turning the other cheek, or letting
someone drag you down, and grace does not mean losing.
Forgiveness is letting go of something because you're tired of something weighing on your mind on how to get back at
someone, or tired of remembering it to hold it against someone. Forgiveness is letting go of something because you feel
that it is effecting you in a negative way. To forgive someone you don't have to tell them, or show them you forgive them
because it's not about them getting away with something. It's about you bettering yourself, and that is something I've
forgotten for a long while.
Mercy isn't helping someone get up when they're down. It's just not stepping on them because you are intelligent enough to
know that wronging someone else won't change how they wrong'd you. It's also about bettering yourself, and allowing you to
think highly of yourself. If someone has wrong'd you it's about their character, but if you seek revenge your character
gets dragged down just as low as theirs. I don't know about others, but I want to think highly of myself.
Grace is knowing that you're strong enough to not let someone else's short comings bother you. Showing grace to an enemy
doesn't mean becoming friends with them, and doesn't mean you have lost. It means you hold yourself up to a higher
standard than them, and as long as you keep doing that you'll be a winner in life. This doesn't mean don't defend
yourself, or don't press charges on someone who is breaking the law at your expense. It just means don't sit there
thinking "I hope the guy I put in jail is getting beaten right now" every time you're bored.
I've decided to let go of something important to me (important for the wrong reasons) today because I don't like who I am
when I think about it. I know I'm a better person than what I show playing out in my head when those thoughts cross my
mind. I'm forgiving this person not because of anything they did, or because I want to start talking to them again (As if.
grace isn't stupidity.) but because I think I'm too good to let their short comings effect me, and it feels good to think
that. I am forgiving them by grace and mercy alone, the same way God does to a follower of Christ in Christianity. It's
nice for them, probably, but it's awesome for me because I no longer have to have my inner character dragged down, or my
mood saddened and angered by thoughts of what happened.
I have learned today that being the bigger man isn't for anyone but yourself, and when you find that out it feels great to
strive for that.
or being foolish enough to even speak to someone you know you shouldn't. Mercy is not turning the other cheek, or letting
someone drag you down, and grace does not mean losing.
Forgiveness is letting go of something because you're tired of something weighing on your mind on how to get back at
someone, or tired of remembering it to hold it against someone. Forgiveness is letting go of something because you feel
that it is effecting you in a negative way. To forgive someone you don't have to tell them, or show them you forgive them
because it's not about them getting away with something. It's about you bettering yourself, and that is something I've
forgotten for a long while.
Mercy isn't helping someone get up when they're down. It's just not stepping on them because you are intelligent enough to
know that wronging someone else won't change how they wrong'd you. It's also about bettering yourself, and allowing you to
think highly of yourself. If someone has wrong'd you it's about their character, but if you seek revenge your character
gets dragged down just as low as theirs. I don't know about others, but I want to think highly of myself.
Grace is knowing that you're strong enough to not let someone else's short comings bother you. Showing grace to an enemy
doesn't mean becoming friends with them, and doesn't mean you have lost. It means you hold yourself up to a higher
standard than them, and as long as you keep doing that you'll be a winner in life. This doesn't mean don't defend
yourself, or don't press charges on someone who is breaking the law at your expense. It just means don't sit there
thinking "I hope the guy I put in jail is getting beaten right now" every time you're bored.
I've decided to let go of something important to me (important for the wrong reasons) today because I don't like who I am
when I think about it. I know I'm a better person than what I show playing out in my head when those thoughts cross my
mind. I'm forgiving this person not because of anything they did, or because I want to start talking to them again (As if.
grace isn't stupidity.) but because I think I'm too good to let their short comings effect me, and it feels good to think
that. I am forgiving them by grace and mercy alone, the same way God does to a follower of Christ in Christianity. It's
nice for them, probably, but it's awesome for me because I no longer have to have my inner character dragged down, or my
mood saddened and angered by thoughts of what happened.
I have learned today that being the bigger man isn't for anyone but yourself, and when you find that out it feels great to
strive for that.
