Patience is not an easy thing and neither is forgiveness. After all, we are human which means we can only take so much before we are justified in some sort of retaliation. Let’s take the apostle Peter as an example. Peter was cool with turning his cheek SEVEN times; however, Jesus had something else in mind.
In the New Living translation we read in Matthew 18:21-22, Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven”.
And no, this isn’t a literal 490 times that we’re to forgive!
Biblical forgiveness is equivalent to LOVE! When we CHOOSE to forgive, we are going against our ego, against what our humanity sees as natural, and against what societal culture teach. After all life needs to be FAIR and we are the judges of what is fair and what’s not. But then there’s the cross! It stands in contrast to all that we feel. The cross says to us, not my will, but the way of love-forgiveness.
Forgiveness is the best nutrition supplement that you can take.
True forgiveness washes out all of the toxins, supplements deficiencies in our character, and helps build our immune system against all manner of curses and attacks. It’s a pretty large pill though and it doesn’t go down easy. One has to swallow really hard. Know what I mean? 
However, when one looks at the overall benefits of being quick to forgive, there’s simply no better option(s).
Ernie what a blessing to be able to forgive and to hold on to peace and love,
Love Dan
I know forgiving and loving rather than doing whatever to be RIGHT is a true fight between our true self and our egos; however, I can not afford to pay the DEBT & BILLS that pile from unforgiveness.
So, I am going to yield sooner rather than later (in some cases the ideal right NOW!) to let love flow & let go of the perceived “injustices”!
AAHHHHH, much better!
LIGHT COMING ON! LIGHT COMING ON! Hey! I just figured out something I have been hearing and reading and thinking and talking about all year. I cannot win against my ego – it’s a constant conscious and subconscious wrestling match even when I’m close to a pin. I CAN quit focusing on unforgiveness (the U-word) and quit trying to deal with fear and just BE in the presence of PERFECT LOVE. The u in unforgiveness means I have focused on “u” which is what you did to me “i”.
I have known for a long time that my greatest source of healing and breakthrough is in staying in the very closest place of COMMUNION with God! SPENDING TIME IN THE LIGHT, the presence of LOVE. When God came back to the garden, all Adam needed to do really was come eagerly to him as he always had before and instantly he would realize God had never held anything back.
So right now at this moment, I see myself as Adam, who yielded to fear but all I have to do is run to HIM, knowing he is my restorer who makes everything right. There is no need to even cover my nakedness. This is Christ in me the hope of glory! I have been learning this all year and could think it and talk it, and do it somewhat but this is what I call GETTING IT.
WHAT A GIANT LAYER ON MY ONION! The last big one was reading Michelle Odonnell’s book about how we are riding on the crest of a wave of information – and I realize now that God is both the information and the wave she spoke of who is moving me along. I am the lamb who gets rescued and carried in his arms of goodness – his LOVE. How glorious!