Forgive. . .What Do You Think?

Excerpts From the book Forgive and Forget by Lewis B. Smedes

Hurts too shallow for being offended:

Annoyances: If we turn every nuisance into a crisis of forgiveness, our conversations would become revolving reconciliations.

Slights: Slights are for shrugging off, not for forgiving.

Disappointments: Though deeply disappointed, you don’t need to forgive. [Get on with your life for the Lord.]

Coming in Second: We do not quit our friendship because our friends got something we wanted, nor do we have to forgive them.

Hurts deep enough to need forgiveness:

Disloyalty: A person who breaks a promise of loyalty violates a relationship based on promise and trust. . .Disloyalty is not acceptable; it is offensive. We must either separate and carry the hurt alone or forgive the person who was disloyal.

Betrayal: We betray people we belong to whenever we sell them out for a price. . .We do not have to parlay for huge sums to be betrayers. Most betrayers are minor Iscariots, playing for petty stakes.

Brutality: We are brutal when we reduce another person to less than human excellence. It may be a violent rape. It may be a degrading insult.