| | | | |

Forgiveness Works Both Ways

By Susan Kramer

From The Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Notice, the prayer has us ask forgiveness for our sins before we judge and forgive others.

To preserve your peace of mind go a step further and do not tell others about someone who has trespassed against you. The reason being that none of us can cast the first stone, or any stone against another because none of us is perfect.

Even if we hide our faults from others’ view, the faults are not hidden from our Creator’s view.

And where does our peace come from? Not from stating out loud others’ faults, but by quietly forgiving as we would wish to be quietly forgiven.

Again: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” For example, do not say to another: “I forgive my spouse for cheating.” Remember that no one is perfect.

Ask the Lord to forgive your sins.

In turn forgive others’ sins.

But do not tell others about sins that are not your own.

This also goes back to the old adage:

If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.