Facing The Forgiveness Challenge

“Let your life be a stepping stone to Christ and not a stumbling block.” 1 Cor. 8:13 & 10:31

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify God who is in heaven." Matt. 5:16

Facing The Forgiveness Challenge

By Robert J. Tamasy

When was the last time you forgave someone for a wrong they had done to you? When was the last time you went to someone else and asked for their forgiveness?

 These can be challenging questions, because among the many things we are asked to do in today's business and professional world, forgiving and being forgiven are often among the most difficult. So difficult, in fact, many people choose to avoid them entirely. We hang onto grudges and nurse hurts rather than attempting to reconcile relationships. Instead of requesting forgiveness, even if we realize we have said or done something wrong, we ignore it, hoping the offending party will forget over time.

 C.S. Lewis, one of the great thinkers of the 20th century, summed it up well when he observed, "Everyone thinks that forgiveness is a lovely idea, until he has something to forgive." He might well have been saying that when it comes to forgiveness, it is more blessed to receive than to give.

 Veteran consultants and executive coaches know a recurring issue their clients must confront involves forgiveness. Failure to forgive can destroy partnerships, leadership teams, even entire organizations. It might range from something simple, such as unkind words, to doing something in anger that we later regret, to total failure to fulfill a major business commitment.

 It can be easy to say, "forgive and forget," but extremely hard to do. Often, to forgive feels like letting someone off the hook for wrongdoing without making amends. Instead, we decide never to forget the harm they have done to us. The problem is, we can become victims of our own unwillingness to forgive. Offending parties may not be aware of the pain we harbor, they may not care, or we may have lost contact with them, leaving no opportunity for reconciliation or restitution.

 What then should we do about forgiveness? The Bible offers sound advice on this matter:

 Be willing to forgive even more than necessary. Talking to His followers, Jesus dismissed the "eye for an eye" vengeance approach for correcting wrongs. Instead, He urged being the "bigger person" in the conflict. "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well..." (Matthew 5:38-40).

 Consider how much God has forgiven us. In offering His model prayer as a guide, Jesus put special emphasis on forgiving others. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.... For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:12-15).

Failure to forgive can plant seeds of bitterness. Even if feelings are justified, being able to forgive can free us from a form of "emotional cancer." "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32).

© 2017. Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. Bob has written Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today's Workplace; Tufting Legacies; and coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring. His biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Forgiveness is a choice! You need not wait until you feel like forgiving or until you are asked to forgive. Let some of God’s forgiveness of you flow through to them.