Have you ever heard someone described as a person who is “just looking for a reason?” Or a person who is “looking for a fight?”
It seems a common occurrence that folks are basically “ready for battle.” Often, the people who encounter these types do very little to set them off.
Some people are just waiting for those around them to mess up…so that they can pounce on them.
What if you lived your life waiting for a reason to forgive?
What if every moment you lived you literally were looking for a reason to forgive someone? How do you think that would affect your relationships? Do you think it would encourage reconciliation and better fellowship?
For the sake of ease of use, call it pre-forgiveness. See if you can be pre-forgiving today, especially with your spouse and children and brothers and sisters and see how that affects your life. You may wake up tomorrow missing some pride and resentment…and have less of your own retaliatory sin to confess.
For more information about forgiveness in the Christian life, check out this post:
Forgiveness