A Powerful Example of Christian Forgiveness | Vladimir Omelchuk
FORGIVE FROM THE HEART...
"Interesting retribution" is received by the unforgiving. In the Jewish tradition, the phrase "give to the tormentors" meant:
From the heart is a decision not to remember a person's offense and not to think in an evil direction. Not to remind yourself, the offender, the people around you. I think - this is a decision and a promise before God not to repay with evil, although feelings towards the offender will initially say otherwise. From the heart is a decision, an act of will. This decision is based on the awareness of how much God has forgiven me, and it is possible only for the sake of Christ - this is the highest and noblest motivation.
And feelings will gradually follow in the direction of what the heart thinks about.
It is impossible to forget an offense. Therefore, the main decision is to forgive. God has not forgotten our sins, but He says: "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more."
To forgive from the heart is, before God, who knows every movement of thoughts, we decide to live in such a way that the past does not influence the future.