Title: Freed to Forgive (2 of 4)
Series: Forgiven to Forgive
Author: Keith Krell
Text: Matthew 6:12-15
In 2015, New York Magazine published an article about a scientific study on forgiveness. It started by referencing the latest scandals and pleas for forgiveness by politicians and celebrities. But then it went deeper. What was most interesting was who-or what-doesn't forgive. The scientists in the study observed peacemaking behavior in many different animal species. The bulk of the research was on primates like chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. These often follow confrontations with friendly behavior like embracing or kissing. The scientists observed similar post-confrontation forgiving behaviors in non-primate mammals like goats and even hyenas. But here's what I found fascinating. What do you think is the only mammal species they studied that failed to show any outward signs of reconciliation? (Wait for some shoutouts). Cats! Oh, not lions, leopards, or cougars. Domestic cats. That's right, your little precious Whiskers and Ms. Fluffy. The study summarized its findings this way: Cats never forgive. For us, the moral of this research is: When it comes to forgiving others, don't be like a cat!
Of course, this is easier said than done. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with the subject of forgiveness. We desperately want God to forgive our sins. We even tend to assume that He's somehow obligated to do so. We also expect our family and friends to forgive us when we ignore their feelings, lash out in anger, or violate their trust. And yet, we may be guilty of withholding forgiveness when we have been wronged.
Why is that? Why do we withhold the same forgiveness we want offered to us? Or put another way, what do we want from the people who have hurt us? We want them to pay! We often believe that we're being too easy on them if we forgive. Whether it's in politics, business, sports, or entertainment, we're basically taught that forgiveness is wea ...
Series: Forgiven to Forgive
Author: Keith Krell
Text: Matthew 6:12-15
In 2015, New York Magazine published an article about a scientific study on forgiveness. It started by referencing the latest scandals and pleas for forgiveness by politicians and celebrities. But then it went deeper. What was most interesting was who-or what-doesn't forgive. The scientists in the study observed peacemaking behavior in many different animal species. The bulk of the research was on primates like chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. These often follow confrontations with friendly behavior like embracing or kissing. The scientists observed similar post-confrontation forgiving behaviors in non-primate mammals like goats and even hyenas. But here's what I found fascinating. What do you think is the only mammal species they studied that failed to show any outward signs of reconciliation? (Wait for some shoutouts). Cats! Oh, not lions, leopards, or cougars. Domestic cats. That's right, your little precious Whiskers and Ms. Fluffy. The study summarized its findings this way: Cats never forgive. For us, the moral of this research is: When it comes to forgiving others, don't be like a cat!
Of course, this is easier said than done. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with the subject of forgiveness. We desperately want God to forgive our sins. We even tend to assume that He's somehow obligated to do so. We also expect our family and friends to forgive us when we ignore their feelings, lash out in anger, or violate their trust. And yet, we may be guilty of withholding forgiveness when we have been wronged.
Why is that? Why do we withhold the same forgiveness we want offered to us? Or put another way, what do we want from the people who have hurt us? We want them to pay! We often believe that we're being too easy on them if we forgive. Whether it's in politics, business, sports, or entertainment, we're basically taught that forgiveness is wea ...
There are 22822 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
