"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us." -- The Our Father
The most perfect prayer. The one Jesus told us, "When you pray, pray
like this." Ever since, we've been praying the words He taught us.
In fact, we've prayed it so often that many of us don't even think
about what we're saying anymore. We run through the words almost
unconsciously, memorized to the point that we no longer have to
concentrate on what we're saying.
But let me tell you saying this line without really thinking about what
it means is a scary proposition. Why? Because you are asking for
exactly the same treatment you've been dishing out. So the question
becomes, what have you been dishing out?
Are you judgmental? Do you judge situations and people without really
getting to know them? Do you practice quiet prejudice, boxing
people in and labeling them because of some outward characteristic? Then
when you say, you've just asked God to judge you on the same
scale. Are you petty? Do you watch for the faults of others and then
make sure to point those out to everyone within earshot? Then you've
given God permission to pick out and point out each and everyone of your
faults. Are you jealous? Do you judge actions without bothering to
learn the whole story? Are you exacting? Harsh? Impossible to please?
Do you brush by people because they have the wrong kind of jeans or the
wrong accent or the wrong personality?
Think about what you're setting up for yourself. By saying
think about what you've told God to do, you stand before the Throne.
The good news is that works just as thoroughly in a positive
direction. Do you have mercy on those around you? Do you forgive? Put
the past behind you and truly move on? Do you bless those who have
hurt you and pray for those who hate you? Do you actively look for the
good even when it seems buried?
If so, that is the scale God will use for you. It's a smart thing to
remember the next time you blithely say, "I forgive those."
Copyright 2003 by Staci Stallings
