One of the most powerful forces that a human being can exert on the world is forgiveness, because it wipes away and absorbs an offense.
Talking Points:
- One of the most powerful forces that a human being can exert on the world is forgiveness. Forgiveness is releasing your claim on revenge or repayment.
- Forgiveness says “I’m not going to hold this against you anymore. I’m releasing it.” If the offense is a spill on the counter, forgiveness is the sponge that wipes it away. The offending party can begin to experience freedom. The relationship can begin to heal.
- Someone must absorb the cost of another person’s choices, intentional or unintentional. The person who is willing to forgive chooses to wipe away and absorb the offense, giving a powerful gift to another person.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Define forgiveness. On a scale of 1-10, how difficult is it for you?
- Share a time when you were touched by someone’s willingness to forgive.
- Share about a relationship that was broken because of unforgiveness.
- Make a list of the reasons people are unwilling to forgive. Which reason is at the top of your list?
- Make a list of the benefits of forgiveness. Does this list outweigh the first list? Explain.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
