PC forgiveness

In American society, many people care about their image. People try to be politically correct when they talk to others not because they want to be good, but because they want to look good. They do this to avoid being called a racist, sexist, or even accused of being mean.

Forgiveness has been taken over by the PC movement. In many after school specials, two friends will get in a fight and one friend will always forgive the other friend, even though the friend continues to mistreat her. Even in the Protestant churches, I met a person who constantly bashed his friend, saying horrible things about her behind her back, but then would always talk to his friend. It was really weird; I asked him why he was friends with this person and he said that he had to forgive her because that is what God wants him to do.

PC forgiveness really confused me and I thought that it was real forgiveness. I was really scared when I read in the Bible that we have to forgive others or God will not forgive us. If I practiced PC forgiveness, people will walk all over me, like a doormat. Then I kept reading the Bible and I found a story about Paul and Barnabas. They traveled together to evangelize to people, and they had a disagreement. Rather than PC forgiving each other and continue to argue; they decided to separate. Paul writes some nice things about Barnabas after they separate, which shows that he forgave Barnabas, even though they separated.

Forgiveness is really just letting go of your anger and bitterness towards someone who hurt you, and it doesn't always lead to reconciliation. Like Paul and Barnabas, sometimes people can't continue to be friends when one of the friends has hurt the other. Obviously, it is unwise for a person to continue PC forgiving someone who isn't sorry and won't change. Pretending that someone hasn't hurt you and continuing to be friends with them will not give you peace and will only open yourself to more hurt from the same person.

The only thing that can give you peace is real forgiveness. When someone continues hurting you and is not sorry and won't change, even if it makes you look bad, its best to end the friendship. Pretending to still be friends with them will only lead you to badmouth them when they are not around, like that guy from my old church. Once the friendship is over, the process of forgiveness can begin. Let go of your anger and bitterness towards that person. Pray that they can be reconciled to God. Ask God to help you forgive them. Once you have forgiven them, you will find real peace, even if everyone thinks that you are mean because you have stopped being friends with someone.