But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:7-8, KJV

People are just rotten. They are offensive. They are selfish. They will betray you, and it doesn’t matter if they are Christians or not!

Saved people are just as prone as unsaved ones to commit the atrocities listed above. If you belong to a church long enough, you will eventually become the victim of some sort of offense. Someone is going to do something to make you mad, and the natural reaction is to become disgruntled with the offender. This is natural, but God doesn’t call us to act naturally. He calls us to act supernaturally, and acting supernaturally in such cases entails forgiving the offender, even if the offender doesn’t ask for forgiveness.

In 1 Peter 4:8 (AMP) states:

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

When people do us wrong, God wants us to react with forgiveness, not bitterness. Yet, despite knowing this, most of us react the opposite way. That is why God (through Peter), in an effort to inject forgiveness into our stubborn souls, doesn’t just give us the commandment to be forgiving in 1 Peter 4; He also gives us the “why” behind the commandment, and here it is: Christ is coming back for us! (See 1 Peter 4:7-10. cf James 5-7-10)

Either via death or via the rapture, Christ will soon be coming to take the saved to Heaven. Not long after He takes us to Heaven, He’s going to judge us for our actions. During the judgment, He will no doubt ask us a question like, “Hey, do you remember when I was on the cross and I said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?’ And, do you remember when Stephen said the same thing when the Jews stoned Him for preaching about Me? Why didn’t you forgive people with the same spirit when they offended you?” Knowing that we will soon be held accountable for our level of forgiveness can give us the motivation to do that which doesn’t come naturally, i.e., forgiving those who have wronged us.

Your brothers and sisters in Christ won’t always act considerately. And, guess what – neither will you. Many times, you will offend others, and you will be in need of their forgiveness just as much as they will be in need of yours. So, pray that God will give you the will and the power to forgive like He forgives. If you sincerely do so, He will fill your heart with the charity you will need to forgive those who do you wrong.