When we feel someone has wronged us, it’s easy to hold onto that offense. It’s also very easy to want to get back at that person, but Jesus tells us to do the opposite (Matthew 5:38-39). In fact, in a culture designed for offense and outrage, the follower of Christ is called to offer radical forgiveness. This is a counter-culture way of life that is based on the truth that showing grace and kindness models the heart of Jesus to those we encounter (Matthew 5:43-48). Forgiveness, though, is difficult to put into practice, isn’t it? Especially when we know we’re in the right. Regardless of right or wrong, Christ tells us to forgive anyway because when we hold onto offense, it keeps us from seeing the other person how He sees them. God tells us to go out of our way to bless and love those who hurt us — even when they don’t deserve it. When we forgive those who offend us, it reveals that Jesus is first in our lives, showing that we put what He says in front of what we’re feeling in the moment (1 John 4:20). All this isn’t to say that we’re supposed to forgive and forget, but we are supposed to mirror Jesus, who didn’t wait for us to change before offering us forgiveness.