A Challenging Discipline

Take this spiritual life test. Ask yourself:

·       Am I a Christian in my outward behavior only, or within as well?
·       Is my walk full of head knowledge about God, or do I have a true, heartfelt relationship with the Lover of my soul?
·       Do I live as a follower of the true Lord Jesus Christ in all of my words and actions, or am I worshipping an idol of my own making?
·       Is Jesus the Lord of my life, or am I sitting on His throne?
·       Am I controlled and guided by the Spirit of God or by my own cravings, ambitions and desires?
·       Do I think like a follower of Christ in Biblical terms or am I caught up in anxiety over the circumstances of my life?

If you see any of these misconceptions in yourself while answering any of these questions, repent right now and forgive your self. God already forgave you (Psalm 103:12).

God is waiting to bless you with the fruit of His forgiveness. As we rejoice always, focus on the eternal and trust in our Savior who lives within us, our fears fade and we look at our affliction like Paul did, as “light and momentary" (2 Corinthians 4:17). God is very forgiving, loyal and steadfast in His love for everyone who calls on Him for help (Psalm 86:4-5). For human beings, however, forgiveness is a very challenging discipline to learn.

We falsely believe that if we refuse to forgive, we are actually hurting our offender. In reality, that person probably has no idea we are unhappy with them; or if they do, they probably do not care. Forgiveness does not mean that we absolve the person of their faults or condone their actions or words against us. Forgiveness does not let them off the hook. It simply takes them off our hook and places them firmly in God’s trustworthy hands (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to forgive those toward whom we harbor animosity. Give us the courage to ask others to forgive us for anything we did to wound them. Then, give us the humility to ask Father God to forgive us for all of our sins, to redeem our soul, to give us an eternal perspective about life and to draw us ever closer to His heart. Then, we will find His grace that we need to also forgive our self.

Thought for the Day:
Forgiveness is the oil that heals our damaged soul. – Psalm 147:3

The Joy of Forgiveness - Part 1

 

Sometimes, forgiveness is easy; at other times, it is almost impossible. The key is to remember that unforgiveness keeps YOU as its hostage and does not hurt the offender whatsoever. Forgiveness does not exonerate the offender from the offense. It does not free him/her from blame or guilt. Our refusal to forgive does not hurt the offender at all. Unforgiveness keeps us prisoner to their offenses, because God cannot forgive us unless we forgive others (Matthew 6:15). Forgiveness does not depend upon our feelings! It is a choice, an act of obedience to Christ’s command.

Forgiveness does not release the offender from the debt they owe us, we just let God collect it for us (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; 1 Samuel 26:10; Proverbs 20:22; Jeremiah 51:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:6; Hebrews 10:30). Once we forgive the offender, the fruit of the root of bitterness - anger, anxiety, depression, irritability, meanness, pride, self-indulgence, and doubt - are pulled out of our soul. Now, the Holy Spirit can move in and plant His fruit in their place (Colossians 3:12-17). Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith replace these negative emotions, attitudes and feelings in our soul (Galatians 5:22-23).

The person who offended you is actually reacting from his/her inner pain, from wounds perpetrated on them in the past. Something you said or did triggered that pain, which was already in them, and they reacted as they did. This is not your fault. You can pray that God will heal their inner pain. Then show them kindness and tolerance in response to their attacks on you. This attitude may take some time to develop in your soul. Go ahead and take that time. Just do not return evil for evil, but bless those who hurt you so that God can bless you in return.

Even after you forgive, the pain of the experience may remain with you for a very long time. The pain is no indication that you did not forgive. Forgiveness erases the intensity of the pain over time, but the memory of their offense is never really forgotten. Forgiveness is not making excuses for the person or their behavior. It is not sugar coating their actions or minimizing the effect of their actions in our life. We can feel our pain and we can protect ourselves from future pain from that person be erecting time and distance boundaries between them and us.

If we have unforgiveness toward our self, then it is very difficult to forgive someone else. You are a person too, and Jesus died so you can be forgiven just like everyone else. So, forgive your self! The only requirement God gives us concerning forgiveness is that each time you remember the pain, you follow Jesus’ example and pray: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” You can use this same principle when forgiving your self.

When God forgives, He removes our transgressions and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). He casts them as far away as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Once we confess our sins, God faithfully and justly forgives us and purifies us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He never counts them against us again (Romans 4:8). God asks us to bear with one another in this same way. To forgive grievances against one another and against our self, just as the Lord completely forgives us (Colossians 3:13).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we are blessed when You forgive our transgressions and cover our sins with Your blood. You will never again count our sins against us. You paid the penalty of our sin on the cross (Romans 4:7-8). If we fail to forgive sin, or to ask for forgiveness of our own sin, then we stand the chance of being overwhelmed with excessive sorrow or of making someone else feel this way too (2 Corinthians 2:7). Help us to remember that You forgave Your persecutors and help us to forgive ours in this same way.

Thought for the Day:

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”
-Romans 4:7