... forgiveness extended...

Forgive us our debts, 
      as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
 And lead us not into temptation, 
   but deliver us from the evil one. 
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 
(Matthew 6:12-15)


it's pretty straight forward.... no ifs or buts... Jesus is clear in His teachings about forgiveness.. 


why is it we are having such a hard time??


when a sin has been committed against us we are longing for justice... everything inside us cries out for it to be dealt with swiftly.. Now, have you ever thought about why the Lord is so adamant about us forgiving, even those who have not asked for it, even those that continue to sin against us ( 7 times 7 )... 


Revenge is mine says the Lord.... wonder why He says that? Because He is the only one who can be just, since He is the only one who is holy and without sin... how just could we really be when someone has hurt or humiliated us or someone we love?


right... that's why... also, forgiveness is a choice, it does not mean that we excuse the sin, it does not mean we say it is okay, it does not mean that we necessarily have to reconcile, that depends totally on the circumstances... wisdom is sometimes telling us to stay away for good..


forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice. It is also an issue of obedience between us and God... when we forgive we accept to live with the consequences of the other persons sin and say that we will never bring it up again...


humanly this is not possible... with Christ like everything else He asks us to do, it is possible.. it actually will allow the healing, the feelings to come... the chain that has kept us connected to the one who sinned against us is broken when we forgive and we are now free to move on.


forgiveness is something  I didn't deserve when Christ chose to take the punishment for my sins and to die on the cross for me.. as He so willingly paid for my sins so that I could be forgiven, how can I not in turn forgive the one who has sinned against  me. 


today I acted upon the forgiveness I had granted to someone very close to me... I took it a step further by trying to reconcile.. by that I have exposed myself to the possibility to be hurt again.... but even this is something I can do through Christ who is my protector and healer... if there will be another blow from this person I will do what I have done many times, I will accept the pain that is inflicted and forgive.... I will need to take time to heal... I will need to draw closer to my Lord and I will love Him more...I will appreciate Him more and will depend on Him more... I know that because that is the way it has been working out for me for the past 16 years....


following Him with all my heart, soul and mind is not an easy road, but it leads me into the embrace of my Saviour every time and that is and will always be the best place for me to be...

... Hope... a reality...

.....rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him....He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.....


DirvorceCare was rather depressing yesterday...anger was the topic... somehow the hope we have was not communicated well enough...I get that we need to allow the anger and not try to fix each other with scriptures... but, where is the hope when we don't do that?
Allow people their feelings... yes, and definitely every one has to process them in their own time...


But... as Christians we are called to a higher standard, and not only that, we HAVE a much  "higher" hope... we have the only hope... and we have an example.. Christ Himself... He was accused, abused and killed, He never retaliated... and He interceded for His abusers and killers before He breathed His last breath...


With Him in us, we too CAN do this, once we decide to let go He is the one who will work it out in us and through us...if we do not look to Him we are stuck in our circumstances and I agree, that's a horrible place at times, hopeless and bleak, dark and cold..


But this is the point, this is not the reality of a Christian.... no matter the circumstances we have the peace that passes all understanding at our fingertips.. we just need to take hold of it, and I can say this... it  never leaves me for much longer than a few hours...as much as I appreciate that I am loved even if I continue to struggle and that I do not have to "perform" for the Lord.. that He has compassion for me and allows me to experience the pain and all the feelings attached ( and yes this does include anger ) His love and comfort are always leading me out of it to the place where I can let go, have to let go... forgiveness is the key... humility, surrender and gratitude for what Christ has done. 


It just left me feeling weird... last night... it all sounded as if there was no hope.... but there is... even if the circumstances are dire and don't seem to be changing.... He is our Hope... and He is all we need...the Hope is in Him, not in our circumstances changing for the better... if this is not helping us then what is our faith anyways??? 


I am thankful that the Lord has had me on this road of seeing myself for who I am, my brokenness and my sinfulness..I know I have no "right" to happiness... I am rejoicing in the fact that He chose me and I am precious to Him, even if rejected by men...


It is all by grace, the undeserved gift He keeps on giving to me.... and all I desire is to thank Him for that by living my life authentically before Him and the world and share Him with those around me...