I have been sitting here for about 15 minutes staring at this blank screen. With such a heavy post yesterday, I wanted to lighten things up a bit. You know, a dose of comic relief. (That's a 9th grade Literary term!) But the more I try to come up with something light and funny to write about, I keep coming back to some situations I have heard about in the last few weeks. The situations range from very serious occurances like accidental death to minor issues like a a misunderstanding. Whatever the situation, the range of emotions runs high, tempers flare, feelings are hurt, words are said that cannot be taken back. And in the end, there are the infamous words that make me cringe EVERY TIME: I will never forgive you. Even now, just writing the words causes chills down my spine. "But you have no idea what he did to me!" No, I don't. "But that woman cost me money I can never recoup!" Okay. "They laid me off from work for no reason!" Yeah, that's tough. The excuses get tougher and almost seem understandable....almost. I watched yesterday on TV a young man weeping, pleading, begging for a family to give him forgiveness for accidentally killing their daughter. He could barely talk he was crying so hard. He didn't care how long his sentence was; he would pay any price the court gave him. But he just needed to know that the family forgave him. Later, the mom of the deceased said that she may eventually forgive him, but not now. I know, I KNOW......it was her daughter! It was senseless! It was preventable! (Sigh), I know.
How many times have we, in our daily lives of ups, downs, disappointments, triumphs...whatever...you fill in the blank......How many times do we withhold forgiveness from our fellow man? Or even more difficult, how many times do we withhold forgiveness from our own family and friends? (Susan, I don't need a sermon. Sunday's coming for that!) But it's not a sermon. It's more simple....it's plain ole truth. Jesus told us that if we cannot forgive our fellow man, family member, friends...then God cannot forgive us. If we cannot forgive a church member, a church, a Christian (Now wait, Susan. You're meddling now!), then God will not forgive us. Well so what if God doesn't forgive me! He has no idea......oh really? The same God that saw HIS own Son spit on, beaten, laughed at, stripped naked, mocked, nailed to a tree, stabbed, killed....has no idea????
In times when we are hurt and wronged, we easily forget how much God has forgiven us from. Have you ever lied? God has forgiven you, liar. Have you ever stolen something from work? God has forgiven you, thief. Have you ever hated someone so much you wished he was dead? God has forgiven you, murderer. The very things you accused your fellow man about, God has forgiven YOU for. The alternative to unforgiveness...is death. Death. Let that sink in. DEATH! God, in His ultimate love and mercy for you, has FORGIVEN YOU from the same crimes you accuse others of.
Have I ever been wronged? Yes. Have I ever been hurt so badly that it caused pain for years? Yes. Have I ever withheld forgiveness? Yes. And I can say that I took a major "whupping" from God. He placed my own sins right in my face and rubbed them in so hard I cringed in fear. Do I still have a hard time forgiving? Sometimes. But God keeps reminding me of where I was and where I could be, and then He gives me the strength and mercy to forgive others just like He did for me.
How many times have we, in our daily lives of ups, downs, disappointments, triumphs...whatever...you fill in the blank......How many times do we withhold forgiveness from our fellow man? Or even more difficult, how many times do we withhold forgiveness from our own family and friends? (Susan, I don't need a sermon. Sunday's coming for that!) But it's not a sermon. It's more simple....it's plain ole truth. Jesus told us that if we cannot forgive our fellow man, family member, friends...then God cannot forgive us. If we cannot forgive a church member, a church, a Christian (Now wait, Susan. You're meddling now!), then God will not forgive us. Well so what if God doesn't forgive me! He has no idea......oh really? The same God that saw HIS own Son spit on, beaten, laughed at, stripped naked, mocked, nailed to a tree, stabbed, killed....has no idea????
In times when we are hurt and wronged, we easily forget how much God has forgiven us from. Have you ever lied? God has forgiven you, liar. Have you ever stolen something from work? God has forgiven you, thief. Have you ever hated someone so much you wished he was dead? God has forgiven you, murderer. The very things you accused your fellow man about, God has forgiven YOU for. The alternative to unforgiveness...is death. Death. Let that sink in. DEATH! God, in His ultimate love and mercy for you, has FORGIVEN YOU from the same crimes you accuse others of.
Have I ever been wronged? Yes. Have I ever been hurt so badly that it caused pain for years? Yes. Have I ever withheld forgiveness? Yes. And I can say that I took a major "whupping" from God. He placed my own sins right in my face and rubbed them in so hard I cringed in fear. Do I still have a hard time forgiving? Sometimes. But God keeps reminding me of where I was and where I could be, and then He gives me the strength and mercy to forgive others just like He did for me.
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