Skip to main content

Forgive...

             Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8)

 

Yeah, this would have to be the verse of the day. In the past week to ten days, I’ve been working on forgiving some people and I think I’ve been doing half-decently at it. My policy has been that whenever I start getting angry or hurt, I pray for their well-being and blessing. But it cannot escape my notice that there’s no reciprocation. I should be used to this, because this isn’t the first, or even the fifth time it’s happened. People decide I’m something to scrape off their shoes. It doesn’t help that someone else said something in my hearing on another subject and I’m grinding my teeth about that, too.

Forgiveness isn’t (necessarily) easy. And it’s even harder when you’re the person you need to forgive. Bearing with other people seems like a burden I just don’t want to shoulder. Enduring someone else’s hatred (and don’t let them fool you when they lie and say it’s just “dislike”) is difficult. And yet - this is precisely the sort of thing Jesus had to endure. They didn’t like what He said, so they conspired against Him and crucified Him - and they thought they were doing their nation (and probably God) a favor. If He learned obedience through suffering, can we who have been, are, and will be disobedient expect to avoid the lessons?

I’m not looking for pity. I’m not looking for anyone to take my side against someone. I’m not going to gossip and share details; I’ll delete any comment that attempts to supply details or defend anyone’s perspective. That’s not why I’m sharing this. I’m sharing it because forgiveness is probably the toughest lesson we need to learn - but it’s not an elective course. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more