Forgive

Well God decided to give me a double whammy this week to learn about forgiveness. Forgiveness is something every human has to work through. It's our sinful nature. We do things that need forgiveness for. What I've learned this week is I do not have the ability to forgive on my own. I am too weak. I want to hold on to my hurt, frustration, and sadness. I want to just stay there and mire in it. Even when I say I don't and say the right words to those around me that I'm working through forgiveness I am really just waiting for time to ease the pain a little and just move past it.

That's not what God has called me to do though.

As a Christian I am not called to let time ease the pain and then forgive. I need to forgive in the pain. When I find myself wanting to dwell on the pain I need to stop and recognize I am hurting but know that I need to choose to forgive anyways.

I think what I've done in the past is try to stop my hurting heart so I can forgive but I don't think that's what God has asked us to do.

I was reading in Matthew 18 this morning. That's a powerful chapter. I mean Jesus talks about bringing a sin before your brother and how to do that and then starts in on the parable of the unmerciful servant. If you are struggling with forgiveness I would suggest reading it and looking at the context of the whole chapter. Jesus talks about how we should welcome God as a child welcomes God. Have you ever heard a child pray? And not just pray because people are listening but really pray because they believe and nothing hinders that? It's beautiful. I want that for my faith. I want to pray for my heart and trust Jesus wholly and completely with my hurts. Galatians 5:24 really convicts me of what it means to trust Jesus it says "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." I am sinning against my brother or sister when I hold on to that hurt and I need to crucify that sin because I belong to Jesus!! At the end of Matthew 18 it says "This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Forgiveness is not taken lightly by God so don't just wait until the pain passes. Seek the power of the Holy Spirit to allow you to forgive. And it's not something when I learn how to forgive once I think I've got it because that's giving to much credit to my sinful nature. I will have to do this again. I will have to continue to crucify the passions and desires of my sinful nature because I will sin and I will be sinned against. Don't ever stop seeking God

Psalm 19:12-14
Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.