My mind is in a million places this morning. I’m having a lot of trouble focusing. Organizing my thoughts is a chore today. My brain feels like mush but here it goes …
I recently attended a worship service at another church in our community. After the service someone asked me if I recognized the lady who had led the music. I said no and then I was told who she was. I knew this lady when we were growing up and my first reaction was not a good one or a godly one. I was instantly glad I didn’t know who she was prior to the service or I might not have been able to worship that night. Why? I know some things that she did in her past.
As I thought more about this, I realized what a hypocrite I was being. We have all done things we are not proud of. (Remember - All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.) None of us want to be remembered for those things. When we confess our sins, God forgives us and wipes our slate clean. That sin is covered with the blood of Christ and is no longer held against us.
We rejoice because God forgives us. However, do we always forgive each other? Do we allow others to get a clean slate or do we want to remember their past ….
Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
When we forgive others, we are the one who receives the blessing. My forgiving her has nothing to do with her walk with God, but it can really impact mine. A spirit of unforgiveness can complicate and compromise my relationship with God. This is a woman that I haven’t thought about in probably 20 years and yet the mention of her name brought back hurtful thoughts. Forgiving others releases us from anger and allows us to be healed.
Have you ever been shopping and seen a garment that said “One Size Fits All”? It has been my experience that this is not a true statement. However, that is the way God looks at sin. God does not qualify sin into categories. There is not one that is worse than another. All sin needs forgiveness and even one sin, no matter what it is, can interfere with your relationship with God. God simply cannot coexist with sin.
As I am writing this, God brought another person to my mind that I need to forgive. I hadn’t thought about him in months. A man who told things about me that simply were not true. I was hurt deeply because I felt I had really tried to help this young man. I worried that others would believe the half-truths, twisted truths, and lies that he told. I was angry and hurt and I was worried about my reputation.
Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
My reputation is in God’s hands. I know the truth. Now, I need to forgive and move on and not worry about what others may believe.
“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:6
Forgiveness is a choice. We must choose to forgive those who have done us wrong, then lay the whole mess in God's hands, and leave it there, and walk away.
Meditate on God's love for you. God's love was expressed through Jesus' death on the cross. When we begin to comprehend how much God loves us, then that same love will flow out to others. As we understand God’s love and forgiveness, we will find that forgiving others will come naturally, and healing those wounds will also become a very real and tangible reality.
How about you? Search your heart. Is there anyone you need to forgive?
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