Do we follow what the Word of God tells us to do with this one?
Forgiveness...easy or difficult?
Well, I would have to say
IMPOSSIBLE...unless the Holy Spirit is working it in us!
How do we forgive unless we have God's enabling power?
Not too long ago we heard a wonderful sermon on this topic in our church ~
there is always room for improvement in my life in this area!
When do we forgive?
How often should we forgive?
And how do we go about doing it??
WHEN? ~
Only when we are asked?
Or, do we extend forgiveness to those who don't acknowlege any wrongdoing?
This is very very challenging to put into practice, but it is so powerful and freeing! When we forgive even those who haven't asked us to, we become liberated from the weight of it all...
such an amazing and wonderful truth!
HOW OFTEN? ~
One of the disciples came to the Lord Jesus with this question and suggested that seven was a reasonable number of times to extend forgiveness to someone.
But the Lord raised the bar on that one...
"Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times:
but, Until seventy
times seven."
Matthew 18:22
HOW? ~
Only with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We must soak our minds in His Word and prayer.
It cannot be done unless we have God's help...
it is entirely spiritual in nature!
We are incapable of extending true forgiveness without the
enabling power of The Holy Spirit...
really, God does it through us!
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
Colossians 3:12-13
I like the illustration our pastor used.
If you give someone something, it is no longer yours ~
you do not get it back, you cannot control what is done with it...
it is gone.
This is a picture of true forgiveness ~
we have no right to hold a grudge or remind the person of their
faults and failings...
when it is forgiven it is gone!
We must let it go!!
If we do not forgive in this way, we will become bitter and miserable...
ever met anyone like that?
Am I ever like that?
Are you?
Very often it will be discovered that there are things
these unfortunate people are holding onto.
They won't let go...and they want you to know why they are right and
why they are justified in holding onto those ugly things.
Have you noticed that very often these are some of the most
difficult people to be around?
We all need the Lord to enable us to forgive,
and He is wonderfully able to work this miracle in each one of our hearts.
We must look to HIM for the strength and grace.
It requires much prayer and sacrifice on our part, but again,
it is completely do-able with His help.
And it is absolutely necessary for peace of mind and heart.
No earthly counsellor will be able to give lasting relief...
nothing apart from the power of God alone will be able to conquer this.
The Devil would have you to be in bondage to it forever,
but the Lord is about freeing us from these "weights".
If we look to the Lord He will equip us to do the impossible!
Oh, and I do speak from experience ~
how wonderful that my testimony is...
HE IS ABLE!!
Is it easy?
OH NO!!
Do I struggle?
OH YES!!
Is it worth it?
ABSOLUTELY!!
Satan will seek to tear down and destroy our marriages and our families.
We must guard against this and see Him as the enemy...
not our spouse or our children!
When we were Newlyweds we were given the
Best Marriage Advice ~
and it has held us in good stead these past 19 years (nearly).
The Lord is the ONE that knits us together and it is HE that keeps us together.
Again, it is the most difficult thing to do in the heat of the moment,
but it is wonderfully powerful and effective.
I implore you to discuss with your husband this solution to conflict
(before there is any conflict) and pledge to implement it together as the need arises.
You will be amazed at the results!
"
Dying to Self" is a beautiful poem that helps us keep perspective when we are thinking we deserve better.
It is a great reminder that we are not the centre of the universe
and the Lord suffered much more than we ever will.
After all, are we not here to serve Him and bring Glory to His name?
Don't forget that the Lord will give the enabling to do all these things if we are truly His people ~
He gives the grace needed day by day.
Hebrews 12:1-3 is a wonderful passage of Scripture that helps us all to
refocus on those things that really matter in this life.
Don't forget ~ there are times when we must ask forgiveness of others.
We often will offend our children and
must humble ourselves before them.
The most wonderful and amazing thing is,
they are so forgiving and willing to put things behind them.
How beautiful it is that God created children to be this way!
Ask their forgiveness and then ask them to pray with you.
Confess your sin to the Lord before them in prayer and ask for His help to do what is right.
You will be amazed how this will knit you together with your young ones.
It also demonstrates before them that Mum is not
perfect and recognizes her need of the Saviour too.
This may just be the tool the Lord will use to bring them to Himself.
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:31-32
True and complete forgiveness begins at the Cross.
We must repent of our own sins before the Holy God of Heaven
and first be made right with Him.
How?
Click on this link to find out more.
Many Blessings,
Camille
