Friday, 26 October 2012

From Grudges to Grace


Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you." 

 Next Step Devotional Thought

 Forgiveness is one of the most elusive yet essential aspects of our journey with the Lord. The concept of forgiveness seems so simple right? We mess up (against God or others), we recognize our mistake, ask forgiveness, end of story.... So why does true forgiveness continue to escape us in our relationships with others. Why do roots of bitterness, pain, mistrust, and insecurity continue to plague our relationships within the body of Christ when we know how to make sure they never occur? 

 I describe forgiveness as elusive because we often think that we have forgiven - we may even think we have forgotten! - only to discover later on when those old wounds are unexpectantly uncovered that we were not as fully healed as we imagined. 

 So why is this issue of forgiveness so important? Well, for one, forgiveness comprises the foundation for our entire relationship with our perfect, sinless God. Without forgiveness, it would be impossible for us to be in relationship with God, let alone have the assured hope of eternity with him! Secondly, forgiveness forms the base for which we are able to represent Christ to the world. Forgiveness connects us to God, so forgiveness is a pathway through which we can draw others into relationship with God as well....

 I'm reminded of Jesus' words in John 13:34-35 - "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 

 Have you ever known authentic love between two people to exist without forgiveness? Absolutely not! Forgiveness and love go hand in hand, and we can't display our relationship with Christ to the world without it. This is especially (BOLD, Italicize, and Underline!) true within the body of Christ. 

 So what about you? I want to challenge you with a little activity. Take a moment and reflect over all the people you interacted with today - phone calls, emails, classmates, texts, co-workers, and yes, Facebook friends. Pause a moment as you think about each of their names and faces. Ask the Holy Spirit to stand active in your heart and mind and to reveal to you any areas of uneasiness, hurt, fear, frustration, or even full-fledged hatred. Write those names down. Now ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in prayer over those names, asking forgiveness for the attitudes that have built walls between you, blocking the ability for Christ's love to be displayed to the world. God may even ask you to talk with some of them personally. Just be open! 

 If you caught part two of my interview with Jimmy and Vickie Duren this morning about forgiveness following divorce, Jimmy left us with a strong thought: "Forgiveness is really simple. It's hard to do, but it's simple. First we must ask the Lord to forgive us, and then you can begin forgiving on a whole new level." 

 Interview Recap


Key Scriptures

Hebrews 12:15 - Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Matthew 5:14-15 - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.

Luke 23:34 - Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. 

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 - All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

My Next Step

Forgiveness is not easy, and I will be the first to admit that I have not always extended forgiveness exactly when I should, how I should, and as fully as I should. It would be easy for me to take this paragraph to list person after person, hurt after hurt, for which I have had to extend and seek forgiveness. However, if I did that, I certainly would not be practicing what I preach ,now would I?

To be completely transparent, the most difficult person to forgive has been... Myself. There is not room here to enter my life journey and testimony, but for much of my teenage life I hurt myself, separated myself, and loathed myself, building up bitterness towards the person I was rather than seeking God's full redemption. I didn't understand the complete and pure love God held towards me. I inflicted much pain, physically and emotionally, on myself, refusing the healing God always held out in His gently hands.

Even after escaping the traps of many of the things that hurt me so deeply, I did not recognize my need to forgive myself for another number of years. I carried the burden of my past along with me into every relationship, and even ministry opportunity. Once I finally came to understand how fully God had forgiven me, then I was able to extend that forgiveness to myself. And let me tell you, only at that point was I truly able to forgive others and begin new life-giving, glory-giving relationships! 

I urge you brothers and sisters... draw near to God. Seek His forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness. Extend His forgiveness. What joy awaits!

Blessings,
Melissa Rogers
Moody Radio South
melissa.rogers@moody.edu
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