Forgiveness: It's is a tricky thing..

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And after all the things He created He said, “It is good.” Except man, when He created man He said, “It is not good … it is not good for man to be alone.” So, God created Eve and then He said, “It is very good!” Relationships are very good. And Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the garden and they enjoyed sweet and precious times together.

Until … The Day … that horrible day … the day they will never forget … the day that everything changed for them forever … Adam and Eve disobeyed in the garden. Do you have a memory of a day or a series of small days, small events, that looking back now you realize that they changed the direction of your life forever? Ever sat around and wished things could’ve been different? Ever wished you’d made different decisions, you know, like the saying “hind sight is 20/20”?

You see in relationships there’s always some kind of give and/or take. Because we keep doing things we shouldn’t OR other people in our lives do things that they should’nt’ve done and we’re suffering for it … shoulda, woulda, coulda.

This whole train of thought started yesterday when I was talking to an old friend and he was asking me about an incident that happened almost a year ago between me and someone else. I had made up my mind that I was going to follow the Biblical principal of forgiveness and either not speak about it OR only speak those things that build up and I’d done pretty good up till then. But I don’t know, maybe he caught me when my guard was down, or maybe I was just feeling a little low, or a little insecure. But have you ever noticed that sometimes when we’re down we “step” on other people in order to get “up” a little? Ever noticed how people who are secure in who they are don’t “step up” on other people? (Ponder Romans 8:31-39)

Dave Ramsey, popular “get out of debt” guru, replies “better than I deserve” when people ask him how he’s doing. When I was younger I used to get SO impatient with other Christians who kept talking about the cross, and pastors who kept teaching on it. I thought, “Ok, ok He died, He rose again, He’s forgiven us, now let’s move on I want to learn something else.” But the truth is there’ve been a few times that someone’s done something so remarkable, so amazing for me that I just can’t seem to ‘get over’ it. I’ve noticed that when I’m very aware of the cross and how it ‘should’ve been me’ there that I don’t struggle so much with what other people do … do to me … because I truly do have it ‘better than I deserve.’

I pray that today as you ‘think of the cross’ that you will be so filled with the glorious riches of His love for you that you will press into your relationships, that you will be filled with love, compassion, and forgiveness towards those around you and that the sweet aroma of Christ will follow you wherever you go.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.