Dogs forgive and forget quickly. Hamish doesn’t hold a record of wrongs against me. Hamish, in this area, is a daily example of how I should be.
Last time, we looked at the importance of being able to give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes these hard circumstances will be people hurting you, sinning against you.
The previous verse, (I Thessalonians 5:15 - Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.) says we haven’t to pay back evil for evil: and elsewhere the bible talks about the importance of forgiving others.
When you read the last entry and this verse do you think, ‘that’s impossible, no one can do that!’ Or life in general, “I’ve tried to be a good person but it’s just too hard.” You are right!
I’d like to take today and concentrate on ‘everything’, apart from which, nothing I have talked about, makes any sense and is worthless.
The ‘everything,’ is Jesus dying on the cross, His blood being spilled for the forgiveness of sins, for all those who come and believe, trust and put their faith in Him.
First we have to come to the cross, realise we are ill-deserving sinners, repent and accept the wonderful gift of grace and mercy, and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. When you put your trust in Jesus first, THEN everything else flows from Him.
Because I am so grateful and humbled by His love, grace and mercy, I then can forgive others because Christ has first forgiven me. That is how we as Christians, can forgive. Why we should forgive.
It’s important to know that it is only God in us, that we are able to do these things. We can’t do this in our own strength. So in answer to those "that's impossible" statements, it's not us, but God working in us.
If a terrible situation has happened and some bitterness or hate has resulted: Forgiving someone, means that you let God have control; letting go of any hate and bitterness in your heart, trusting God that He will deal with them in His way.
If there is puss or debris in a wound, it has to be cleaned out before healing can take place. It’s very painful at the time but we know that stuff has to come out or infection will set in, eventually spreading. In the same way, having all that hate and bitterness festering within us is bad for our health!
We can be like a dog, not allowing anyone near (in our case God), not understanding that the wound needs cleaning. Sometimes ‘biting’ anyone who comes to close to the wound.
It’s painful at the time, giving a situation or someone over to God. But as soon as it’s done, the healing can take place, and God is the great healer. It’s because God loves us so much he doesn’t want us to suffer. Not forgiving someone hurts us.
As ever, it’s for our own good.
Do you need to forgive someone?
Is there any hate or bitterness in your heart, about a situation or towards a person?
Do you need God to heal an area in your life?
Or do you need to come and know God and experience Him first?
Last time, we looked at the importance of being able to give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes these hard circumstances will be people hurting you, sinning against you.
The previous verse, (I Thessalonians 5:15 - Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.) says we haven’t to pay back evil for evil: and elsewhere the bible talks about the importance of forgiving others.
When you read the last entry and this verse do you think, ‘that’s impossible, no one can do that!’ Or life in general, “I’ve tried to be a good person but it’s just too hard.” You are right!
I’d like to take today and concentrate on ‘everything’, apart from which, nothing I have talked about, makes any sense and is worthless.
The ‘everything,’ is Jesus dying on the cross, His blood being spilled for the forgiveness of sins, for all those who come and believe, trust and put their faith in Him.
First we have to come to the cross, realise we are ill-deserving sinners, repent and accept the wonderful gift of grace and mercy, and allow Him to be Lord of our lives. When you put your trust in Jesus first, THEN everything else flows from Him.
Because I am so grateful and humbled by His love, grace and mercy, I then can forgive others because Christ has first forgiven me. That is how we as Christians, can forgive. Why we should forgive.
It’s important to know that it is only God in us, that we are able to do these things. We can’t do this in our own strength. So in answer to those "that's impossible" statements, it's not us, but God working in us.
If a terrible situation has happened and some bitterness or hate has resulted: Forgiving someone, means that you let God have control; letting go of any hate and bitterness in your heart, trusting God that He will deal with them in His way.
If there is puss or debris in a wound, it has to be cleaned out before healing can take place. It’s very painful at the time but we know that stuff has to come out or infection will set in, eventually spreading. In the same way, having all that hate and bitterness festering within us is bad for our health!
We can be like a dog, not allowing anyone near (in our case God), not understanding that the wound needs cleaning. Sometimes ‘biting’ anyone who comes to close to the wound.
It’s painful at the time, giving a situation or someone over to God. But as soon as it’s done, the healing can take place, and God is the great healer. It’s because God loves us so much he doesn’t want us to suffer. Not forgiving someone hurts us.
As ever, it’s for our own good.
Do you need to forgive someone?
Is there any hate or bitterness in your heart, about a situation or towards a person?
Do you need God to heal an area in your life?
Or do you need to come and know God and experience Him first?
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