Forgivness

As I look back over the years of my life, I have noticed that the relationships I had, have and hope to have carry a significant impact in me. I am a son of a broken home in which my parents struggled to maintain peace in the home. I am a man that has fought addiction, anger and spiritual battles I never imagined I would engage in. I have traveled to places I never thought I would have and seen God’s grace and mercy in ways that still amaze me to this day!

Through it all it was those relationships that caused me to push on, to run away and to stand in amazement. And it has to be the most difficult issue to mount, is a relationship that has gone south. There are so many reasons not to mend that broken connection. It might be due to pride, or anger, confusion, or frustration. But with the many reasons we hold onto NOT mending those relationships, all it takes is a phone call from a doctor to melt away years of hardened reasons.

Knowing that you only have 30 days left on this planet melts away years of reasons, it brings perspective. See this series is all about perspective, it’s that perspective that we often lose in our own reasons, but it is that perspective we need to see that Jesus is the only way to do life. His methods and reasons are far better than ours and in the end keep us strong and together.

One thing Jesus told us to do is to forgive as our Father in heaven forgives us. So how does God forgive? Let’s see ....

1 John 1:9 tells us “..He is FAITHFUL and JUST and WILL forgive us our sins...” God tells us to make sure that within our own efforts and capabilities that we “live at peace with all men”. It’s the basis for the Gospel when we can experience reconciliation between us and God and be a partner with the Holy Spirit to bring that same experience to another human being.

God is FAITHFUL to forgive, how faithful are you? Forgiveness is not disposable, but reusable. It’s not a one shot, two shot or in the disciple Peter’s case a seven shot deal. It’s something that we should be always ready to offer over and over again.

God is also JUST to forgive, how just are you? Just means we are fair, impartial, honest and not biased. This world has way to much bias in it; selfish partisans. We being people of God should be just in forgiveness. That means you don’t forgive the people you like!!!! Forgiveness is for the unlovely as well as the lovely, it’s for your friends and your enemies.

God WILL forgive, are you willing? Life can get us so jaded that forgiveness seems an exercise in lifting a car off the ground. “I can’t do it and why would I do it anyway?” That is the attitude of most and sadly of many Christians as well. We enjoy the willingness of God, why should we not express that same willingness to others?

Let me say here that being willing does not mean that you run after the person that has offended you. God requires us to come to Him more than He runs after us. That is important because the work of humility has to take hold in a heart. When a person seeks forgiveness humility already has paved the way for forgiveness to genuinely take hold. I have people in my life that our relationship is broken yet I am still willing to offer forgiveness when humility takes hold in their lives.

I encourage you to walk the path of your God, forgive! Forgive often, fairly and always be able to extend that reconciliation to others. Awesome!