Bad Days

Bad days—everyone has them.  And when you are in the middle of one, you often feel as though it will never end. What is the secret of triumphing over the hardship of hurt?  Forgiveness!  Everyone needs to have a framework for processing bad days, because they happen to all of us.  God’s Word tells us how…

(Hebrews 12:2)  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Here is the framework… “Forgive anyone—no, everyone—who seems set on ruining your life.”  I know it’s hard but it’s what God does and it’s what we have to do chose to do in order to experience God. 

Now, I realize that some situations are so difficult that a simple email or electronic devotional won’t answer the “how” or the “why”, so let me encourage you to aim those seemingly impossible situations and questions at God not man!  In the meantime I would like to offer help at the point of where many people get stuck.  Many people chose not to forgive because of a misunderstanding of what forgiveness is.  So let me tell you what it is NOT.

Forgiveness is not…

1.)  Minimizing what the person did. (Regardless of who was right or who was wrong, you were wounded in the transactions and that creates wounds that don’t just disappear.  Minimizing that actually hinders a person’s healing.  Instead take the maximum hurt of what happened to God, just don’t hold it over that person’s head.)

Forgiveness is not…

2.)  Resuming the relationship without changes.  (When offense occurs, relationships either end or at best are put on hold.  Getting that relationship back up and running will require change and a commitment that what happened will not happen again.)

Forgiveness is not…

3.)  Instant restoration of trust.  (We often don’t realize how valuable trust is until we break it.  Trust is naturally given, but once broken it now has to be earned back, it’s just the way people work.  People that are serious about forgiveness will be willing to earn back trust.)

In the end you and I are inadequate to cross this gap but a sensitive and loving God can take care of you and also those around you.  He can make the struggles and uncertainty become an embrace of certainty and encouragement.  God brings finishes with a purpose and an end with meaning. 

Where does it all start?  It all starts with us making the choice to cross over to forgiveness.  Will you give that gift this Christmas season?