Posts Tagged ‘forgiveness’

My Good Friday Muse

Friday, March 29th, 2013

I’ve never experienced a Good Friday like this.

As I write this, I’m surrounded by quiet. My husband’s on a train somewhere between Hungary and Slovakia, my daughter’s with her friends, and I’m on my favorite loveseat with legs propped up. Our church hosted a service this morning but I opted to stay home because (1) I can’t leave the house without assistance, and (2) going out completely saps my energy.

Staying home seemed the best choice because it allowed me to reserve strength to visit with relatives coming later today. It also allowed me solitude to read the Word and ponder the meaning of Good Friday. It’s proven to be a precious time for me. Here’s a peek at three questions on my mind:

* How can we begin to grasp the depth of God’s sacrificial love?

* How can we fathom the pain Jesus Christ bore on our behalf?

* How can we understand the scope of forgiveness and freedom that is ours because of what Christ has done for us?

The answers: we can’t. The marvels of God’s amazing love and Christ’s obedience are beyond our imagination. But we can stop for a few moments today and reverently thank the Lord for paying our sin penalty.

Lest we think too lightly about what this really means, we can also watch the re-enactment. Be warned: it’s not easy to watch. No doubt it wasn’t easy for Christ to experience, either.

This day, let’s take time to ponder and say thank-you. It’s the least we can do in response for what Christ has done for us.

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What’s Forgiveness, Anyway?

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Have you ever struggled with forgiving someone who’s hurt you? I have.

I believe forgiveness is difficult sometimes because we have misperceptions about what it is and what it isn’t. Hopefully this article–written for Extant Magazine–will help clear up misunderstandings.

Photo courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Practicing Thanksgiving

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Expressing thankfulness—what a great exercise! It makes the heart healthy and puts a smile on our faces. It even lifts a weight from our shoulders. Why, then, do we often neglect to do it?

I think of the 10 lepers who cried to Jesus for physical healing (Luke 17:11-19). He granted their request. What happened? Nine healed and happy men ran off. Only one thought to say thank you.

This guy fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet in gratitude. The other nine guys appreciated being healed, too, I’m sure. After all, their lives were forever changed. They’d be accepted into society again. Allowed to live in community, to work, to worship, to come and go like everyone else. They may have felt like they’d won the lottery, but they failed to extend even a common courtesy for this extraordinary event.

Jesus noticed their oversight. “Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

I’d like to think that if we’d been healed from leprosy, we’d pause long enough to express gratitude to God. Better yet, I’d like to think that we express thankfulness not just for the big things but also for the little things that we enjoy every day.

God does so much for us every day. He gives us our next breath, and the next, and the next. He gives us clean water, food, clothing, health, safety, homes in which to live. He gives us sight, hearing, minds to think and reason. He gives us His written Word, the promise of His presence, forgiveness for sin and the joy of a clean conscience.

Some of these things we take forgranted. No doubt we appreciate them but sadly we often neglect to extend the common courtesy of saying thank you.

Let’s choose to follow the one leper’s example and express gratitude. I’ll start: “God, thank You for the rain—liquid sunshine—that’s forecasted this week. Because of it, we can enjoy the lush greenery that makes our location so beautiful.”

Now it’s your turn. For what will you give thanks today?

Photo courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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The Secret to Forgiving Someone Who Hurts Us

Monday, October 17th, 2011

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your ability to forgive someone who’s wronged you? The lower end of the scale represents, “Forgive? Are you kidding me? He/she doesn’t deserve forgiveness!” The upper end represents, “Forgive? Sure, no problem. Anytime.”

What's the key to forgiveness?

I probably fall somewhere in the middle, although honesty (and my humanity) forces me to admit that the scale sometimes slides according to the infraction. The more hurtful the offense, the more effort it takes to reach a higher score. Sound familiar?

Forgiving someone who hurts us is vital to our spiritual, emotional, mental, and even our physical well-being, but let’s face it: It’s really difficult sometimes. Is there a secret that enables us to do it without experiencing a wrestling match of the soul first? Yes!

More than 30 years ago I experienced huge heartache when my fiancé broke our engagement after becoming attracted to someone else. One of my college professors saw what happened and gave me a piece of advice that changed my life. I believe it’s the secret to extending forgiveness when wronged. He said, “God will hold him accountable for what he’s done. But He will hold you accountable for how you respond.”

Wise words, eh? They jive with Jeremiah 17:10 – “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

God is not blind. He sees when someone wrongs His children—even in secret—and He will call the offender to accountability. Sometimes that happens immediately, sometimes not. The timing is up to Him. We need to trust that He’ll keep His word in that regard. Releasing the offender into His hands allows us to experience freedom from bitterness and ultimately fall higher on the scale.

At the same time, we need to remember that God will call us into accountability for our response to being wronged. Will we forgive, harbor a grudge or a victim mentality, or seek revenge? The choice is ours. Speaking from personal experience, knowing that God will someday address my attitude and response gives me major incentive to choose well.

Where do you fall on the scale? How will these thoughts about accountability encourage you to forgive even when it’s difficult?

Photo courtesy: Free Digital Photos

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Want Freedom?

Friday, June 10th, 2011

My first brush with Psalm 119 came when I attended Pioneer Girls club ‘way back in elementary school. The theme verse was “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (v. 105). We recited it every week, and it’s remained in my memory bank ever since.

Psalm 119 has become a favorite chapter to me in recent years. It contains many stand-alone nuggets of truth. One of them is ”I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments” (v. 45). It’s short but mighty. Think about it for a moment:

When we devote ourselves to God’s command to forgive those who offend us, then we walk in freedom from anger and bitterness.

When we devote ourselves to God’s command to speak words of life rather than gossip, then we walk in freedom knowing our words can’t come back to bite us.

When we devote ourselves to God’s command to maintain sexual purity, then we walk in freedom from the emotional and physical consequences of promiscuity.

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Our role is to devote ourselves to God’s commands. In turn, He gives us inner freedom.

This chapter is chock full of similar nuggets. I’ll share a few more next week. In the meantime, what’s your favorite verse from Psalm 119?

Photo courtesy: www.christianphotos.net

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Let Peace Rule

Friday, October 15th, 2010

What do you do when you’re feeling angry at someone? Do you allow negative thoughts to fan those feelings into flame? Or do you try to douse them before they turn into a wildfire?

I’ll be honest. I’ve allowed the negative to rule at times. Believe me, the outcome isn’t pretty. Anger and angst leave my attitude  stinkin’ like a heap of smoldering ashes. The worst part is…that destruction results directly from my choice to let the fire roar rather than put it out before it grows and spreads. My bad. Scripture challenges me to a higher, more honorable behavior. Colossians 3:12-15 says:

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts, it says. Easier said than done when dealing with difficult people, right? But it’s not impossible when we follow God’s fire-safety instructions…

  • Clothe ourselves in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. In other words, practice the Golden Rule.
  • Understand human nature and know that people will mess up. Make allowance for people who, for example, have never learned how to resolve conflict in a healthy way, or who don’t know what love and respect look like because they were raised in a home void of positive role models.  
  • Forgive those who offend us. Our physical, mental and emotional well-being will thank us. Besides, forgiveness is not optional, seeing as Christ has forgiven us for our mess-ups.
  • Clothe ourselves in love. Do random acts of kindness and pray for others, especially those who annoy or hurt us.
  • Oh yeah…one more thing. Always (not sometimes) be thankful.

If left to fulfill these instructions in our own strength, we’d be facing a hopeless situation. The only way we can do these things is through the power of Jesus Christ in us. And when we do them—even when we don’t feel like it—we’re choosing to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. We douse the negative sparks before they fan into flame and wreak havoc in our lives.

What other actions have you taken that evidence your desire to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart?

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The Litmus Test for Christianity

Monday, September 20th, 2010

The label Christian is a loose one. What exactly does it mean in this day and age? What sets apart those who are Christian by name only from those who are Christian indeed?

The answers to those questions could fill a library, but because I’m limited by time and space, I’m going to offer a simple answer based on Isaiah 26:8: “LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.”

According to this verse, two characteristics of a true believer are obedience to God’s Word and a desire to glorify His name. Too bad our selfish nature rears its ugly head and makes these characteristics so tough to model sometimes.

I profess to be a Christian but I confess that obeying God’s laws can be challenging. When He tells me to forgive those who have hurt me, I don’t exactly grin with glee. When He tells me to give generously to others even when our monthly budget is tight, I say okay through gritted teeth. When He tells me to give thanks in everything, I balk and ask, “Even in this situation?”

That’s when the battle rages: Part of me wants to glorify God’s name while the other part wants to satisfy my own wants and desires. If I’m truly a Christian as I claim to be, then my responsibility is to obey.

Obedience isn’t always easy, but God requires it of those who say they follow Him. Doing what He commands proves that we trust His wisdom, sovereignty and love for us. As others see our willingness to set aside our own selfish desires in lieu of God’s ways, we bring honor to His name.

Yes, obedience is a litmus test of true Christianity. If we call ourselves Christians but refuse to obey God’s laws, then we’d better reconsider our claim.

How about you? Is there an issue in your life that God is addressing? Is there an area in which you’re refusing to obey Him? Consider your response and choose to show your trust in Him through doing what He says. Doing so will bring glory to His name and bring peace to your heart.

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New Clothes

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

The other day while running errands, I happened across a lovely scarf collection. Now, I’ve been admiring other women’s scarves as a fashion accessory for a long time but have never seriously shopped for one myself…until now. Purples, pinks, lime greens, iridescent stripes – what a feast for the eyes! And guess what? They were on sale! I eyed one after the other, trying to visualize what they’d look like with my wardrobe, and finally made my choice. How fun to have a new piece of clothing, especially one as versatile as a wear-with-almost-anything scarf.

Jeshua, an Old Testament high priest, received new clothes in his day, too, but he got an entire wardrobe! Here’s his story: “Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ And turning to Jeshua he said, ‘See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.’ Then I said, ‘Please, could he also have a clean turban on his head?’ So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.”

What a glorious picture! In the physical realm, Jeshua’s clothes were dumpster fodder. There he stood, garbed in filthy rags and unable to do anything about it. But an angel stepped in, saw his plight, and supervised an extreme, complete makeover. Note that these were fine, new clothes – not reruns from the local thrift store. Wouldn’t ya love it if this happened to you?

The good news is – it can, in the spiritual realm. Scripture says we’re clothed in filthy rags, that is, our own attempts at being good enough for God. In His mercy toward us, God doesn’t berate us and say, “You look like a hobo. Stay away from me.” Instead, He says, “I have a new wardrobe for you, my friend. Would you like it?” If we choose to accept it, He clothes us in His righteousness. That is, He takes our filthy rags (our sins) and replaces them with His forgiveness and holiness. His gift is free to us but cost Him dearly – the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In the physical realm, wearing my new scarf for the first time brought me happiness. In the spiritual realm, wearing the fine clothing of God’s forgiveness and holiness brings me joy. Deep, indescribable joy. How about you? Do you know this joy, too?

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Rest versus Religious Tradition

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Iwona (pronounced ee-vo-nah) is a Polish friend who lives in Krakow, Poland. She just emailed to say she’d spent yesterday afternoon passing out Bibles and tracts at a cemetery gate. That might sound a little odd if you’re not familiar with Eastern European religious tradition, so I’ll explain.

In Poland, Catholics celebrate All Saint’s Day by cleaning the graves of their dead loved ones and hiring priests to pray for those already deceased. Merchants sell their wares – silk floral arrangements, glass-enclosed candles (to burn on the graves ‘round-the-clock), and food – on the streets outside the cemeteries. Merchants outside the cemetery gateIt’s quite the show, and it’s expensive for those who can barely afford to pay their rent and grocery bill, but the people believe it must be done to ensure a place in heaven for their loved ones.

As a young woman, Iwona placed her saving faith in Jesus Christ. Doing so meant turning her back on her Catholic upbringing and its traditions. It incurred the wrath of her family. The cost, in her opinion, was worth it. Why? Because she understood that salvation is not earned by obeying religious traditions or doing good works, but it’s the free gift of God to those who believe that Jesus paid the death penalty once for all who place their saving faith in Him.

Today, Iwona is an evangelist extraordinaire. She shares the Good News of salvation with anyone who will listen because she has discovered forgiveness and freedom in Christ, and she longs for her countrymen to know the same. No longer working to earn her salvation, she testifies to the spiritual rest of God referred to in Hebrews 4:10 – ‘For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.”

How about you? Have you entered God’s rest by placing your saving faith in Jesus Christ? Have you received His free gift of eternal life? Or are you laboring in religious tradition, trying to guarantee a place in heaven? If the latter, my prayer is that you’ll soon understand that salvation cannot be earned, and that you’ll enter God’s rest.

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