| Daily Thought — February
18, 2008 |
|
| LIVING THE
SOLUTION WITH DAILY INSPIRATION |
Be gentle
with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as
quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32 — The Message)
Oh how we need this in the church today.
So often we hold on to the hurt that we’ve received.
While we may say we have forgiven someone we still hold
on to the hurt and it reminds us every day of what they
have done. But God forgives us the moment we ask and He
forgives us completely. I know that we have been taught
that forgiveness is a process and that it can take time.
But in all of my years of reading of the Bible I have never
found anything that says that. Paul says here that we are
to forgive “as quickly and thoroughly as God”.
Jesus said to forgive others as He has forgiven us. How
does Jesus forgive us? The moment we ask it is done completely
and thoroughly. It seems to me that the idea that it is
a process and that it takes time is just a way of giving
us license to hold on to our hurt and remember what was
done to us.
I do not believe that God has or will ever ask us to
do something that He does not believe and know that
we can do with His help. If He asks us to forgive others
as quickly and thoroughly as He forgave us then I believe
we can do it. It is our choice; do we want to follow
God and His desires for our lives and relationships
or do we want to be selfish and hold on the hurt? It
really is that simple. The only reason for not forgiving
as Jesus forgives us is our desire to feel sorry for
ourselves and to try and justify our anger or contempt
for the person that hurt us. There is nothing of Christ’s
personality in that; that’s a choice of selfish
action. We are created in God’s image. Jesus
has restored us and given us the power to do all that
He asks us to do, including forgiving as He forgives.
It all comes down to choice. How will you choose?
Will you choose poorly or wisely? It is up to you.
Live intentionally, purposely, free and with passion,
Pete Reinbold
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of
International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the
offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent
of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved. |
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