Where Are You on the Forgiveness Chart?

Where are you on the chart of forgiveness? Does it rank right up there with one of the hardest things you have to do or do you forgive easily?

I must confess that forgiveness for me is difficult.  Just when I think I have forgiven someone, Satan brings to mind the offense of that one I have chosen to forgive and I am on that merry-go-round once more. And, from what I read in the social media, I’d say there are others who have difficult forgiving.

I don’t believe forgiveness is a onetime thing. I think we have to continually pray that God will help us to forgive that individual that has hurt us.  After all, when Peter came to Jesus and ask how many times he must forgive someone, Jesus didn’t hesitate.  He said "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22 NIV. Jesus knew me well; He knew the difficulty I have in letting go of offenses so He allows me to continue to forgive even if it takes a lifetime.

Someone shared with me that if I would pray for that individual every time their offense was brought to mind, it would be much easier for me to let go of the hurt.  I will admit I did try that and it did help……at least for a time until Satan saw me getting a little too comfortable with the ease of forgiveness and he drug it up again; put it directly in my path so I couldn’t  miss it.

When we pray for God to intervene in that person’s life and realize that God loves them as much as He loves each of us, then perhaps, forgiving gets a bit easier.  After all, God has promised that He will take care of the sins of others and I don’t have to.

What a relief that is !

“Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Romans 12:19 The Message

 

 

Anger Always Comes Before Unforgiveness

Anger always comes before unforgiveness, doesn’t it?  First you are angry at your friend, your mother, father, your child, your boss, your spouse and then unforgiveness creeps in and you carry that until it weighs you down. And, at that point all you want to do is get even. I think a lot of diseases and depression is probably caused by the anger and unforgiveness we carry in our hearts.

ANGER is in danger, but there is danger in ANGER. Once anger enters your mind, you are in danger of doing something you otherwise wouldn’t do or saying something you otherwise wouldn’t say. Words and actions are like an arrow; you can’t take them back.

I read somewhere that Christian counselors report that 50% of people who come in for counseling have problems dealing with anger.

So, how do you overcome anger before that sin of unforgiveness festers up in your soul?  Does God ever become angry?  “God is a judge who is perfectly fair, and he is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11 TLB.  One day when Jesus enemies confronted him about healing on the Sabbath. Jesus was angry. “Looking around at them angrily, for he was deeply disturbed by their indifference to human need, he said to the man, “Reach out your hand.” He did, and instantly his hand was healed!” Mark3:5 TLB

I believe God knows that all of us will become angry at one time so He tells us what to do with that anger in Ephesians 4:26 TLB He says , “If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly” So what do we do when anger flairs up in our hearts?   Do we brood about what has caused the anger? Do we tell others what we are angry about? Do we confront the person who has angered us?

I am reminded of the anger all of us felt when we heard about the murder of the little girl in Springfield. I was angry; I wanted God to strike that killer dead in his tracks. And, I believe that killing, as with all sin,  angers God.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Adam and Eve had never sinned?  Wouldn’t it be great if they had not introduced sin into the world and we could all have lived in sinless perfection? Anger and unforgiveness are tools of the Devil. And, those who sin are, for a moment at least, being controlled by the Devil.

We all need to allow God to handle our anger problems. When we feel anger toward another, the first thing we need to do is look to God and say “God, you know me and my anger problem. Right now, before I do or say something I shouldn’t, I’m giving this to you. You take care of it for me.” And, then allow God to do just that.

Remember, we can’t control the actions of others but we can control our own actions.

 

 

 

 

I Miss You, Mother

“Don’t cha’ guess it’s about bedtime, Mother?  It’s been a pretty long day.  I’ve got quite a bit of work ahead of me in the office in the morning and I’m beat tonight.”

Although at 94 and living alone since my daddy passed in 1984, Mother was staying with us for a few days after experiencing a fall.  We had made a couple of trips to the doctor and his diagnosis was that Mother had just experienced a lot of birthdays, which was a nice way of saying that old age had crept upon her and her heart just wasn’t what it once was.

“For some reason, I’m not a bit sleepy”, Mother replied, “and, that’s kinda unusual for me.”

As I helped her get ready for bed, we talked about her granddaughters and how much they were loved and how fast her great-grandkids were growing.

I sat down on her bed after tucking her in. Mother was little in stature and she looked so small under that cover.  I tucked the cover around her and she smiled at me.

“Wish I was sleepy,” she mentioned again, “and wish I felt better.”

I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.  “It’ll all be better in the morning”, I said as I turned out her light, turned on the monitor and headed for my bedroom. “Good night, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Sis,” she replied.

We kept a baby monitor beside our beds so I could hear her in the night if she needed me.

About 7:00 a.m., I awoke and John was awake.

 “Guess I’ll get up and make coffee”, he said.

“I’ll get in the shower then.” I replied.

John was always so good to my Mother and she loved him like her own son.  So, he went into her room to see if she was asleep.  She was resting peacefully; the covers rising up and down with her breathing so he tiptoed out to make coffee.

I jumped in the shower and as I was getting out, John came rushing in.

“I checked on your mother again and she’s not breathing!”

Quickly, I grabbed my robe and we rushed into her room.

The last words I said to her the night before, “It’ll all be better in the morning,” were prophetic and I didn’t realize it until now.

Yes, for her it was better that morning because she had taken her last breath on this earth, knowing she was loved, and she had awaken in the loving arms of her Savior.

That was 13 years ago today. I miss my mother but I know that she is enjoying her Heavenly home and I know I will see her again someday.

I love Proverbs 31:10-31 about the virtuous woman.  Starting in verse 25, in The Living Bible describes my mother:  “She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age.  26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says.  27 She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy.  28 Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words:  29 “There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all!” 30 Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised.  31 Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.”

 

Is Your Home Cluttered?

Is your home cluttered?  Mine is.  Oh, it’s organized clutter because I do try to keep our home clean and things picked up and put away. But, knick-knacks are here and there everywhere you look.  True, most of them are things that bring back good memories of our life.  But, some are just there because I have nowhere else for them. Or I hate to just discard them thinking I might regret that when something identical shows up on Antique Roadshow worth thousands.

Recently, I was going through my mountain of books and ran across a little paperback by Karen Levine entitled “Keeping Life Simple.”  I opened it and began to read. She gives seven things we need to do to simplify:  Relax your standards, free yourself of stereotypical roles, take time to figure out what is most satisfying to you, create time for the things you care about, learn to enjoy what’s in front of you, learn to be flexible and prioritize. Of course, I think in order to do those things, one first has to de-clutter so your mind can think.

Then I began to think about our lives as Christians. Are our lives cluttered with stereotypical roles?  Do we look at other Christians that we consider to be outstanding in their Christian walk and try to be like them rather than patterning our lives after Christ?  Christ lived a simple, uncluttered life.  He didn’t worry about where His next meal was coming from; didn’t worry about whether He had the latest fashion wear or keeping up with the Joneses. He spent time with His Heavenly Father daily. He spent time ministering to those in need.  He made and taught disciples; simple men who were willing to leave all and follow Him. 

How about your Christian walk?  Do you need to unclutter some of your preconceived ideas of how you should live and just pattern your walk after Christ?

1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” And 2 Peter 2:19 makes it clear: “A man is slave to whatever has mastered him.”

 

 

 

Earning Acceptance Into God's Kingdom.

How many of us try to earn our acceptance into God’s kingdom?  How many of us are afraid that if we don’t do certain things, God will not bring us into His presence when our lives on earth are finished.

Do we think we must adhere to a bunch of rules? Do we make ourselves miserable just trying to be good enough for God?

As I was reading Bro. Steve Rogers postings on Facebook, I came across this : "He has told you, O man, what is good; & what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, & to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)...God commands us to walk in justice, to show kindness to others & to humbly walk with Him. May we strive to do so today & every day of our lives.

After reading his posting, I began to think:  God didn’t ask us to sacrifice our first born, offer burnt offerings or bring barrels of olive oil to Him (Micah 6:7)  All God asks of us is to do what is fair to our fellowmen.  He wants us to be loyal to our family and friends and not take ourselves too seriously but to take Him seriously.

Will all of these things the Lord requires get us to Heaven?  No, only the blood of His son, Jesus, will do that. However, because we are His and have repented of our sins; asked forgiveness and accepted Him into our hearts, God wants us to show our changed life by doing those things Bro. Steve quoted from Micah 6:8.

Are we guilty of trying to do good works in order to please God?   Do we think our good works will bring showers of material things down upon our heads?  No, God is going to bless us because we are His people.

 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”  Matthew 6:30-33 The Message

If you are interested in more of what Bro. Steve has to say, let me know and I’ll give you his Facebook information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And God Laughed

“I’m turning the TV off.  I think I am on overload with all of the bad news, politics, etc. I think I can find something better to do” I say, as I pick up the control and hit the power button.

 As I watch the news or listen to some of the news talk shows, I am reminded about the shape of our whole world.  If there are any good news stories, they are few and far between.  There is so much turmoil in our country and other countries; wars, terrorists, people killing each other over little things, road rage, etc.  Then there are the earthquakes, the droughts, and now snow and ice storms covering the south and the eastern coast; People stranded on the roads, power outages everywhere and people who are frustrated by their plight there.

As I was reading in the Psalms today, I couldn’t help but wonder what God might be thinking as He looks at His children.  Those who are not believers have every right to worry because they don’t have the assurance of God’s protection.  But, Believers have God’s word that tells us He is in control of all  goes on here on the earth. Psalm 2 tells us that God sets in Heaven and laughs. I’m sure He is amused ,but I am also sure that He is very disappointed when His children have so little faith in Him, they worry about everything that happens.

 “Why are the nations so shaken up and the people planning foolish things?  The kings of the earth stand in a line ready to fight, and all the leaders are against the Lord and against His Chosen One.  They say, “Let us break their chains and throw them away from us.” He Who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord makes fun of them.” Psalm 2:2-4 NLV

How is your faith?  What is your worry level?  How much faith do you put in God’s ability to control all things in your life?

“God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.   And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea.   Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods.   God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help.   The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin. The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us. Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world   and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon.  “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!” The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among us! He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us!” Psalm 46 TLB

An Inherited Trait

As I opened the kitchen door that morning, there sat my 80+ year old Mother in her pink cotton housecoat and her apron.

“Well, good morning, Sis.  You’re just in time for breakfast.” She said, smiling.

“Having oatmeal again I see, Mother.  Why do you have that every morning?”

“ ‘cause it’s good for me.”

“And, do you still crumble up your toast in it?” I inquired.

“Sure do,” she said,” makes the toast softer and it tastes good.”

As I sat down to my daily breakfast of oatmeal and toast this morning, I caught myself crumbling the crust into my oatmeal.  “She was right; it does taste good,” I chuckled to myself.

I thought of my mother’s love of books and how she was always anxious for me to see the latest one she had gotten from the Christian Book Club she belonged to. Although I enjoyed reading, then I never seemed to have the time for more than a short story here and there in Woman’s Day or maybe an article in Home Life magazine I picked up at church. Now, I devour books as though my life depended on it and can’t wait for the new ones to come to our church library.

“Mom, why don’t you just set down and let me get it?” Daughter #2 said as I got up one more time to get something from the kitchen. Our house was just breaming with family and we were all setting down for a meal. “You’re just like Grannie Great; popping up and down like a Jack in the Box at every meal” Chimed in Daughter # 1.

As I age, I guess I do take on some of my Mother’s traits.  And, there is no one I would rather pattern my life after. I cherish the things she has taught me.  They are gifts that could never be bought.

God blesses us with His gift of the Holy Spirit when we confess our sins and ask Him to come into our lives. Just as I inherited some of my Mother’s traits, I should exhibit the inheritance of my Heavenly Father, who loves me even more than my Mother did. Then, people would be able to recognize Him in my life just like my Daughters recognize the traits of my Mother in me.

 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!” John 14:16-17 in The Message