Love Doesn't Go There
We’ve all been wronged, but keeping a list of the wrongs only makes things worse. The best way to recover is to forgive.
The word forgiveness draws various reactions. If we’re talking about God’s forgiveness of us, it can be a soothing topic resulting in gratitude and peace. If we need to seek forgiveness from someone we’ve wronged, we might wrangle a bit with our pride before we finally approach that person in humility—but our resulting cleared conscience makes it well worth the effort.
Usually, however, the most uncomfortable kind of forgiveness is what we must extend to someone who has wronged us or hurt us deeply. The Bible says a lot about this kind of forgiveness—perhaps because our emotions arm wrestle with it and other lingering memories skirmish with it. It’s really hard to do.
Find out what God’s Word says about forgiveness, how essential it is to understand, and how to actually do it...if we want to grow in our walk with God.
We’ve all been wronged, but keeping a list of the wrongs only makes things worse. The best way to recover is to forgive.
Prejudice is nothing new. It’s a learned trait, which keeps you in darkness. When you’re prejudice you become bound to old ways of thinking. You lose your openness and creativity. In fact, prejudice can affect every aspect of your life.
The world says tells us all that matters is making a good impression. But God is not impressed with externals; you can’t fake it with Him. Recognizing the hypocrisy in your life and breaking with it is painful, but necessary.
Have you ever been given a gift you needed but didn’t want? We’ve all received disappointing gifts. But there are gifts, which never disappoint. They’re often unseen gifts like forgiveness, compassion, grace, understanding, and kindness. And they’re priceless.
Sometimes it seems like your situation is hopeless and your life is unredeemable. But the truth is, there is freedom. In life there are two masters. One is an enemy, who will put you into bondage and a deathlike existence. The other is your Redeemer and Friend. You can only serve one, and the choice is yours.
When people treat us unfairly, we want to get back at them in some way. But when we take the high road and don’t give in to our desire for revenge, the blessings are immeasurable.
When you accept Christ as your Saviour you have someone who is always your advocate; always in your corner. And when you forgive those who hurt you, you model Christ. And you become a little more like Him.
When you do something wrong, it is no one’s fault but yours. You can’t blame your parents, your friends, your co-workers, or anyone else. You are ultimately responsible for your actions.
If you have thick skin, you’re quick to forgive. If you’re thin skinned, you’re more likely to hang on to grudges and hurts. The perfect combination? A Soft heart and thick skin.
Two millennia ago, God answered the anguished cry of humanity by making “the problem of evil” His own. God Almighty became Immanuel, “God with us.” He lived as we live, suffered as we suffer, died as we die, yet without sin.