The F Word (Part 2)

Many times over the Bible talks about forgiving others because God forgave us. It's a lot easier said than done though. It's not just saying the words, "I forgive you." There has to be a change in the heart. We forgive others because we need it. It's not really about our relationship with the offender. It's about our relationship with the Creator.

As I was thinking about the person who stole my debit card, I started getting self-righteous. I mean, in the midst of serving others, and he had the nerve to steal from me. The nerve! And then I thought of the many times I have robbed God. Robbed Him of glory that I took for myself. Robbed Him of money that belonged to Him in the first place. Worshipped idols of comfort and popularity rather than Him. Repeatedly disobeyed and denied Him.

Jesus said that no one is good except God. No one. What if God had said, "Ok Kim, you blew it. That was the last straw. I'm done with you." Luckily, that's not who God is though. He's not waiting for you to mess up so He can inflict punishment on you. His mercies are new each morning. In Isaiah 43:25, He promises to remember our sins no more and says that He does this for His own sake. Again, this shows us that it's not about the offender. It's about our relationship with Him. How do you want God to treat you?

As we talk about forgiveness, I'm sure that you are picturing someone or a maybe a few someones. Who is it that you need to forgive today? And where do you start? From my experiences, I've found that prayer is a good beginning. Praying for the offender does something for my own heart. You probably won't feel like it, but do it anyway. It's like taking your garbage out. It needs to be done even though you may not feel like it. And if you don't, then bad odors start to arise. It's time to take out the trash.