Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Forgiven Much?

I love sharing about the work God has done in my life. I know how fortunate I am that the Lord got a hold of me and brought me to Himself. I am thankful for the forgiveness he offers, and the new creation He has made me.

Psalm 32:1 
Oh, what joy for those



      whose disobedience is forgiven,
      whose sin is put out of sight!


I also LOVE to share about the amazing forgiveness the Lord has put in me for the people who have hurt me in life. I know that it is only by HIS amazing love that any of it is possible! I am still amazed and in awe at how He works everything for our good when we surrender it to Him. (I will write about it one day and share those stories...)

Luke 6:37 Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.


and


Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.





But lately....

the Lord has been showing me what it feels like to be forgiven from others! I know this may not sound all that profound; yet it is!

After recognizing my shortcomings and failings, I pray and I repent to the Lord. I receive his forgiveness, He helps me to grow. That is the way that it works. I know that...I have heard that since I was a little girl and I believe it!

But when I ask a friend...
a family member....
a human person with strong emotions and hurt in their hearts...
forgiveness may not come that quickly! 
(and that is sometimes hard to accept.) 

Especially when ......
you never intended to hurt them
or if your decision/action came from a good place
or when you didn't even know you were hurting them

It does not feel good to hurt people! It does not feel good when someone you care about is hurting!
More so when it is because of something you did/said. It hurts...

But, I have learned that you must again pray to Jesus, ask forgiveness for any and every part that you played and release it. Trust Him that He will work on the behalf of His children.

God is in the business of reconciling that which has been broken. If He resurrected His son from the grave; I believe He can resurrect love that has died in a relationship!

And when He does....

Oh, how sweet it is! I am so thankful for the covering over of my sins and mistakes. I am so thankful for the opening of hearts to accept me and forgive me despite my faults and my brokeness! I am so thankful for a God that works in the hearts of others to reach out and extend grace in the midst of their pain and struggles!

I am reminded that if we truly love Jesus, we need to know His heart. His heart is always for His children to love one another!


Lord, may you continue to break our hearts for what breaks yours! 

1 Peter 1:22
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.






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