Forgiveness

Some of the children thought we should add photos of everyone to the blog since it's usually just Noah's photos. So the following are pictures of Anna (6), Daniel (8), Kelsey (12-until Sept) and Kendal (14). Isaac, Joy and Mary missed out this time.

Forgiveness is a subject that is frequently entering into Bible study, shows we're watching, and thoughtful conversations we're involved in lately. Bob and I read a book called 23 Minutes in Hell after we saw the author on a Christian talk show. Then we watched a documentary called The Lazurus Phenomenon which highlighted the death experiences of several people. Most recently we had dinner with new friends; the husband's brother had an experience of torment during a coma that was attributed to unforgiveness in his life. We think God is very serious about our extension of forgiveness to others. Because we are saved it seems we dangerously think that we can get away with ignoring the rest of the Bible. Our family is beginning to pay much closer attention! Check out these verses:

Matthew 18:32-35 The Story of the Ungrateful Servant

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed (which was equivalent to millions of dollars by the way).
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Sometimes it's hard to know for certain if we've forgiven someone, especially if there are repeated offenses, no confessions have been made, and they continue to offend us.

Here are some definitions and descriptions of true forgiveness that have been shared with us recently:

*If you truly forgive someone you will not hold the offense against them. They no longer owe you. You will reject the temptation to recount how they've offended you.

*If you truly forgive someone you can sincerely pray God's richest blessings on their life.

*If you truly forgive someone you can genuinely receive them trying to be in relationship with you, whether they are asking for your forgiveness, or not.

Love is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs (I Cor 13:5). That's the easiest way to deal with forgiveness-not to be so easily offended in the first place.

Since we've been more in tune to the sin of unforgiveness we've noticed that nearly every argument in our home is founded in unforgiveness for previous offenses. That means we walk around almost waiting to be "bumped" by someone with whom we are already angry or defensive towards, and then respond out of the abundance of our heart. This led us to studying how to fill our hearts with the "right stuff" in the first place. As always, it drew us back to being more diligent about filling our hearts and minds with the Word of God. It's not about controlling ourselves, or pushing down an angry emotion, or being forgetful, easy-going people. It's about truly loving God and loving others. And the only way we can do that is to be full of Him and His word!

Be blessed today!