WATCHWORD:
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:30-32
Meditation:
Forgiveness?
Here’s a challenging question to consider: If someone wrote a one sentence summary of your life, what would it say?
Wow. What, indeed, would people say about me? Maybe, “he talks too much and thinks too little.” Hmm, that was cutting, with a dash of truth, maybe. What about you? What would be said?
What made me think of that? Recently when fifteen friends gathered for our weekly Bible study, our discussion followed Ephesians, including the three verses listed above. I use the word ‘study’ advisedly; it was more like letting Paul’s words soak into our own personal lives. This has happened before with our group. We have been together for a long time and during our gatherings, a bond of trust has evolved. We represent seven or eight different congregations, slightly different perspectives on our Christian walk. Not a lot of difference, just enough to add character to our discussion, and, I would add, a frankness that is a rare element except among close friends.
When we look at this issue of forgiveness we must look deep within our own experience. There have been times, events, words said in anger or impulsively, which keep coming back as moments of unforgiveness. It causes me to wonder if I can forgive someone and still remember what brought me to that need to forgive.
There is power in forgiveness. It’s called love. It is an acting out of Christ’s command to “love others as I have loved you.” We forgive others because we have been forgiven by our God for our great and repeated sins.
I had this thought while working on this meditation: When you carry a grudge (an element of unforgiveness) – the grudge carries you! From a mental health standpoint that’s a true statement. The longer you hold on to darkness, the deeper it becomes. Too often the inability to forgive simply compounds itself the longer it persists.
To forgive is sometimes difficult because you have to first admit that you were wrong. Coincidental to our Bible study discussion; the day before I had an encounter with a friend. We had been estranged for years. When I stepped into his house, the first thing he said to me was I am so glad you are here. I have to ask you to forgive me for something I have regretted for a number of years. I had known him a long time, and for him to say that, was amazing. I knew what he was talking about. It was something that I should have confronted him on earlier just to clear the air, but I had errored as well by delaying. The longer I held that darkness the deeper it became. We have cleared the air, light now shines on our friendship.
Forgiveness — Not easy, but necessary to live a life of love as our savior has instructed us. Amen.
Observation:
Forgiveness is a natural condition with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. You have trouble with a moment of forgiveness? Call on your Helper, your Holy Spirit, He will get you through to the end.
A Plea for Forgiveness:
Heavenly father, we come before You in humility. We have wandered from Your truth. We have become comfortable with deception and darkness. Our attention has been turned to our own ambition. We have value convenience more than obedience. Forgive us our sins. Soften our hearts once again. Open our ears to hear your direction. Bring a spirit of conviction to our lives. We lift our voices to You, for only You can bring salvation to our lives. You are a faithful God, a God of mercy and truth. We choose to yield to You, in Jesus’ name, amen.
