The Language of Heaven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-16
 
A couple of friends of ours came into town for one of our conferences. Afterward they stayed with us as we debriefed from what happened during the event. The question was asked, "From an outsiders' perspective, what do you think we could have done differently?"

"Talk more about forgiveness," one of them said. "Ah," our other friend at the table said. "The language of heaven."

Forgiveness is so hard sometimes. How can the unforgiveable be forgiven? A molested child, a cheating spouse, murder, neglect - these are difficult things that happen. Even smaller offenses can create huge wounds, too big to heal even with the words, "I'm sorry." But what are we going to do with wounds and offenses when they happen? Certainly a grieving process needs to occur. But what will our end response be? 

I read an article where a young woman was describing how her mom and brother were killed in a terrible shooting perpetrated by the U.S. government. Her mother and 14-year old brother were shot before her eyes as a 16-year old teenager. Her mother had been carrying her baby sister in her arms when she was killed. It took her 10 years to grieve. She says, "I was afraid to laugh because you're betraying their memory. I lived as a prisoner of depression for a long time." But finally, she chose to let go and forgive the perpetrators.

"I hit rock bottom," she said. "I opened up my Bible and read John 3:16. Jesus made himself very real to me. He started healing me of all my pain. No one drug me to a church and started hitting with the Bible. It was more real to me even than (the incident). I feel like a huge weight's come off my shoulders... The anger you hold for someone else imprisons you and keeps you from helping others," she said.

Wow. I pray that we are all able to speak 'the language of heaven', no matter the offense, and let Jesus our Healer heal every wound that's ever been inflicted upon us as we make the choice to forgive.


Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/09/woman-forgives-federal-agents/

Being a Bigger Person

"But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too." (Matthew 5:39, 40 NLT)
 
More than we'd like we are faced with situations where someone may have taken advantage of us. These types of situations can happen between friends, relatives, associates, or strangers. When we get the short end of the stick or the bad end of the bargain - or we are mistreated - it is easy to want to retaliate. But this isn't the way Jesus wanted us to respond. He wanted us to "be the bigger person." 

It's amazing to me how these types of situations happen with people you think should know better. But, these are the very situations we can get "caught up in the web of" if we aren't careful. The way to successfully let them go is to be the bigger person and turn the other cheek. 

Suppose someone said they were going to give you a car, and turned around and gave it to someone else. That would probably make you pretty upset, right? But, according to this verse the 'big' thing to do is to buy that person something or do something nice for them, just because. "What?!" You might say. "That person just ripped them off!" 

But, think about what it means to be the bigger person. If an injustice was done to me, it's not about me- its about the other person. So, make it about them. The Bible says that when we bless someone who curses us we 'heap burning coals upon their head', meaning- there's no way to escape conviction. (Prov 25:21&22) 

Is there any situation you are facing now where you may need to "be the bigger person"? Why not bless the person, and give it to God. Life is too short to hang onto things that steal our joy. Be the bigger person and let it go.

Blessing Those Who Curse You

"Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." -Luke 6:28
 

Have you ever had an enemy? It could be someone you might have gotten into an argument with, someone who wronged you, or it could even be a former friend or estranged relative. However the enemy became an enemy, Jesus taught us that we are to bless our enemies, to pray for those who have hurt us. (Matthew 5:44) 

This is easier said that done. Often if there has been abuse involved it is difficult to think about that person and even harder to forgive them. But, forgive them we must - because as Jesus said, "...if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:15 

One night I was driving home from the gym with my mom, as she was visiting from out of town. All of a sudden, a dog rushed out in front of us, and (BAM!) I had no time to stop. My first concern was the dog, because I thought for sure he would be lying on the side of the road either dead or needing emergency care. But as I walked over to where the dog came from he was bounding around, like nothing had happened. I saw the dog's owner as I began to walk over and asked, "Is your dog alright?" to which he replied, "He seems fine to me!" "Ok," I said. I couldn't see any damage to my car in the dark, so I drove home, slightly shaken. 

When I got home I told my husband what had happened and he came out to look at my car. The car had been chipped above the right wheel, where I had hit the dog. I began to think about what had happened. In our county it is illegal to let a dog roam in a neighborhood without a leash. So, my husband and I decided to go over to the man's house and talk to him about the situation. 

When we got there, the dog's owner was sitting inside the garage smoking. When we walked up, he greeted us and was very nice. We told him about the situation and showed him the damage, and he immediately said, "I'd be happy to compensate you for that." I was so glad. I didn't want it to turn into a big confrontation. 

A couple days later I got an estimate for the repair of my car and put it on his door, like he asked, with a note. Several minutes later he called on my phone and left a message saying, "It was your fault you hit my dog. My lawyer said it's your fault, so I'm not paying for this." At that point, we became enemies. I called him back and asked him if he was aware of the county leash laws. He said that he was but that he was not responsible. I told him my mom and I could have been seriously hurt due to his irresponsibility, to which he hung up the phone. 

I was so mad! It made me even more upset that this whole situation was taking up time due to the drama of it all. But, eventually, I got over it - I let it go. I just hoped that his dog wouldn't be let out again so we wouldn't have any more incidences. 

One day, I drove past and remembered the situation, and remembered the scripture, "pray for your enemies - bless those who curse you." So I prayed that God would bless him. Wouldn't you know it, two weeks later, a "For Rent" sign showed up on the lawn. He had moved! I definitely felt a lot safer. 

Do you pray for your enemies? Do you bless those who curse you? Ask God to help you bless your enemies today.

Forgiveness

"Forgive people when they do wrong things to you. If you forgive them, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive them, your Father will not forgive you." -Matthew 6:14-15

 

Forgiveness can be so hard sometimes. Someone you think should know better, someone you thought you could trust, someone you depended on who let you down - abuse, mistreatment, betrayal - we will all experience hurts, disappointments, and frustrations in life.

Although we may know better, sometimes it feels better in the moment to hold on. Parents, teachers, peers, friends, neighbors, bosses, companies, churches, government officials, ourselves, God - the list could go on and on. "It serves them right," we say. The immediate gratification of making our feelings known or acting upon them seems like the right thing to do... in the moment. 

However, in that split second, we forget how detrimental unforgivness can be. Harboring unforgiveness can result in diseases in our bodies, fear, anxiety, anger, and troubled or estranged relationships. When we feel we cannot forgive, the person it hurts the most is us. This is where we need God's intervention and healing. We need to make forgiveness a priority and realize that it is ALWAYS better to forgive - to let God take it, and let God be God. Forgiveness frees our minds, gives us peace, and brings us closer to God's purposes for our lives.

I went to a training one time that taught the participants to practice "pre-forgiveness," the act of forgiving someone before they do anything - deciding that no matter what they have done in the past, could do now, or will do in the future, we have chosen to forgive. 

"Then Peter came to Jesus. 'Lord, if my brother keeps on hurting me, how many times should I forgive him?' he asked. 'Should I forgive him seven times?' 'No, not just seven times, but forgive him seventy times seven times', Jesus said." -Matthew 18:21&22

 

Is there anyone you need to forgive today? Is there an issue in your heart that feels unresolved? Resolve yourself to forgiveness. Let us be pure in mind and in spirit so that God will "find nothing in us" (2 Peter 2:2) that the enemy could use to deter us from God's purpose for us.

Dealing with Betrayal

"So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe - the ornate robe he was wearing- and they took him and threw him into the cistern." -Gen 37:23 & 24  

Have you ever had something happen to you that wasn't fair?  Have you ever been falsely accused or wrongly judged?  It is in these situations where our emotions can get the better of us.  But, we have to stand firm and "be the bigger person" in order to see the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives.  

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers - he was betrayed by his own family! Isn't it interesting that the people who should have been his biggest advocates were his betrayers?  Joseph had to trust God. Even during his time in the Egyptian prison he had to remain pure and avoid becoming bitter. His obedience was what allowed him to rise, even in the midst of false accusations.  

When people do wrong to us, we must be the bigger person.  Even if the person should know better, if we feel ourselves getting angry or bitter, we must decide to be the bigger person.  Maybe someone has a limited understanding of something, even a leader.  Give them grace.  Maybe someone is acting out of fear and pain.  Give them space. It is a test we must undergo so that God's bigger purposes may be revealed in our lives.  

Have you ever been betrayed?  How did you respond?  Determine to forgive the person who wronged you.  Maintain an attitude of forgiveness.  Be the bigger person.  God works through vessels that let go of offenses and trust Him for the bigger plan. 



Forgetting the Former Things

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Is 43:18-20

Are there things from your past that you keep going back to?  Old mistakes, past regrets, personal failures, or things that you still feel guilt over? Are there things that you need to “forget” or stop dwelling on in your life?

In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were far away from God, rebelling and worshipping other gods, the prophet Isaiah was one of the prophets to call them into account. But, even though the Israelites had done horrible things, (even sacrificing their children to idols! Ezekiel 16:20), God was willing to give them another chance. 

“‘Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson,  I will make them as white as wool.’” - Isaiah 1:18

Sometimes we are unable to fully move forward in life because we are continually looking behind us.  Mistakes, regrets, and avoidable circumstances may continue to plague us even after we’ve asked forgiveness and laid it to rest - even against ourselves! But the fact of the matter is, when the past is behind us, and we’ve been forgiven, it really is no more.   Satan wants our past and present to be our future. But God always sees us for who we are becoming.

Are you ready to receive God’s forgiveness, and decide to let go of the “former things”? Pray and ask God to give you the strength and grace to leave the past behind you.  

Clear Eyes, Pure Hearts, Can't Lose

"But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." -Matthew 6:15
 
Sometimes life can make us upset. Sometimes people do things that just aren't right - even people who should know better! Or people may unknowingly do things that frustrate or hurt us, without even realizing it. Still, we have to "guard our hearts" in order not to let these "bitter roots" or feelings resulting from these things contaminate our faith and keep us from God's grace. 

"Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." -Hebrews 12:15
 
It's difficult to let things go when we feel we have a right to be upset. Betrayal by someone close to us is especially hard to overcome. But, anything that anyone does to us doesn't give us the right to any offense, or give us an excuse to lash out - pushing us into our sinful nature. 

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." -Galatians 5:19-21 
 
Are you keeping your heart pure and protected? When people do bad things, are you able to respond with grace and forgiveness? Don't let your soul be pushed into spiritual danger due to someone else's wrongdoing or sin.