Thought for Monday, March 26th

March 26, 2012

Forgetting Forgiving

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:4-10

Quote of the Day

“Forgiveness is the final form of love.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

When it comes to the issue of forgiving: Christians believe God forgives and removes all memory of the forgiven deed as far as the East is from the West – never to be remembered again.

Yet often, as Christians when it comes to being forgiving – we may be willing to forgive, but bar the door Kattie and circle the wagons if you think we are going to forget the injustice done to us.

Scripture teaches us that to whom much is given, much is required.  Stop for a moment and ponder how much have you needed to be forgiven for just this week?  And don’t’ you hope that God will forget all our transgression and not be constantly reminding us for all eternity about the mistakes we made while living on Earth.

Now I understand that if a dog bites you: your not gonna put your hand back in his mouth so he can do it again, but you can forgive that dog and move on and not hold a grudge, nor let bitterness and anger and unforgiveness eat you up inside.

I wonder if we are not willing to forget a transgressor’s transgression: if an argument night not be able to be made, that would hold a lot of merit: stating, we really aren’t willing to forgive in the first place.

Jesus taught us repeatedly to forgive so that we can be forgiven.

Is there any injustice so great or grand that it should stand between you and obedience to God?

Today’s Prayer

Father you are illuminating, masterful and tender hearted, with an abundance of grace and mercy for which I am not worthy.  Yet you love me and you forgive me and then you even forget my transgressions:  help me to be as compassionately aware of and sensitive to others around me and may I be willing to give as good as I get when it comes to forgiveness and forgetting.

“To understand is to forgive, even oneself.”

– Alexander Chase

“Let the poor man say
I am rich in Him
Let the lost man say
I am found in Him
Let the blind man say
I can see again
Let the dead man say
I am born again 
Holy Spirit come
Move in power“

- from ‘Let The River Flow’ by Darrell Evans