On forgiveness...

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

I have been pondering lately about forgiveness. It isn't an easy thing to do yet we are commanded to do so as our Father has forgiven us of our sins. Years ago my brother Marty once gave me good advice during a time I was not living a well life and hurt a lot of people, especially my parents, he said, "As long as you're doing the things you are 'supposed' to be doing, you will be fine." I realize now what he meant but at that time I didn't know how to apply it nor did I have a relationship with Christ.

There is much more great insight in the book of Ephesians beginning in verse 17 that have great instruction about losing touch with God by allowing to keep hardness of heart and being calloused. But ultimately the verse I posted above makes the clear point - to forgive as we are forgiven. If we know God and our scriptures we know then that we must have trust and faith in forgiveness is it produces many fruits of the spirit and without it how will we grow in character as well as our relationship with our heavenly Father and expect to live with Him someday?

I often think of those that have not forgiven people. I feel sorry for them in that they don't seem to get it. They must not be aware of grace and love that will pour on them by trusting in this act that Christ teaches us by His own example. I pray for them that they will realize it isn't about being right or wrong, that it isn't about who hurt who or who is stronger willed and will not step down give up and say sorry and try and work things out. I hope they realize that it is a sin between them and God and until they acknowledge this I have to question will they ever have a desire to forgive?

I have lived with much question and anger off and during my life however year and a half ago I found who I am in Christ and that is when my character began changing after accepting my Savior. I finally realized that the unanswered questions no longer hurt me, that the enemy didn't have power any longer. Christ's gift of light instilled in me, as it is said in the book of John, and withstood the darkeness - the darkness cannot understand the light! What a transformation I have been going through. I was done with feeling hurt and recognized it as work of the enemy. I can only pray now that they will not let the enemy take use of the circumstance forever, after all we are here for only such a short time.

As I still grow in this Walk with God and continue in this new life in getting to know Christ my Savior I am continually a changed person. Daily I take inventory of all the things I do, my thoughts, my actions and even though I pray to God and know he knows my thoughts before they are thought, I still ask Him to show me where I may need to forgive others or how I may show them love. I find that I am still this new being all the time with the Holy Spirit bountifully alive in my heart just anew as it was when I first came into it and as long as I obey and keep close to Him I am filled with His joy!