Tag: Father

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Something Good Is Coming From This!

This is the title of the latest sermon from Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church.

It took me two viewings to actually understand what he was saying.
That might sound a bit silly, as it’s a very simple message, but the bit I missed was ….the who, he was saying this to.

It makes a big difference when you realise just who, the who is.
Yes, Steven did effectively say that, this is a statement for those who are Christians.
But I do believe that the statement applies most to those who are actively seeking Father.

I do think that it’s not so much for those people who go to church on a Sunday and do all the right things on a Sunday, to then go and forget it all on the Monday, and the rest of the week, only to begin the process on the next Sunday. (I do hope that I’m not describing myself here 🙂 )

I do believe that the statement applies, most of all to those who take the Lord with them, all throughout the week.
The ones who try to apply what Father is speaking to them at all times.
(I did say try and not do, I fall short on this one as well.)

When you understand the who the statement truly applies to, then it starts to make sense.

It applies to those who are looking to follow Fathers promptings!

Lets look at the Israelites as they left Egypt.
Steven did speak about the Israelites plundering Egypt, when they left.

How did they plunder Egypt?
They were told to ask the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. Exodus 12:35
The Lord had made the Egyptians favourably disposed towards the people, and they gave them what they asked for.

The Israelites were given an instruction….(and here’s the important bit) they followed the instruction.

Simple, really, isn’t it.

The Israelites could have been told, whilst still in Egypt, under bondage,…. Something Good Is Coming From This!

How many would have believed it, if they were told this message?
We are in bondage.
We now also have to go and get our own straw (and the like) and your trying to tell me that something good is going to come from this???
Are you sure???

For those who DO TRUST and OBEY, then the answer is a resounding
YES and AMEN!!!

If there were some Israelites who were too frightened to ask the Egyptians for the the silver and gold….. then how much would they have left with.
None, most probably.
I wouldn’t want to be that person.
Could you imagine the conversation on the way out.

Wow, look at all that the Lord has given to me, What did you get?
Nothing, I was too frightened to ask for anything .  😦
Oh dear, looks like you made a mistake there then…???

Obedience leads to blessings whilst disobedience can lead to missing the blessings.

This is why the who he is saying, “Something Good Is Coming From This!” matters so much.

So going forward, what can we take from this?

Seek the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, body, strength and soul, and then, know that, ….
Something Good Is Coming From This! (What ever this may be.)

If you are in a place where you feel that your all is next to nothing, and worth very little, then you need to know that, that thought is a lie from the enemy!
It doesn’t matter how big your all is, it’s what you do with it that matters the most.

I think about the widow who put in two very small copper coins into the offering. Mark 12:41-44
Jesus himself praised her, for her actions, because out of her poverty, she gave her all.
Father is not looking at the size of your gift.
He just wants all of you.
He wants you to Trust and Obey Him.
If we can do that, then blessings Will follow, …. and then ….
Something Good Is Coming From This!

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

___________________________

I have just re-read and re-thought about what I wrote yesterday.
I do still think that it is valid, but I also now understand that it is not what Steven said.
He said “Something Good Is Coming From This!” and he applied it to all who are Christians.
That was his only validation for who the message was for.

So am I wrong in what I have just written???
I think yes and no.
I may be wrong, in that Steven was claiming the statement as a promise for all Christians, where as the above thinks slightly differently.
Steven did claim it for those Christians who felt that they could not claim it for them selves.
But I do still stand by the idea that Father will bless you that much more if you will seek and follow him.

I do think that this is one of those cases where Steven is correct and so am I.

I can say this as, I have been in the place where I couldn’t claim Gods promises for myself.

I thank Father for all those who stood by me (the seen and unseen) and kept me standing, when I didn’t have the strength to do it on my own.
I am thinking about the time when me putting my two small copper coins into the offering was to just turn up on the Sunday morning and then just survive the rest of the week.

I thank Father for the people like Steven who will claim Gods promises for others when they are unable to claim them for themselves.
I am here to tell you that no matter how dark it looks to you, it can and will get better.
So please, just try to put your two small copper coins into the offering, whatever they may be.
They are acceptable and Father will honour you for it.

Father,
Thank you that You are for us.
Thank you that You Love us.
Help us to trust You with all things.
In good times and also not so good times.
Help us to look to You in all things and to be able to Trust and Obey You. Our Lord God.
Amen

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A Diamond in the Dirt is still a Diamond

I see a diamond, but it’s covered with dirt and general mess.

When the light falls on the diamond there is very little sparkle to be seen.
The dirt and general mess is the part that is mostly visible.

But the diamond is still a diamond, even though it is hidden by the dirt and mess.

When the rain comes and washes the diamond clean….then it’s a different story!

Then the light falls on the Diamond and it SPARKLES!!!

The beauty of the Diamond is clear for all to see!

_________________________________________

The Diamond is Jesus is our lives, as we allow Him to lead and direct us.

The dirt and general mess is all life’s struggles and troubles which would try to hold us down.

The rain is Fathers time of cleaning, when he washes away our struggles and troubles.

There will be a day when ALL our struggles and troubles are washed away.

But in the here and now we might only see a partial rain fall, (Father is able to send heavy rain fall in the here and now as well.)

Even though we might be covered in the dirt and mess, if we have Jesus in us and allow him to be our guide and lead us, then we have the Diamond within us.

It might be hard to see at times, but if he’s there, then He’s THERE!!

Small sparkles of the Diamond will show through, even though it’s covered in the dirt and mess, if we allow Father to lead and guide us through life’s struggles and troubles.

Father,
Be the centre of all our lives.
Help us to keep looking to you, for our help and guidance.
As we look to You, then please lead us.
You are Lord God Almighty and are able to help guide us in all things.
Thank you.
Praise You!
All Glory to You!
Amen.

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Forgiveness and Reconciliation are Two very Different Things

Forgiveness and reconciliation have been on my mind for a while now. It has probably been working round my mind since I wrote the post, forgiveness is key.
https://wannabechristiandoorman.com/2021/09/03/forgiveness-is-key/

When I went through the process of forgiveness one time, I was then left with the thought of… I now need to make contact with the person I have forgiven.
After all, I have now forgiven them, so I shouldn’t have a problem with them anymore.

I now look at that thought and think that it could possibly be a lie from the enemy.

In order for a relationship to be restored there may be a need for reconciliation.
I do believe that need was present for me, but at the time I didn’t see it.

Instead I effectively thought that I had to restore the relationship.
Again, I now think that was a subtle lie from the enemy.

For a relationship to be restored then both parties need to come to the party in order to work at reconciliation.

Hence the reason for this post of, Forgiveness and Reconciliation are Two very Different Things.

So, if we have gone through the process of forgiveness, does that then mean that we then need to go through the process of reconciliation?

I do believe that all situations are different and there is only One Person who can answer that.
And that Person is ….
Lord God Almighty,
Our Father in Heaven,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
The One who Loves you with an everlasting Love.

As Wannabe Christian Doorman I just have to shout that out every once in a while.

Back to the post, and yes, I do think that we should always be seeking Father when we have a question of where do we go next.

Reconciliation is always going to be a good thing to hope for, but sometimes, it just might not be possible or even safe to consider. (Especially in the instance of abuse.)
Again, I’ll say, please, let Father lead your steps.

Even if we can’t be reconciled, then I still believe that we need to forgive. If you are struggling with forgiveness then please consider reading forgiveness is key, (a link is at the top of this post).

So if we have gone through the process of forgiveness and we now want to tackle reconciliation, then how can we do this?

Have you guessed the answer yet?
All situation are different and you need to be lead by Father. (There seems to be a running theme here 🙂 )

A picture does come to mind though.

I see two lands, who were at war with each other. There are two borders with a no man’s land in the middle.

There are many choices of what you do next.

Running away from your border and hiding is a choice.
As I have already said, this could be a valid choice for some.
For safety or other reasons.
Listen to Father’s voice for his guidance.

If Father directs you to go up to your border and wave, then try that.

Father could direct you to find the middle ground.
That would be entering into no man’s land.

Father might even direct you cross past no man’s land and enter on into previously enemy land.
If you feel lead to do this then please, be sure it’s Father who is directing you. Finding yourself in enemy land when your not wanted without any back up is not not a good place to be, but if Father is directing you, then you will have back up.
He is Lord of Lords after all.

When all is said and done, seeking Father and his guidance is always going you be the best option.

We can always seek others for help and prayer, but do let Father lead in this also.
Share what needs to be shared.
It’s a case of not everyone needs to know all the details in order to pray for you. They might only need to know, “I have an issue with something, please pray for me so that I’ll know what to do.”
Having one or a few people who know some or all the details could be helpful, but (and I’m saying it again) seek Father for who this person or people should be.

Father,
Help us to keep you at our centre at all times.
Whether we have big thing or small things to deal with, help us always to look to You.
Thank you that you do care for us and Love us and that you will guide us if we come to you.
So help us always to look to You.
Amen

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Leave the Stones on the Ground.

A friend shared a note with me (Put that Stone Down) about the woman caught in adultery, just recently.
John 8 1-11

As I read it, I couldn’t help but think how true some of the comments were.

One bit that stuck out to me was the question of, “How many people have we driven out of the church by pelting them with stones when we should have brought them to the feet of Jesus?”

I know that we don’t literally throw stones at people, but we can throw stones with what we say and do.
It’s with these stones that we could be driving people away with.

HURT. You hurt me by doing…..
OFFENSE. You offended me by…..
JUDGEMENT. How could you…… or How dare you……

The above are only three such stones, which we could reach for. I dare say there are many more.

The question I’m left with is…
When people do wrong to us, how then will we respond to them?

Will we be reaching to pick up the stones to throw at them or will we be able to bring the situation to Jesus’s feet?

Will we want to seek his wisdom or will we just want to reach out for all those stones, waiting to be picked up? (Which the enemy happily places at our feet.)

When someone does something wrong to us then we can tend to want to pick them stones up as quickly as we possibly can and hurl away with them.
Can we do better Though?
Instead can we try to come to Father and allow him to deal with the situation?

Jude 1:9 comes to mind.
“But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!'”

So, if the archangel Michael, when disputing with the devil left them stones on the ground and called on the Lord instead, then can we do likewise?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying, don’t deal with an issue or problem.
If something is wrong, then it needs to be dealt with.
If there is an injustice, then that needs to be dealt with.

The question is…
Will we deal with it in a way that pleases Father?
Will we bring it to His feet, for His guidance and help?

If you think that bringing it to Father is, letting the offender off lightly, then have a read of Psalm 10.

Verse 15 makes me smile.
“Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would otherwise not be found out.”

The writer is not saying “I’ll break the arm of the wicked man” (one of the stones I didn’t mention) but instead is calling on God to intervene in the situation, and is calling on God to measure out His Justice.

Again, can we do likewise?
Can we call Father to the party instead of trying to deal with it all on our own?

Calling on Father instead of reaching for the stones is not easy, but it is the better choice.

Father,
Help us to not reach for the stones.
Help us to look to You instead.
Help us to look to You for our guidance and help.
Thank you that You are there for us.
Amen.

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Accept, Repent and Forgive, There is Power Here!

Have you ever had one of those moments when you feel like you are a caged animal, spinning in circles within your cage.
On top of all this there is an enemy outside the cage with a cattle prod, prodding you at every opportunity sending you into ever more of a spin.

Not a happy place to be. (Understatement, if there ever was one.)

When things go wrong, when the wheels fall off, that’s when it’s possible to feel like that caged animal.

What can we do in such a situation?

Accept, Repent and Forgive???

Please, don’t stop reading if I have just upset you.
I’m not trying to prod you with the cattle prod but just trying to look, to see if there is a better way to go, so please, do carry on reading.

Accept.
No I don’t mean, “This is my lot, and I’ve just got to live with it.”
When I say accept, what I mean is, to accept that this is how things are at this present moment. I may not like how it is at this moment but this is how it is. I may want things to change but this is actually how they are at this present moment.

If we can accept, then it removes some of the sting.
It takes away some of the fight in the situation, which the enemy wants to use to prod us with.

Accepting can help us to stop us feeling like a victim.
It can be us taking hold of the situation that we are in so that we can stop feeling that we are a victim of what has happened to us.

Like a lot of things which can bring life, this can be a difficult thing to do, but there is power in accepting the situation for what it is.

Repent.
After we have accepted, then we might need to repent.

Have we done anything which has caused or been part of the cause of where we are?

Yes, I did say part of the cause, as well.

Hopefully you know where I am going with this one.
Sometimes, something can happen, which causes us to react badly and then our actions add fuel to the fire. (Another cattle prod for the enemy.)

So, repent for all that we have done wrong. (A good daily practise anyway 🙂 )

When we repent, we take away the cattle prod from the enemy. (The enemy wants to hold onto as many of these as he can.)
Once we have taken it away from the enemy, we can then lay it down at Jesus’s feet.

Jesus is then able to deal with it!

Jesus might then just take the prod and say, “I have paid the price for this, it has no power over you and it is gone!”

Jesus might even ask us to look further at whatever we have laid at his feet.
He won’t ask this just to prod us as the enemy has been doing, but he wants to bring a healing touch.
Some healing touches can hurt, but if Jesus is doing the healing, then we can trust Him.
He will only bring touches which are for our own good.

One such touch is when Jesus looked at Peter after he denied him for the 3rd time.

When Jesus looked at Peter, I don’t think he was thinking “I told you so.”

I believe it was most certainty a look of Love.
It was more likely to be a look of, ….
I see you at your weakest point, and I still Love you.
I also see what you will become, and what you will do.
I see you on the day of Pentecost when you will stand up and speak to many and a great number of people will come into my house.
(I’d like to take credit for this thought but I think I heard Steven Furtick, from Elevation Church Speak it out in one of his sermons.)

In short, a touch from Jesus might hurt, BUT they are touches to heal and restore!

Forgive.
I’ve already written a post on this. It is…
https://wannabechristiandoorman.com/2021/09/03/forgiveness-is-key/

Short summery of the post.
We need to forgive in order to let go of the hurt, unforgiveness causes us.
We need to forgive because father asks us to. From the Lords prayer, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

If you are struggling with unforgiveness then please do consider reading the post listed above.
The main thing to remember is that when we forgive, it is a release from pain.
It may be a painful process, but it IS a release that is available to us, if we can see it through.

So, I do believe that there is Great power in Accepting, Repenting and Forgiving!

They are not easy things to do when we are feeling like a caged animal, but if we can put these three words into practice then we can release a Great Power that is available to us.

We can bring the power of our Father to the party!

He comes to remove the cattle prods from the enemy!
He comes to open the door to the cage!
He comes to set his children FREE!

Our Lord God Almighty,
Our Father in heaven,
Lord of Lords and King of Kings,
You, who IS above all and Greater than all,
Thank you that you DO LOVE and CARE for us.
Thank you that you are FOR us.
Thank you that You come to set us FREE!
Help us all to come to You, our Hope and Saviour.
Lead and guide us in what we need to do.
If there are difficult things we need to do then please help us to take the steps that we need to, give us the strength to see things through.
Thank you that You are for us and not against us.
Amen.

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Are your Big Ends on the way out?

During a discussion I was having at work with a few of my work colleagues they asked me,
“How can you believe in Jesus when so many people don’t? Surely it’s a case of the majority is right and you’ve just got it wrong.”

Well I was a little flummoxed for a bit until a picture came to mind.

There was a man who went to pick his car up from the garage.
When the mechanic handed over the keys he said,
“I’m afraid I have to tell you that I think you have a problem with your big end bearings, and it would be a good idea if you booked your car in to have them replaced.”

At this point a number of mechanics all piped up saying,
“You’re not telling him that, are you? Look, we’ve listened to the engine and it sounds fine to us. There’s no need to have any work done as there’s nothing wrong.”

Well, the customer now has a decision to make.
Does he believe the one mechanic who says that there is work that needs to be done or the number of mechanics who say that the engine is fine?

The thing is, the one mechanic had heard an engine like this before and it was the big end bearings, so he did know what he was talking about, where as the others just hadn’t.
The one mechanic was right, this time.

My friends did see what it was I was saying and stopped laughing at me quite so much at this.
One of them also pointed out to me that if the customer didn’t believe the one mechanic and drove his car out of the garage then he would probably find that his car would break down in time.

This, I thought was an excellent point that I just hadn’t seen, but was valid and parallels can be drawn from it.

You see, if you keep thinking that Jesus isn’t real and choose not to believe in him, just because the majority don’t, then there will come a time when you will have to pay the price for not believing in him.

It will be a hard price to pay.

As a Christian I believe that all who do not accept and believe in Jesus Christ will be sent away from him when they come to the end of their time on this earth. They will not be welcomed into heaven with Jesus but sent away to hell, a place of great sorrow and suffering.

I’m not writing this just to say “YOUR GOING TO HELL” and all the doom and gloom that goes with it but to try and say “Please look into who Jesus is and make an informed decision about who he is.
It could be the most important decision you ever make.”

So, who do you think Jesus is?
Did he even exist?
Was he just another man, or was he who he claimed to be, …. God?

Father,
I ask that you help all those who don’t know you yet, to say yes to You.
Help them to see You clearly, to know that You ARE REAL and that You do care for them, and Love them.
Amen

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The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 2)

If you haven’t already, then please read “The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 1)” before reading this post, it should make more sense if you do.

In Part 1 of these posts I wrote about the benefit of having an electric bicycle.
In part 2, I am looking at the charging of the said electric bicycle.

Having an electric bicycle is great, but if I don’t charge the battery up… well then, the benefit can slowly disappear.
If the battery becomes flat, then I’m left with a heavier bicycle that has none of the benefit of an electric bicycle.
Which can leave me struggling all that much more, (all over again).

As Christian’s we also have this need to keep charged up, or plugged into Father.
If we don’t, we can then effectively end up running on empty.

So, how do we keep fully charged?

Remaining in Father and his will is the first thing which comes to mind. But, just how do we do this.

Prayer, word and fellowship are the three words I’ve heard from the front of church many times.

Prayer, talking to Father (this also includes listening for his words to us).

The word. Reading the bible, God’s word’s to us to help, to instruct and lead us in how we should go.

Fellowship. Meeting with other Christians in order to help and encourage each other in the ways we should go.

To me, these are the first three things we should hopefully all be trying to do.

Listening to praise worship is another favourite of mine.
There is so much good music out there which is easily available (for free) through YouTube.

Bethel Church and Elevation Church music videos are often played on my TV and also on my work PC (through ear phones with the screen minimised) so that I can be effectively charging almost at anytime. There are also many semons available (again through YouTube) which can be listened to in order to build you up.

We can also praise God, or pray, wherever we are and at anytime. We can sing a praise song, or pray, even if it is just in our heads.
It all adds up to that charging effect of coming closer to Father.

We always have the choice available to us to seek His presence in order to find that something extra to see us through the day.
Whatever you need to do to keep charged up, please keep doing it.
It’s always going to be better and easier to deal with life in general if we do so while we are fully charged in God.

Father,
Thank you that you are there for us.
Help us to remain in You.
Help us to always keep looking to You for our guidance and help.
Thank you that You do love us and that we can look to You for all our needs.
Amen.

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The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 1)

I ride an electric bicycle to get to and from work.

It makes the task of cycling that much easier.

I have been called a cheater at times, along with the remark of, if you can’t do it all on your own strength then you shouldn’t do it at all.

These comments do annoy me and also leave me thinking, you just don’t have a clue about this electric bike business.

Who am I cheating?
The hill and the headwind?
I’ll endeavour to cheat them all day long. I’m not in a competition against other cyclists but just someone who wants to get to and from work who is thankful for a bit of help.

On a normal bike, I’ll be completely worn out by the end of the week.
On a normal bike the best I could manage would be 3 days a week with having a rest on 2 days of the week.
But even with the rest days I would still be worn out by the end of the week.

On the electric bicycle, with the assistance it gives me, I can manage to do all 5 days of electric assisted cycling and not be worn out at the end of the week.
I still have to put the effort in.
It’s an electric bicycle I have, and not an electric motorbike.
But come the end of the week (or a strong headwind) I am not looking for the nearest skip to throw the bike into as I can do it, with a little help.

So why am I telling you all this?

I see the electric bicycle as a picture of the Christian life and the standard bicycle as a picture of a non Christian life.

The Christian life means having access to that something extra to help me through life’s troubles.
Just like the electric bicycle gives me that little bit extra, being a Christian means that I can call on Father for his help and assistance when times are harder. (Actually I can call on Father at anytime).

When I do call on Father, then he is there to help.
I might not see it, but he is there.
He is able to provide that little extra so that I’m not looking for the nearest skip to to throw the bike into and sit on the floor in a mess.

To me it’s a no brainer.
Do it all in your own strength, or….. have that little bit of extra help.

For me I am soooo thankful for the help I have had from Father.
When I look at all that I have had to go through I don’t know how I would have done it without his help. Even though at times I might not have seen his help, it was there and got me through.

The Good News is that, the help I received is also available to you!

You can also ask for Fathers help too!
The first step is to acknowledge him and ask him into your life and heart. (Choosing to take the electric bicycle over the standard one.)
The next step is to ask for His help and guidance.
There is a bit more to it than just that, but taking the first two steps is a good start, and if you do, then Father will be there to guide and lead you onward.

Father,
Thank you that You are real and able to to help us.
Thank you that we can come to You for help and guidance.
Thank you that You do accept us where we are, and will help and lead us to a better way.
I ask that you help us all to come to You that much more and help us all to open our hearts and lives to You that that much more so that we can all know You, all that much more!
Amen.

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Learn to Juggle

There were two men who one day decided that they were going to learn how to juggle.
They both went out and bought their juggling balls and instructions.
The first man never dropped a ball whereas the second man was constantly dropping the balls.

Now, a question for you. Which man do you think was making the most progress in trying to learn to juggle?
The first man who never dropped a ball or the second who was always dropping them?

You might think the answer is obviously the first man as he never dropped the balls.
You’d be wrong in thinking this though.
You see when you try to learn to juggle you can’t help but drop the balls. It’s all part of the learning process.

So, how did the first man never drop a ball then?

He never threw a ball up into the air in the first place.
He was too worried about dropping the ball and looking silly so he chose to not throw the ball up.
He had done all his research and got the equipment he needed but he just wouldn’t throw the ball up.

The second man however was throwing the balls up and was making progress.
Yes, he was always dropping the balls, but he just kept on picking them up and trying again.
One day he will be able to juggle.

When Father asks us to do something for him, and we know it is Father who is asking us, then we can then be like one of the two men above.

We can step out and follow His prompting to us or we can hold back, out of fear of getting it wrong.
We can try and throw the ball in the air, or we can be too concerned about dropping the ball and never throw it up.

Which one do you think Father wants us to be like?
The one who tries and sometimes gets it wrong or the one who never tries, and as such never moves on.

When we do drop the balls, (and I’m sure we all will at some point), is Father looking down at us saying, “You made a right mess of that one then.”

Or would he say, “Well done for trying.
You dropped the ball there but try not to worry about it.
Just pick it up, and try again.
I can see that you’re trying and I am well pleased with your efforts.”

Father,
Help us to follow You as You ask us to do your work.
Help us to KNOW that it is You who is asking us.
Help us to say YES to You.
Help us to not worry about getting it wrong but to just keep looking to You for our help and guidance.
Amen

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Forgiveness is Key

Forgiveness is key is hopefully something which we can all agree on, after all Jesus did say to us (in the Lords prayer) forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Sometimes this is not an easy thing to do though, and all the more so if we think that the one who has wronged us, doesn’t deserve our forgiveness.

The world will tell us that we should only forgive those who deserve it, but that is not Fathers way.
Father tells us to forgive unconditionally.

If someone has wronged us badly or is continually hurting us then how are we to follow this command?

It helps to know that forgiving someone is for our own good.

It releases us from the pain, hurt and bitterness which unforgiveness causes us.

I think of the hurt, as a hammer that keeps coming down on a hand that is under it.

If you are able to remove your hand from under the blows of the hammer then you should do so.
It’s much easier to forgive if the hammer blows are taken away

But what if you can’t take your hand out of the way of the hammer Blows? Do we still forgive?
Yes I believe I the answer is.

You see when we forgive, even though the hammer blows keep coming down, we then welcome the gauntleted hand of God to come over our hand and absorb the greater part of the blows.
We may still feel the thumping of the hammer, but the blows can be greatly reduced by inviting Father into the situation by forgiving.

Do we remain in this situation though?

Hopefully the hammer blows will be removed, but what if they are not?

It’s at this point that we need to hear Fathers voice that much more for His direction.

You see you can attack the hammer or you can let the hammer keep raining it’s blows down. Whatever you do, it’s best to keep in step with Father.

If Father tells you to remain still, then do that and wait for the bigger hammer to come along and take out the hammer that is hitting you.
He can do it.

Or Father might tell you to turn your hand around, catch the hammer and crush it. (The source of the hurt I’m talking about, not necessarily a person. 🙂 )
If he leads you to do this then you are doing it in his gauntleted hand with his strength added to the mix.
It may well still be a tough journey but you are not alone if you invite Father into the situation….by forgiving.

I can still remember seeing a program about forgiveness.

There were two guests that I can remember.

The first was a parent of a child who had been very badly treated (tortured and killed) by a very bad abuser.
The parent couldn’t forgive the abuser.
The effect of this could clearly be seen on the parents face. She took the hurt and bitterness with her wherever she went.
The audience (the world) all agreed that she was right, not to forgive, even though the pain she was in was clear to see on her face.

The second, was a parent of a child, who had been killed by a terrorist bomb.
The parent had forgiven the bomber who had killed their child.
The audience could not understand this. They were asking, how can you do that, and stating that the bomber didn’t deserve the parents forgiveness.
You could see by looking at the parents face that he was at peace.
The parent explained that it wasn’t the easiest thing he had done but that he did it any way.

Looking at the two side by side I could see the benefit of forgiving and the consequences of not forgiving.

It is for our own good that we are called to forgive.

By forgiving we can then claim hold of Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.

Sometimes we might need to be honest with Father and tell him that we don’t want to forgive and ask for His help with the issue of our unforgiveness.
If we come to Father and ask for his help then he will be there to help us.

We can can sometimes think that to forgive someone, we need to go and look at the person we need to forgive in the eye and then forgive them to their face.
This is not the form of forgiveness that I am talking about.
The forgiveness that I am talking about is that which is done in our heart in our Father’s presence.
If Father prompts us to go further then we do need to listen to Him, but it is the choice we make in our hearts which is the starting point that counts.

Father,
Thank you that you do care for us and that you do forgive us.
Help us to follow your ways.
Help us to forgive others when they have wronged us.
Help us to bring those things and people who hurt us to you.
Help us to work things through with you so that we can truly say, yes I do forgive unconditionally as you call us to.
Amen