Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgive. Show all posts

Friday, May 17, 2013

Wash It Away


A sudden rain came down a few days ago, that for all its brevity could be called a gully washer.  I was inside, and though I paused to admire the actual sheeting of rain that blocked my view to see across the street, I did not really think much about the outside effects.  Later that day, I walked to my car to head home.  The rain had stopped and it was nicely cool and fresh outside.  I noticed that there were brown lines around cars, where the rain had washed cars and removed the layers of dirt.  Outlines now existed around cars, and in parking spots where cars were once parked.  My car shined quite nicely in the sun, looking clean and sparkly.  The remnants the rain left were not on my car, but in a car sized dirt outline

As I got in the car, and headed home, it struck me that the car could not wash itself.  There had to be an outside source to remove the dirt.  In much the same way, the sins that accumulate on, around, and in me are also something I cannot remove.  Jesus, in much the same way, performed an act that worked like that gully washer.  He shed his blood and died for my sins, in essence removing them by the sacrifice of love.  What left was a bright and shiny forgiveness of my sins and your sins in the person of me and other followers of Christ, and that human size dirt outline you see there on the ground, that is the sin that is no longer mine to pick-up. 

Why? That is one of my favorite questions.  I think it is important to understand why things happen or don’t happen certain ways.  Why would a perfect God do something to even bother with the messiness of people?  Love.  God loves us so much that He gave us his one and only Son.  We in turn, if we believe in him, we are given eternal life.  Because, the Son (Jesus) did not come to condemn the messy structure we call humanity, but to save us instead.  I accepted that Love.  I hope you do too.  


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Splinter

About a week ago, I felt the need to pray once again, Lord change me. It’s a prayer that focuses like a laser beam on my own heart and life. Finishing up reading in Isaiah, finishing up a book about God answering prayer, I was hearing repent and restoration over and over. What was it in me, in my life that I needed to address?

Ever seen a child with a splinter in their finger? They will quite often take off across the room, yard, house, to avoid having the splinter removed. It will hurt to have it removed, the pain from it being infected will be worse. I think that admitting sin and then asking for forgiveness can be kind of like that splinter. At least it was for me this week. Mulling this over, wrestling with it, asking and seeking after God, I asked Him to change me and grow me. What I found was that I needed to first ask for forgiveness of God, where I was holding a splinter of sin and trying to just ignore it. The word malice came up. Malice? That has such a Hollywood dark flavor to it. Malice – as in wickedness and spite? Surely not!  Pride? I thought I had addressed this hurt long before. Still, a splinter remained and I needed to let God remove it. Once that was done, then that left a hole.
What now God? Amazingly enough, the book I had already been reading and the verses I had been leading up to led me to this very time. God’s timing is so perfect. The hole that is left when we ask for the sin to be removed, when we repent , can also be filled by God! He will not leave us with an open wound that just anything can go and get stuck in. I was amazed at the peace and relinquishment I have had.

By preparing me for this week, by insisting that I read these things, I have found that splinter removed. Restoration to God by God, starting with God urging me to get better – what an amazing God we serve!

Acts 3: 19-20 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus."

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Intent, Truth, and Forgiveness

Have you ever wondered what someone was thinking?  I have, and not just what to get that very hard to buy for individual for Christmas.  I wonder what they think about… this project, that event, and of course what do they think about me? 
In those moments of wondering, a little thought can start poking us.  “Hey, what if they think that I am ___” (you fill in the blank for what best suits you).  One look misinterpreted, on tone not understood, a perceived change here then there, and the next thing you know it’s snowballing out of control.  “They don’t like me!”  Oh what assumptions we have jumped to, when the intent of the initial wondering was perhaps something so completely different.  However, charging ahead as the snowball starts picking up speed and becoming an avalanche, we may even react to our assumed perception of intent.  “Well, I’ll show them – I’ll just be polite, cold but polite.  I’ll cut this off before we even get there.”  Then, that individual who suddenly is receiving the cold shoulder is left wondering why, starting the cycle all over again. 
What can stop the cycle of avalanches from plowing over our heads over and over?  The truth!  Go to someone and clear up any misconceptions long before you are digging yourself out from a very cold and lonely tunnel.  What you hear may be a total shock and could possibly be completely different than what you originally thought. 
But, what if it’s not?  Take your opportunity.  The door is open, deal with the issues.  Get them all out on the table, talk them all through.  No, that’s most definitely not easy.  However, if you can do this with a heart of grace, seek out forgiveness when you need it.  Give forgiveness when it’s needed.  Trust may not be there for a while, or perhaps forever.  And most definitely the face of the relationship has changed.  However, the avalanches can stop.