At the Altar by Charles Stanley
Jesus tells us, "If you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matt. 5:23-24)
Deal with anger through godly reconciliation.
Take forgiveness seriously by admitting that you have a problem.
Assume responsibility for your actions.
Deal with the problem God's way.
Confess what you've done.
Lay down your anger. No matter how heavy the weight of your frustration or sin may seem, god will shoulder it with you when you stop trying to control your circumstances with anger and bitterness.
Make a commitment to pray for the person who is the object of your unforgiveness.
If I had refused to forgive my stepfather, more than likely, God would not have given me the opportunity to preach the gospel all over the world. He watches the attitude of our hearts to see if we are fully devoted to trusting Him with every trial and heartache.
When unforgiveness leads you to animosity, bitterness, resentment, and hostility, you waste your life, and you miss the best that God has for you. You also end up suffering the consequences of your sin. And never forget; the shortest distance between your sin and God's forgiveness is the distance between your knees and the floor.
Don't you just love that last line? May forgiveness happen in your heart the same day you are wronged. It's not worth hanging on to.
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #31
The Peace Forgiveness Brings by Charles Stanley
Often before the Lord uses us, He will take us through a time of reflection when He reveals issues within our lives that need to be addressed. Forgiveness may be a part of this process. If so, we need to be willing to forgive the person or persons who have hurt us, but we also need to forgive ourselves. Many emotional problems result from our refusal to forgive.
A Step-by-Step Plan
Lift your head and heart toward Him. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Pray for the person who has hurt you. In quiet times alone with God, He will provide the insight and strength you need to understand what has happened. He also will show you how to pray about the situation. If you will fight your battles on your knees, God will move heaven and earth on your behalf.
You Will Experience a Sense of Joy and Peace
Essentially, when we do forgive, we release the other person to the Lord, but we also step out the door of bondage and onto a pathway of freedom that leads straight to the heart of God.
More than likely as you go through a week, there will be an opportunity for you to feel neglected, overlooked, and ill-treated. Perhaps you feel angry as a result of something that happened on your job, and you want to quit.
What do you do when it seems that you have not been treated fairly? You continue to obey God, and you make a commitment to trust Him regardless of your circumstances. You wait for Him to show you how to respond, and then you act accordingly.
The Bottom Line to Forgiveness
The author of Hebrews urged us, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb. 12:14-15). To come short of God's grace means that we are unwilling to forgive.
I've got to admit I've learned a lot about forgiveness by reading through this chapter. I hope it's helped you too. Tomorrow we'll look at the section titled At the Altar. Have a great day.
Often before the Lord uses us, He will take us through a time of reflection when He reveals issues within our lives that need to be addressed. Forgiveness may be a part of this process. If so, we need to be willing to forgive the person or persons who have hurt us, but we also need to forgive ourselves. Many emotional problems result from our refusal to forgive.
A Step-by-Step Plan
Lift your head and heart toward Him. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Pray for the person who has hurt you. In quiet times alone with God, He will provide the insight and strength you need to understand what has happened. He also will show you how to pray about the situation. If you will fight your battles on your knees, God will move heaven and earth on your behalf.
You Will Experience a Sense of Joy and Peace
Essentially, when we do forgive, we release the other person to the Lord, but we also step out the door of bondage and onto a pathway of freedom that leads straight to the heart of God.
More than likely as you go through a week, there will be an opportunity for you to feel neglected, overlooked, and ill-treated. Perhaps you feel angry as a result of something that happened on your job, and you want to quit.
What do you do when it seems that you have not been treated fairly? You continue to obey God, and you make a commitment to trust Him regardless of your circumstances. You wait for Him to show you how to respond, and then you act accordingly.
The Bottom Line to Forgiveness
The author of Hebrews urged us, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb. 12:14-15). To come short of God's grace means that we are unwilling to forgive.
I've got to admit I've learned a lot about forgiveness by reading through this chapter. I hope it's helped you too. Tomorrow we'll look at the section titled At the Altar. Have a great day.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #30
Continuing the chapter on Unforgiveness by Charles Stanley
Handling the Hurts We Feel
There are three parts to uncovering the landmine of unforgiveness. Each one is the result of a godly choice.
1. Choose to let go of every feeling of resentment.
2. Lay down the right to get even. God doesn't let the person who harmed you off the hook. You forgive because this is what He desires for you to do.
An unforgiving spirit binds us to the abuser. We may think that in order for the person to be punished, we need to remain angry, but all we are doing is hurting ourselves even more. You extend forgiveness to another person even though he or she may not deserve or ask for this. You are responding like God-like Christ and like the person you were created to be.
3. Allow God to deal with the person who has hurt or abused you. ...you cannot go forward if you are only looking behind. Many times the person who has caused the trauma we feel may not even know what he or she has done or, worse, care.
Unforgivness prevents you from worshipping God.
Forgiveness: Don't Overlook This
First of all, if you handle hurt in the right way, you will turn to Him and not rely on angry emotions to lift you up. Feelings of anger and resentment only tear down what God wants to establish. And He wants you to become a person who forgives and loves others the same way He does. But you cannot do this if you cling to feelings of unforgiveness.
Another thing you need to consider is this: if you have never been hurt, you will not understand the concept of forgiveness. To forgive, you must suffer, and you must also receive forgiveness for any wrong you have committed.
Remember what I said earlier: whatever has your attention has you. If you are captivated by God's love, you will live with the light of His love burning in your heart. You will know joy, peace, and contentment. However, if you are angry, butter, and resentful, you will struggle with feelings of unforgiveness, anxiety, and fear. Your heart will not be at rest, and you will face emotional and physical problems.
The moment we begin to believe that we have a right to be angry is the moment we have switched from following God's lead to setting the pace for our own lives.
Good stuff today. Tomorrow we'll talk about the peace that forgiveness brings. As I read part of this chapter yesterday, I felt prompted to forgive some people. I knew I was stuck in a cycle of resentment and anger and even disbelief and I prayed and forgave these people. Since then, I've felt so much lighter in my spirit. It isn't a concern. I'm not playing conversations in my head anymore. It's the best thing you can do if you haven't sat down and made a conscious decision to forgive.
I remember going through my separation with my first husband in 1992. I knew the first thing I had to do was forgive him for cheating, leaving, the verbal abuse, the lack of financial responsibility. It set me free to be the best mom I could be to my kids. The kids weren't raised in an environment of dad-bashing. When they were old enough, they were able to make their own evaluation of the kind of person their dad was, and they have done a good job at seeing the truth. Once he got over his feelings of guilt, he was able to tell me what a great job I was doing raising our kids. His parents said this too. The rewards of forgiveness reached so much further than I could have ever imagined. Healthy kids raised in an peaceful home, a good relationship with their dad, what more could a divorced woman ask for?
Handling the Hurts We Feel
There are three parts to uncovering the landmine of unforgiveness. Each one is the result of a godly choice.
1. Choose to let go of every feeling of resentment.
2. Lay down the right to get even. God doesn't let the person who harmed you off the hook. You forgive because this is what He desires for you to do.
An unforgiving spirit binds us to the abuser. We may think that in order for the person to be punished, we need to remain angry, but all we are doing is hurting ourselves even more. You extend forgiveness to another person even though he or she may not deserve or ask for this. You are responding like God-like Christ and like the person you were created to be.
3. Allow God to deal with the person who has hurt or abused you. ...you cannot go forward if you are only looking behind. Many times the person who has caused the trauma we feel may not even know what he or she has done or, worse, care.
Unforgivness prevents you from worshipping God.
Forgiveness: Don't Overlook This
First of all, if you handle hurt in the right way, you will turn to Him and not rely on angry emotions to lift you up. Feelings of anger and resentment only tear down what God wants to establish. And He wants you to become a person who forgives and loves others the same way He does. But you cannot do this if you cling to feelings of unforgiveness.
Another thing you need to consider is this: if you have never been hurt, you will not understand the concept of forgiveness. To forgive, you must suffer, and you must also receive forgiveness for any wrong you have committed.
Remember what I said earlier: whatever has your attention has you. If you are captivated by God's love, you will live with the light of His love burning in your heart. You will know joy, peace, and contentment. However, if you are angry, butter, and resentful, you will struggle with feelings of unforgiveness, anxiety, and fear. Your heart will not be at rest, and you will face emotional and physical problems.
The moment we begin to believe that we have a right to be angry is the moment we have switched from following God's lead to setting the pace for our own lives.
Good stuff today. Tomorrow we'll talk about the peace that forgiveness brings. As I read part of this chapter yesterday, I felt prompted to forgive some people. I knew I was stuck in a cycle of resentment and anger and even disbelief and I prayed and forgave these people. Since then, I've felt so much lighter in my spirit. It isn't a concern. I'm not playing conversations in my head anymore. It's the best thing you can do if you haven't sat down and made a conscious decision to forgive.
I remember going through my separation with my first husband in 1992. I knew the first thing I had to do was forgive him for cheating, leaving, the verbal abuse, the lack of financial responsibility. It set me free to be the best mom I could be to my kids. The kids weren't raised in an environment of dad-bashing. When they were old enough, they were able to make their own evaluation of the kind of person their dad was, and they have done a good job at seeing the truth. Once he got over his feelings of guilt, he was able to tell me what a great job I was doing raising our kids. His parents said this too. The rewards of forgiveness reached so much further than I could have ever imagined. Healthy kids raised in an peaceful home, a good relationship with their dad, what more could a divorced woman ask for?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Spiritual Warfare #29
Today we start chapter seven, The Landmine of Unforgiveness by Charles Stanley
Someone has hurt you, and you cannot shake the feelings of sorrow that blanket your heart. You get up every morning and tell yourself you need to keep going. But before the afternoon, you are struggling with thoughts of unforgiveness and depression. You tell yourself that nothing will ever be right again. When you have been hurt, how do you handle your emotions?
Disbelief and shock may be your first response. You may even deny the problem exists in hopes that it will go away or get better. You think, Surely he didn't say that about me.
Forgiveness or the refusal to forgive is probably one of the most exhausting struggles we face, because much of the battle takes place in our minds and emotions. We may mentally replay an event that has happened to us and our reactions to it for days or months, and in some cases, years or a lifetime. Some people cannot or choose not to work past the hurts they have suffered. They are stuck in a cul-de-sac of emotion and never take advantage of the opportunity God has given them to avoid the landmines of anger, resentment, bitterness, and fear.
As you long to refuse to forgive those who hurt you, you remain bound to them through the anger and resentment you feel. You are not free but bound emotionally and spiritually to this deadly sin.
When we allow unforgiveness to control our lives, we cannot become the people God has created us to be. Likewise, when we refuse to forgive ourselves, we run the risk of suffering deep heartache and depression-the kind that can follow us through a lifetime. And if we fail to accept the forgiveness extended to us by God and others, we can end up suffering the same emotions. We never come to a point where we truly enjoy the goodness and joy of God's blessings.
The apostle Paul admonished us, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Eph. 4:30-32)
That's good for today. I don't know if Stanley will state this later in the chapter or not, but I feel it is important to bring up one thing. When someone has done something to you that isn't right, whether by words or actions, just as important to forgive is to try and set things right. The person needs to be confronted on their actions. Many people have no idea what they have done or what hurt it has caused. Matthew tells us that when a brother offends us, we are to go to him directly to confront. (Matt. 18:15-17) Better sooner than later, but it needs to be done nonetheless. Do everything you can to make peace and live in harmony with the other person. Be humble, willing to accept responsibility for your part in the situation. We're all going to wrong people, hurt people, cause due or undue offense and we need to learn how to navigate the waters of peacemaking.
Have a blessed day!
Someone has hurt you, and you cannot shake the feelings of sorrow that blanket your heart. You get up every morning and tell yourself you need to keep going. But before the afternoon, you are struggling with thoughts of unforgiveness and depression. You tell yourself that nothing will ever be right again. When you have been hurt, how do you handle your emotions?
Disbelief and shock may be your first response. You may even deny the problem exists in hopes that it will go away or get better. You think, Surely he didn't say that about me.
Forgiveness or the refusal to forgive is probably one of the most exhausting struggles we face, because much of the battle takes place in our minds and emotions. We may mentally replay an event that has happened to us and our reactions to it for days or months, and in some cases, years or a lifetime. Some people cannot or choose not to work past the hurts they have suffered. They are stuck in a cul-de-sac of emotion and never take advantage of the opportunity God has given them to avoid the landmines of anger, resentment, bitterness, and fear.
As you long to refuse to forgive those who hurt you, you remain bound to them through the anger and resentment you feel. You are not free but bound emotionally and spiritually to this deadly sin.
When we allow unforgiveness to control our lives, we cannot become the people God has created us to be. Likewise, when we refuse to forgive ourselves, we run the risk of suffering deep heartache and depression-the kind that can follow us through a lifetime. And if we fail to accept the forgiveness extended to us by God and others, we can end up suffering the same emotions. We never come to a point where we truly enjoy the goodness and joy of God's blessings.
The apostle Paul admonished us, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Eph. 4:30-32)
That's good for today. I don't know if Stanley will state this later in the chapter or not, but I feel it is important to bring up one thing. When someone has done something to you that isn't right, whether by words or actions, just as important to forgive is to try and set things right. The person needs to be confronted on their actions. Many people have no idea what they have done or what hurt it has caused. Matthew tells us that when a brother offends us, we are to go to him directly to confront. (Matt. 18:15-17) Better sooner than later, but it needs to be done nonetheless. Do everything you can to make peace and live in harmony with the other person. Be humble, willing to accept responsibility for your part in the situation. We're all going to wrong people, hurt people, cause due or undue offense and we need to learn how to navigate the waters of peacemaking.
Have a blessed day!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Identity in Christ #5
We've finished Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels. They book contains several stories depicting people's holy discontent with different things, like the AIDS pandemic. I've chosen to leave those out because they were so long, but they were very interesting. I highly recommend this book.
Back to Discovering Your Identity in Christ by Charles Stanley before the spiritual warfare book, which is great.
Chapter 5 is called Redeemed and talks about the forgiveness of our sins.
"To be forgiven is to be set free from any guilt and any consequences over one's past sins.
Sin is regarded throughout the Bible as a state of bondage that is the result of transgressions, iniquity, and evil. We commit sin because we are sinners. We were born with a sin nature. Our sinful actions further seal the fact that we are sinners. Our being and doing are cyclical.
Many people experience God's forgiveness but then suffer from lingering guilt over their past sins. To continue to hang on to guilt after receiving God's forgiveness is to say to God, "Your forgiveness wasn't enough." And surely it is!
The challenge for many of us is to accept God's total forgiveness and then to forgive ourselves and to move forward in our lives. To hang on to guilt and shame is to devalue what Christ Jesus did on the cross.
Those who have received God's forgiveness, however, have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, and they are compelled to act in a righteous way because of His presence."
I especially like what Stanley said about hanging on to guilt. This is just what the enemy would like us to do. If we sit and spin in guilt over the past, which is dead and gone, we are ineffective in the present and are threatening our effectiveness of our future. Let you love for Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit be the things that keep you from continuing to sin. Though we are all in the process of sanctification (I call it the purification process) we have the strength and power to stop sinning, stop looking at our past to comdemn ourselves and move forward with confidence as a child of the King.
Isaiah 43:18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."
Back to Discovering Your Identity in Christ by Charles Stanley before the spiritual warfare book, which is great.
Chapter 5 is called Redeemed and talks about the forgiveness of our sins.
"To be forgiven is to be set free from any guilt and any consequences over one's past sins.
Sin is regarded throughout the Bible as a state of bondage that is the result of transgressions, iniquity, and evil. We commit sin because we are sinners. We were born with a sin nature. Our sinful actions further seal the fact that we are sinners. Our being and doing are cyclical.
Many people experience God's forgiveness but then suffer from lingering guilt over their past sins. To continue to hang on to guilt after receiving God's forgiveness is to say to God, "Your forgiveness wasn't enough." And surely it is!
The challenge for many of us is to accept God's total forgiveness and then to forgive ourselves and to move forward in our lives. To hang on to guilt and shame is to devalue what Christ Jesus did on the cross.
Those who have received God's forgiveness, however, have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, and they are compelled to act in a righteous way because of His presence."
I especially like what Stanley said about hanging on to guilt. This is just what the enemy would like us to do. If we sit and spin in guilt over the past, which is dead and gone, we are ineffective in the present and are threatening our effectiveness of our future. Let you love for Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit be the things that keep you from continuing to sin. Though we are all in the process of sanctification (I call it the purification process) we have the strength and power to stop sinning, stop looking at our past to comdemn ourselves and move forward with confidence as a child of the King.
Isaiah 43:18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."
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