I’ve always thought of myself as a forgiving person. For one thing, being angry takes too much energy! Aside from that, I know how much I have been forgiven so cannot get too heated about the things others do, yet I was convicted yesterday.
The speaker said that there are four components of forgiveness. All of them are decisions, not a feeling or emotions. First is deciding to not dwell on the offense. That means no mulling it over in my mind. The second is determining not to bring it up to the offender ever again. The third is not talking to others about it, and the fourth is deciding that this offense will not stand between me and the other person, that whatever relationship we had before will not be affected.
In the process of peacemaking, the offender needs to be aware that they have done wrong and the person who was offended is supposed to go to them and talk to them first, not anyone else. What got me yesterday was realizing that I had been offended, was angry, and was talking about it, totally oblivious that I needed to do any of these things because I missed seeing this as an offense/forgiveness issue. Duh!
God opened my eyes as I thought about that third component of forgiveness. I wasn’t dwelling on what had been done (that takes too much energy), nor had I brought it up to those who annoyed me, but I’d been telling my husband about what they had done, not once but several times. Suddenly I realized that I was offended and needed to quit my griping and take a different kind of action.
The video series talks about up-front decisions too. Before I take action, I need to ask myself if I have done the same thing? Am I guilty in some way that first needs to be brought to the Lord? Then I need to ask if this is something that is worth being upset over, or can I simply let it go?
The speaker illustrates with big issues, but also small ones. The person who cuts me off in traffic could leave me annoyed or angry for the rest of the day. Of course I cannot chase him down for a confrontation, even though some do. (It’s called road-rage.)
Yet these small things that should be let go can build up in the human heart. I’ve known people that are angry all the time. Everything bothers them because they have not let go of anything. In noticing these irritated folks, I am aware that I can easily be like they are, boiling all the time over the small stuff.
Today’s devotional reading asks the question, “When the day is done, do you ever take inventory of the ways God has blessed you?” The verse is . . .
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me — a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)About a year ago, I decided to begin what I call a gratitude journal. Before I go to sleep at night, I write in the things of the day for which I am thankful. This helps keep me in a good frame of mind, yet I realized yesterday that being thankful for ABC does not eradicate the annoyance I feel with XYZ. I cannot cover up my irritation with gratitude.
In other words, if I have been irritated and bellyaching about something someone has done, I cannot be thankful for my daily bread or anything else and expect my heart to be right. My anger needs to be acknowledged and dealt with, not tossed in a bag and hid under the bed for the night. That baggage simply pops out the next morning and ties its noisy self around my neck.
To live is Christ means being honest with myself about the things that bug me. While Jesus had no sin to confess, He also did not let His anger against sin be bottled up. In some cases, He took it to the offenders and confronted them, but for the most part, He bore it on His own shoulders. Eventually, the weight of sin crucified Him, but in doing what He did about sin, He made peace with God possible for us.
Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker. From the lesson yesterday, the verse today, and from His lovingkindness, I have much to consider about how way I respond to the annoying things of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment