What do you think of when I say “forgiveness”? A lot of bad memories probably pop up in your head, maybe even the word “impossible”. Yes, it’s an extremely difficult thing to do. Isn’t it almost like excusing someone’s wrong doing? That’s what it feels like for most people.

But…is that really how it should feel? God is okay with us being angry or hurt because that’s reasonable. But I don’t think God is okay with us refusing to forgive people. Maybe we just have the wrong impressions about forgiveness. These are 3 right impressions we should have.

1. Forgiveness is not about forgetting.
  Forgiving someone is actually really beneficial to us. It allows us an opportunity to let go of the other person’s throat; the person we’re angry with. When we don’t forgive or deal with something, it eats us alive. I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar. Not only does it eat us alive, it puts up a wall in front of our ability to truly and openly love others. 

2. Forgiveness doesn’t establish a relationship.
  When we forgive, we release that person from judgement. That’s why we might feel relief after forgiving someone. Maybe you feel if you forgive this person then things have to go back to normal and you have to pretend like he/she never hurt you. It’s completely okay if you feel like that, though! God doesn’t say to forgive someone and then trust him/her again because that is really difficult. To have a relationship of trust again, this person will have to change his/her behaviour and that takes time between him/her and God, if it ever even happens. 

3. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse anything.
  Our forgiveness does not set people free. They are far from it and we are far from being able to choose the justice in that. Trust that God can handle it because He absolutely will since He is the ultimate judge. Obviously, anger can be quite consuming, but it is okay to be angry! Whatever this person has done to you was terrible and caused you, maybe even others, pain. Anger is the right response to something that is so wrong. HOWEVER, this anger and pain is probably what is preventing you from forgiving someone and removing your hands from around his/her neck. The tears you have shed are wondrous and they can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Our God does not discount the wonder of our tears. 

Holding onto and refusing to forgive the mistakes of people is like drinking poison and hoping the OTHER person will die. That’s why forgiveness is only possible because of Jesus’ presence in you.

*a note from God: “Why does this matter? Because. You are important and everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes. My purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.” 

Sometimes, more than usual, I spend a lot of time praying to God.

I ask for things.

And I cry out to Him.

I’ve talked to Him as if He were sitting next to me.

I’ve whispered.

I’ve mumbled things.

Sometimes I even write it all down for Him to see.

Psalm 95:7 - “For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice.”

Did you notice a pattern in how I was praying? I was the only one talking, wasn’t I? What should have been a conversation turned out to be a monologue, not a dialogue. How can I possibly hear what He is saying if I won’t shut up long enough to listen?

So today I’m listening to Him.

Today is a dialogue.

Today, I will shut up.


 

*adapted from Michael Perkin’s blog, Untitled

Think about someone you hate. Maybe you don’t HATE anyone…just greatly dislike him/her, right?

So perhaps someone(let’s name her Emily) has wronged you and many others and one day you see her walking into the church you go to. You feel the urge to just ask her to leave because there are so many bad memories tied to her presence, which is pretty reasonable, i guess, if she was truly horrible to you. So your friends say to you, “Let’s just tell Emily to leave. She’ll ruin today’s service because everyone will be in a bad mood. This is our church.”

Let’s freeze there. No, no it is not your church. It’s Christ’s church! If you cannot welcome someone who is broken and has made bad choices…or even rejoice that she’s even at a church…then YOU don’t belong!! Think about if someone had rejected you the first time you went to your church…what if someone hadn’t given you a chance? Honestly, how different are you and all the Emilys out there? If you can’t understand that…then you and God should have a talk. 

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

That’s it. If Jesus had shied away from the adulteress who was going to be stoned, or the woman at the well, JUST because of who they were…wouldn’t that mean He would have to shy away from you and I for our past sins? Then none of us would ever be forgiven. We have to  love because Christ loved us. It’s so simple…cut and dried…black and white!! Emily has as much right to your love, as we have to Christ’s. 

God has every reason to hate us…but He doesn’t. So how can we hate all the Emilys that walk into our lives? 

Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should go to Him (not that that’s our job anyways).

What do we do when we say say “amen”, but it’s still raining? How does it even seem possible to carry on when we can’t find Jesus in our storms? It’s raining down on us so hard we can just barely hear Jesus whispering to us, “I’m with you”. 

If you don’t know where to start…praise Him through your storm. Lift up your hands because God is who He is no matter where we are! He holds every tear you’ve cried in your hand. 

Why are you striving these days? Why are you trying to earn grace? Why are you crying? Let me lift up your face, just don’t turn away. Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I’m not enough? To where will you go, child? Tell me where will you run…to where will you run??

I’ll be by your side, wherever you fall. In the dead of the night, whenever you call. Please…don’t fight these hands that are holding you. MY hands are holding you. Look at these hands and my side. They swallowed the grave on that night when I drank the world’s sin so I could carry you in and give YOU life. I want to give you life. I love you! I want you to know that I love YOU!! I’ll NEVER let you go.

Can’t you hear Him?

Faith is an awesome thing. Especially when it is the only thing we have left to hang on to. But what happens to it when something horrible happens to our world? Something unjust…unfair. We seem to be so quick to blame our Saviour. I have learned that faith cannot depend on circumstances, especially since that is the complete opposite meaning of faith. 

Think of a time when God was good to you. Awesome, huh? Now think of 9/11…Japan…Slave Lake. A lot of us might be thinking: man, how can God do these horrible things to our world!? And to such innocent people, right? But that’s not who God is. If we really believe in who HE IS…then He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He does NOT stop being good because these things have happened. We lose such sight of that. Is He not the same God He was before?

Our circumstances can’t and won’t change who God is, nor should they determine what we believe about Him.

No cost is too high for His grace!! Jesus, too, had been abused, insulted, humiliated, and beaten. He was accused of something He hadn’t done. To this day, the name of Jesus is a curse word to some, a source of distrust, a reason for persecution. So…how dare we think we are above that suffering? Or any suffering, for that matter? You and I have given our lives to Christ years ago and have gladly taken up our crosses to follow Him. So why do we think we can put our crosses down now? In thinking so, we are declaring ourselves too righteous to carry the cross…too righteous to be like Jesus. Too righteous to forgive and to love.

But still, God has come through in being the strength that comes from our weaknesses, the courage that comes from our fears, the faith that comes from our seemingly unfailing doubts.

what, might you ask, does bearding the lion mean? bearding the lion in his den is going directly into dangerous territory and confronting it. this tumblr will very much be based on this idiom as i post topics and issues we face as christians.