Sunday, April 17, 2011

Forgiveness is Sweeter

This past week, and especially the past couple of days, I feel the Lord has put forgiveness on my heart and mind in a big way. I recently heard a song by Chris August, called "7x70," in which he talks about forgiving his parents for breaking their family apart. I have played it non-stop ever since I heard it! With that song consistently in my head, along with some other circumstances that occured this week, I have been thinking about forgiveness a lot this past week. I am always humbled by the passage in Colossions:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive each other if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Colossions 3:12-14

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you." This never ceases to convict me. I have done worse things to God than anyone has ever done to me--I have sinned against a perfect, holy God, who sent His son to die in agony for me, to take upon himself the sins I committed, so that I may know God, and one day stand in His presence. In my wickedness, my voice has called out among the mockers, and I have heaped upon myself the just wrath of God. The absolute beauty of salvation is that I have been excused from God's wrath--because the price has been paid. In full. Jesus died an excruiating death, died in a way that each of us deserves, so that I might know God. I am loved unconditionally--when I continue to fall and sin, my salvation is still secure, my debt is still paid, and my sins are forgotten. I still stand before God white as snow, blameless, because the blood of Christ has washed me clean. The Lord has forgiven me of everything I did, and will do! So who am I to hold something against someone? My place is not to judge. That's God's job. In light of the Lord's forgiveness of me, why shouldn't I extend the same to others? In light of eternity, who am I to waste my time holding a grudge, when I need to be glorifying God with my thoughts, actions, words, and intentions? In heaven, these things won't matter. Forgiveness is so much sweeter than holding a grudge, or a mistake over someone. There are so many things that God could hold over me, yet he doesn't. And that is worth praising God about!

No comments:

Post a Comment