hullo salt shakers!(: hope we are all refreshed and excited to ctd running for the Lord aft the sweet cell retreat! it was nice just taking time to fellowship and ive been truly blessed!(:
anw, i feel the Lord talking abt dealing with forgiveness and i'll be sharing fr an email my coach sent as well as daily bread! hope you all will be blessed by it!
DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM OF HATE
In our lifetime, we are bound to struggle with feelings of hate. When someone does something wrong or speak spitefully against us, we tend to harbor feelings of hate. We must understand that hate is sinful. John wrote of how a person who continues to hate a brother is in spiritual darkness.
“But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” 1 John 2:11
Such a person walks in spiritual ignorance and does not know where he is going or what he is doing. It is vital that we deal with this problem of hate.
THE STRESS TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE
“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you…” 1 John 2:7-8
Instead of harboring hate, our challenge is to obey the commandment to love. The word “commandment” is repeated four times in these two verses. John was stressing the importance of keeping the commandment that the Lord Jesus had given His disciples. The Lord had commanded them to love one another as He had loved them. John was adding new nuances to what the Lord Jesus had taught. Loving one another was meant to be a practical contrast to false opinions. If we really are walking in the light, then we should keep the commandment to love. Our lives would show for it.
LOVE AS A DISTINCT WAY OF ABIDING IN THE LIGHT
“He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause of stumbling in him” 1 John 2:10
If we have been given spiritual enlightenment by God’s truth, then we should live differently and distinctly. Instead of living in hate, we should demonstrate sincere love for the brethren. We would not cause anyone to stumble through our deeds. We would display actions of love and concern for people. The idea of “love” is in the present tense. It means that our lives would continually show love to our brethren. If we are abiding in the light of the Lord and no longer dwelling in darkness, then we would obey the command to love one another always.
FORGIVENESS
Some of life's hurts are so deep and painful that to forgive the people who caused them seems impossible. Yet Jesus says that we cant expect His forgiveness if we have an unforgiving spirit. Very often, we struggle with our feelings but we need to recall the Word of God in Matthew 6:15" But if you do not forgive men their sins, Your Father will not forgive your sins."
Forgiveness is not a case of 'holy amnesia' that wipes out the past. Instead, it is the experience of healing that drains the poison from the wound.
God asks us to do for others what He has done for us through Jesus Christ and He will give us the strength to forgive.
Matthew 18:21-35:
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
As we start on a new week, let us act on His word to release our hate by His love that we may be released from our sins and be free in our Lord. We need to ask for forgiveness not only from the Father but also the ones we have hurt. Let us also forgive as He has forgiven that we maybe a blessed and a blessing, especially when some unloved souls need our forgiving to be whole. For we do not love or forgive by our own strength but by His.
take care and God bless!(: have a Godly week ahead!
in His love, shu!