The Hardest Person to Forgive

I have written on the topic of forgiveness before and how it is something with which people, including Christians, struggle.

This is true when it comes to forgiving others.

This time I would like to address our need to forgive the one who is often times our harshest critic, namely, us.

We have a tendency to be harder on ourselves than anyone else.

We recall our past mistakes, our past shortcomings and our past failures.

We then tend to replay them in our minds over and over again.

We may even find it difficult to sleep sometimes when our thoughts become occupied with the past.

The sad part is that this is completely unnecessary.

While we cannot undo the things we have done wrong, we can be forgiven them.

How?

We can start by confessing our sins to Him.

He knows them already, but this is for our benefit.

1 John 1:8-9 (NET) - If we say that we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Next, we forgive others.

Matthew 6:12-13 (NET) - For if you forgive others their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.

Many people find this part difficult.

Most worthwhile things in life tend to be difficult in the beginning.

Just remember that it is never too late and we don’t have to do this alone.

As long as we draw breath, there is hope.

Even the thief, while hanging on a cross, found hope when he turned to Jesus.

Luke 23:42-43 (NET) = Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise."

With forgiveness comes the removal of guilt.

Psalm 103:12 (NET) - As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so He removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.

The last time I checked, that was pretty far.

Remember, the past is just that.

Once you place your faith in Jesus, you are no longer the person you were.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NET) - So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: what is old has passed away - look, what is new has come!

With His help, we can let go of the past and the feelings of guilt to which we cling.

We can let go of that which robs us of the present and acts as a barrier to what is a brighter future.

We can then live the kind of life that He intends us to live.

John 10:10 (NET) - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they may have life and may have it abundantly.

Guilt is like an anchor that holds the ship of our lives in place.

He can do more than help us pull up the anchor.

He can cut the line and set us completely free.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 5, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 12, 2012.
Schedule subject to change.

Ready... Set...

The second week in September always finds me in a contemplative mind set.

This is the week during which Mother and I used to celebrate her birthday.

It is also the week that marks the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on America.

This year my contemplation turns to readiness.

In particular, one’s spiritual readiness.

The readiness to close one’s eyes in this world and open them in the next.

Mother and I had a wonderful relationship and I am indebted to her for a great many things.

Of course, I am indebted to her for bringing me into this world, for raising me and for loving me.

Beyond this, I am indebted to her for establishing a foundation of faith within me.

A foundation on which I continue to build upon today with confidence.

When I was a child, she taught me with kind and loving words.

In her later years, her arthritis became ever more debilitating and our roles reversed themselves.

She began to depend on me more and more.

It was then that she taught me by example.

As time went by, she was able to do less and less because the physical pain she endured grew more and more.

In spite of that, her love of the Lord and her trust in Him grew deeper with each passing day.

Even though she left world quite suddenly, I know that she was prepared spiritually.

As I thought on these things, my thoughts turned to those who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks eleven years ago,

All were simply pursuing their daily routines.

Suddenly, in a heartbeat, everything changed.

Some died instantly.

Some moments later.

Others, while attempting rescue.

I cannot help but wonder...

Of the many that lost their lives on what began as just an otherwise bright, sunny, routine day in September, how many were not spiritually ready?

How many had not yet come to know Jesus as their savior?

After you ponder that, take a moment to ask yourself a very important question.

"If my time on earth ran out today, would I be ready to close my eyes in this world and open them in the next?"

If your answer to that question is anything but "Yes", there is still hope.

That hope is in Jesus Christ.

John 3:16-17 (KJV) - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Neither Mother nor I expected her last day on earth to be just that.

But, as believers, we both knew her last day on earth would not be her last day.

We knew this because of Jesus Christ and the faith we have in Him.



Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, September 21, 2012.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, September 28, 2012.

Schedule subject to change.