Title: Let it Go
Scripture Read: Proverbs 19
Key Verse: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11
Observations:
Forgiveness is to be the standard by which we live. If Christ forgives us then we should reciprocate and forgive others. It is this simplicity that lines up with what Jesus prayed in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Mt 6:12). I love the complexity and symmetry of scripture. The Proverbs are preaching the timeless message of the Messiah. I remember just four short days ago reading about the opposite of forgiveness, bitterness: “each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else shares its joy.” (Prov 14:12) When bitterness comes it robs us of the ability to forgive. I have seen so many people be robbed of their entire life because of bitterness. Forgiveness is one of the basic things we need to learn to do as Christ followers. In addition, if we cannot forgive, we should not lead. I am not sure why it is easier for some people to forgive than others, but I believe it is a conscious choice. Forgiveness is a command not a suggestion from Jesus. We can’t truly love someone unless we forgive them. People will not follow us in the faith, unless we model forgiveness.
Applications:
I need to be a man in which no bitterness is present. There is a daily cleansing that has to happen in my life from being with Jesus. When I spend intimate time with Jesus studying his word and contemplating the cross that he was crucified on, bitterness is erased and forgiveness abounds in my own life. It is a daily process. I need to be forgiven. I never want to hold bitterness against someone and carry the guilt of unfinished business. I do not want to damage and misrepresent the message of the cross by holding a grudge against my brothers and sisters.
Parents, I am learning that one of the primary functions of my parenting is teaching my children to forgive one another. How does this best happen? When I ask for their forgiveness. Forgiveness is caught more than it is taught. Divorce, anger, abuse, pain, all can be forgiven. How do I know this? If Jesus can hang on a cross, scorned, humiliated, spat upon, beaten and mocked and call out to His heavenly Father, “forgive them for the do not know what they are doing,” (Lk 23:34) then I can forgive. I am a mere man, but the Spirit that lives in me is calling out to live a life of forgiveness, LET IT GO.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the wisdom and humility to forgive people who wrong me. Most of all, give me the strength and humility to ask for forgiveness of those who are closest to me when I wrong them. You are such a good God and I am unworthy of your forgiveness.
Burning Questions:
In what ways are you bitter? Who has wronged you that you need to forgive? Have you told them those powerful words, I forgive you? Who do you need to ask forgiveness from? Do it today.
When we think about what Christ did for us, there is definitely no other option but to LET IT GO!!! Although I have to say, it is easier said than done! But as we also read in Heb 12: 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Bitterness is a ‘root’ it starts little and then grows to a point that it won’t let us even breathe! Some of us have lived like this longer than we should, causing our lives and everybody else’s around us to get bitter too! We think that it is right to get bitter when we are offended, we start saying: but listen to what he/she said… but he/she did this… but, but, but… we will always have something to be bitter about, sometimes I believe we like to be bitter because that gives us an excuse to hate that person -it’s horrible to say it but it is true- I had a love-hate relationship with my ex for a long time, and I thought It was OK for me to be bitter because of all his wrongdoings, never caring if my kids were being fueled with my bitterness. At the moment I just thought it was right… looking back I see how wrong I was. I made a conscious decision to forgive once, twice, third… and it goes on and on. I always thought I had forgiven him, but I hadn’t. It took 10 years of my adult life, until the day finally came! I cried to the Lord … please help me forgive once and for all, I don’t want to keep this in my heart, it is killing me! And I did, God delivered me from that bondage… oh how free I felt, it was as if something lifted and even my outlook of life changed. WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION, we decide to let that ‘root of bitterness’ grow or to cut it off for good. It is a constant battle… we work on forgiveness every day of our lives and yes we need to ask for forgiveness ourselves which as you pray: God give us strength and humility to ask for forgiveness! We hurt the ones we love the most don’t we?