Forgiveness

Anita has been very ungracious! She sent that wind back up to us. (tch, tch, tch) It has a bite to it, so this has been a good day to bake cookies. I found a partial package of chocolate chips that Kathleen had in the cupboard. I don’t know how many years old it was. The chips had that flakey, chalky look and were somehow melted into a big clump. I was able to whack the bag and chip off about half of the chips, but there remained a huge solid hunk of melted chocolate chips. However, a little pounding with the rolling pin took care of that. I now had little shreds of chocolate chips to go with the ones I had retrieved earlier. Threw some whole walnuts in the batch, too, and had some really tasty cookies to go with my ice tea!! (Ahhh. A good days work!)

I went to a couple of Bible studies these last couple of days. Have you ever noticed that when you listen to a sermon—whether in Church or on the radio or the tv—that the message seems to be pointed directly to YOU. I figure that is God’s way of keeping me straight. It is awesome the way He does that.

The Bible studies covered the topic of forgiveness. When Peter asked Jesus, how often he should forgive his brother, Jesus answered in Matthew 18:22 ….“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Forgiveness is very important. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 “22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (“Raca” meaning vain, empty, worthless)

We are to forgive, as Christ forgave us. As David so eloquently says, of our sins, in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The Lord wants us to forgive others, and to ask others to forgive us when we do wrong against them.

Now, there is another thing we are told to do. In Luke 17:3 Jesus says “ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” The word “rebuke” means chastise or correct. I personally learned the meaning of this Bible verse. As a kid, I hadn’t learned any social skills to speak of and was quite unready for the world. I was 18, on my own, and was very argumentive when anyone had a differing opinion. I didn’t have a lot of opinions, not knowing much, so I didn’t get into trouble, I was just hard to live with at times. Years later, Tim and I married. We didn’t have a lot of battles. Tim was smart and was good at decision-making. However, when there was a difference of opinions, I found out that I almost always won. It really surprised me, as I quite often shouldn’t have won.

Many years later, I was talking to a friend, at work, about—of all things —religion. He said I was contentious and wouldn’t talk to me about it. Well, that was a shock. No one had said I was “contentious” before. So I went and looked it up. It meant “quarrelsome and argumentative.” I didn’t think that was bad, but apparently it is.

In Proverbs 21:19 David tells us, “Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.” This doesn’t sound good.

Searching further I find, Galatians 5 “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So, here my eyes are opened and I see myself through the eyes of the Lord. NOW, I do strive for kindness and respect for others. I know I don’t always overcome, however, it is my heart’s desire to always do so.

If someone had not told me that what I was doing, was wrong, I would just have thought it was a character trait. When the Lord asks us to rebuke, or correct, others, it is not to punish them. It is to give them awareness of the wrongdoing, so that they have the opportunity to find forgiveness with the Lord and be saved. Telling someone they are sinning is not easy — especially when it is something the world sees as a strength or something to be desired.