We Must Forgive!

All of us at some point in our lives have been mistreated, abused, lied on, cheated on or betrayed. Most of us can usually cope when its someone we don’t know well, but what happens when it is someone we have relationship with? What do you do? FORGIVE.

I looked up forgiveness in the dictionary and it says “compassionate feeling s that support a willingness to forgive. Wait a minute, compassionate feelings, I have to show compassionate feelings? I was the one who was wronged….. Forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do, but it must me done. An Unforgiving heart is like a cancer that will slowly eat away at your life. Un-forgiveness will make you bitter. Un-forgiveness will take away your access to Jesus. Matthew tells us if we don’t forgive then we cannot be forgiven by our heavenly father. . Lord knows I need God’s forgiveness 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

How do we forgive?
1. Talk about it. Be honest with your feeling so that the offender can understand how the situation has affected you. This may not be a one time cure all. It may take several discussions. Remember not to sin. The bible says to be angry but don’t sin. So no hitting, no choice words or cheap shots. It only makes the situation worse.
2. Don’t look to the individual who wronged you to fix you. Often we want the person to do something. When you think about it what can they do now? What’s done is done. Only God can heal.
3. Remember when we were the offender. When we are in the position of needing to be forgiven we want it to be swift, but when we are in the position to forgive we want to park on the reasons why we are hurting. If we continue to focus on the hurts we will never be healed from the offense.
4. Choose to let it go. Only you have the power to choose what you will focus on. Will you focus on the hurt or the healing? Will you choose to be the victim or victorious?

There is a saying that goes time heals all wounds. If we as Christians subscribe to that then we are saying God has limits. The women with the issue of blood was healed instantly. Blind Bartimaeus was healed instantly. Lazarus came leaping instantly. We can be healed from offenses instantly, but it is according to our faith and desire.

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Commit it, Plan it, Speak it and Do it!

The New Year has begun and people are making all kinds of resolutions to improve their lives.  I believe the two most popular resolutions are improvement in health and financial status.   I could use improvements in those areas myself.  This year I am not making any resolutions I can never seem to make it through the end of January anyway.  So, I am making a commitment to speak Gods word over the areas in my life where I want to improve.

I was recently diagnosed with an illness that is life threatening if left untreated.  The condition can be controlled or even reversed with a healthy diet and exercise.  Here’s the problem.  I love food and I am not a fan of exercise.  At the same token I don’t want to die before my time or be sickly either.  So, here I am at a crossroad of making a decision to live or die. Some decisions in life are just not hard to make.  The word of God says in Psalms 118:17, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. I choose to live because I have work to do for the Lord.  I realize that I cannot be totally effective for my family and the ministry if I am unhealthy.  Being unhealthy causes me to be tired and sluggish; this usually causes me to be really irritable, which causes me to be intolerant, which causes me to be less godly which could lead to a number of things.  So, I am committing to improve my health, by eating healthy, exercising, and resting.

I am a busy woman and it is a major task trying to keep it all together. I know what I want to accomplish I know what I want to see come to pass in my life. I just need a plan.   The Word of the Lord came to me from Habakkuk 2:2 “And the Lord answered me, and said write the vision and make it plain upon the tables, that he may run that readeth it.”    Being organized is going to be the key to my success in fulfilling my commitment to my health.  Meals and exercise will have to be planned, written and put in a place where I can easily refer to it.    I can no longer go on a whim, there is too much at stake.    My husband has been quoting this scripture lately.  I like how the NIV puts it “Commit to The Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”  Proverbs 16:3   I need the Lord’s instruction on how to run my life.  Whenever the Lord gives us instruction we need to write it down. A short pencil beats a long memory any day.

God’s word is alive and it brings life to dead situations.  God’s word can change the atmosphere if we just simply believe it and do what it says.   The latter clause of Romans 4:17 talks about calling those things that be not as though they were.  We have to speak the Word of God over every area in our lives through faith.  So, I am going to begin by:

• Writing down my daily plans and committing it unto the Lord.
• Speak God’s Word over my plans, my life, my health and all of my endeavors.
• Recognize that my feelings don’t matter.  I have to be disciplined, and determined.

AFTER THE STORM!

On the east coast we experienced the historical hurricane called Sandy. Fortunately, the power in my house never went out. Cities in New York and New Jersey were hit really hard. My prayers go out to those in that area as they recover. 

I understand that in this life we will have trials and tribulations. We will go through storms and believe me, I have weathered quite a few. I have experienced some storms in my life that have literally knocked me to my knees.

A friend of mine who lives in New Jersey posted on a social network site that her lights went out after the storm. So she and her family went to her father’s house.  Her siblings had the same idea.  She said that every time her father opened the door his smile got bigger and bigger. I am sure he was glad to see that all of his children made it through the storm safely. 

I thought about her post all day after I read it. I was wondering why I could not get it out of my mind. I later realized that the Lord had a message for me. 

This is what was revealed to me after reading my friend’s post. While I am in my storms, I want to stay connected to my power source, Jesus, because I want my situation to get better. I stay connected to Jesus because I don’t want to be destroyed as a result of what I am experiencing. I stay connected because it is all about my needs and wants being supplied during the storm. Sounds like selfish motives for staying connected to God.  But God is still faithful to me even when I don’t deserve his mercy and grace. He still delivers me.     

After the storm is over, I feel strengthened, I feel empowered, I am excited about what the Lord did for me and I begin to move in God’s strength, then eventually in my own strength. This is the point where I loose connection and my lights go out. When things are good I tend to slide out of God’s presence. I allow the desire to continually seek God’s face to become a desire to complete my “to do” lists. I allow things like shopping, eating, watching TV, supporting my children’s activities, even doing church work to consume my time. These things are not bad; however, they are distractions hindering me from fulfilling God’s purpose in my life. I have not prioritized my time to make first things first. Seeking God first is priority.

The Lord also revealed to me this. Just like my friend did when her lights went out she went to her father’s house. When he opened the door he gave her the biggest smile. The Lord wants me to come to his house. He wants me back in his presence so he can strengthen me and instruct me. Like my friend’s father, The Lord wants to smile upon me and encourage me to fight through every storm that I encounter and stay connected to him no matter what the cost.    

John 15 tells us to stay connected to the true vine. It is in His presence that we get healing, strength and instruction to endure the next storm. I believe that there are storms that we experience just because we need to be purged of ungodly characteristics. Then, there are storms that we experience that places Christ- like qualities inside of us. If we are not in the midst of a storm, we are either coming out of a storm or either going in to one. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that he will never leave us nor forsake us. I am so glad to know that Jesus never leaves us in a storm, and I praise him for that.

 

LAYING IT ASIDE

A few years ago I was in Florida with my family for vacation and a basketball tournament.  We stayed in Orlando and the tournament was in Coco Beach which is about an hour drive.  My husband was making that drive a few times a day while I was having fun with the other children at the area attractions.  That’s another lesson in itself.  My husband and I decided he and my son would stay an extra day and I would return with our other children on our scheduled flight.

Before I left to go back home I wanted to see my husband and son so I drove the hour to Coco Beach stayed for about 30 minutes and drove an hour and 20 minutes to Orlando International Airport and I was behind schedule.   When I arrived at the airport I was already in a panicked state because I thought I was going to miss my flight.  When I finally reached the counter to check in, one of my bags was over weight.  Oh my goodness!!  I am now in full panicked stress mode.  My daughters and I are rearranging items in the bags to evenly distribute the weight. We finally got the bags straight and I think we had about 20 minutes to get to the gate at this point. 

As we are walking up to security I see that the line is super long.  I knew then we were going to miss our flight.  My daughters, bless their hearts, were really trying to be very attentive and helpful wherever they could especially with my three yr old son.  I was on the verge of a meltdown.  We get through security and in my son’s stroller was my toiletry bag that I didn’t put back in the suitcase at check in.  In my toiletry bag was a brand new bottle of Carol’s Daughter Almond Cookie Butter Body Wash and I Believe Perfume.  I also had Carol’s Daughter Shampoo and Conditioner all over the allowed 2 ounces.  By this time I was blown. 

Now I am at a crossroads.  Do I go back and check my toiletry bag or do I toss my favorite unused products and move on.  Well I went back to find the check in and I couldn’t.   As I was standing in the middle of the Airport stressed and defeated, I heard the Lord say to me “lay it aside.”  When I looked around, next to me is a trash can.    I had to throw what I loved away so that I could move on.  With the hundreds of people around me no one knew the turmoil that I had going on inside me, but God knew. 

I threw my products in the trash.  Ran to catch the train to the gate and a peace came over me.  It was nothing that I could do now anyway but wait.    I went to the gate and I was told that the plane had been delayed for a few minutes.  All I could say was thank you Jesus.  We boarded the plane.  There were three seats scattered through the plane but I paid for four.  I had to hold my son.  The plane ride was uncomfortable for myself and the children but we were on the plane. 

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside every weight and sin that so easily beset us.  Just like I had to get rid of the things that I loved in order to get where I needed to be,  we need  to get rid of those things in our lives that prevent  us from being where we need to be and that is, closer to God.    

Know this,  that it may hurt and it may be uncomfortable when you begin to lay those weights and sins aside. But God will be there.  1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.”    

 The fact that you started your journey does not mean it will be a comfortable ride.  This is the time that you have to be patient and trust God.