Over the past few weeks, life has been crazy, difficult and draining. Yet at the same time, wonderful, freeing and amazing.
Several weeks ago, I found out that some people I really care about had said some hurtful things. My first reaction was defensive, as most of us can relate to. After the defense, came hurt and anger. "How could they say that? And to think I thought we were friends." It played over and over in my mind.
I think that is the first thing that most of us think when someone wrongs us, talks about us or does something that we really just don't feel like we deserve. Most of us, if honest, when we make mistakes, we want forgiveness. Sometimes, we ran our mouths without thinking. Sometimes, we said something mean out of anger. Sometimes, we are rude to our spouses. Sometimes, we are spiteful. Sometimes, we just need people to love us, in spite of our flaws. We definitely need to hear the truth about our behavior when it is sinful and wrong, but often, in spite of that, we need people who will say "You are still worthy of grace and kindness".
The truth is that we need to learn how to treat people right. We need a spirit of humility. A humble person is quick to forgive, difficult to offend and joyfully waits on vindication from God. When we won't forgive, it is a manifestation of pride. How many times have we said "Oh, you don't know what they've done to me". Really. What have we done to God? "Yeah, but you don't know how many times...". Really? How many times have we wronged God? The humble person says "Therefore I go by the grace of God." The humble person is quick to forgive because they recognize how much God forgives them everyday. Don't let the sun go down on your anger. "But I FEEL.....". Feelings are deceptive.
Colossians 3:13 : Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has freely forgiven you, so must you also forgive one another.
If someone is mistreating you, go ahead and forgive them, treat them with kindness. If someone at work lied about you, the best thing you can do is to look for a way to serve them. Punch the devil in the face, go out of your way to serve them.
Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Philippians 2:2-4: 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the other.
This doesn't give people a license to mistreat us, but it does give us a freedom that when they do, we do not have to let it consume us. So someone is talking bad about us, who cares. If our identity is in Christ, we can pray for that person and go on with our day. We can forgive them, because Christ forgave us. When we can learn to be humble and forgive, we don't have to let what other people think, do and say determine how our day will look.
As for me? I started my day out with thanking God for all He has forgiven me for. I then prayed for those who have wronged me. I prayed that I might have the opportunity to love and serve them, and in that, show the true love of Christ.
Francis Chan said "Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers" I don't want my life to make sense to those who don't know Christ. I want my life to look different. I want people to want to know me better so that they can know Christ better.
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