Refuge for a Single Mom

1 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!   2 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.   3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.   4 “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, `I repent,` forgive him.”   5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”   6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and be planted in the sea`; and it would obey you.   7 “Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come immediately and sit down to eat`?   8 “But will he not say to him, `Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink`? 9 “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?   10 “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, `We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.`”   Luke 17:1-10

It seems like Jesus is implying that the unwillingness to forgive has caused many to lose their souls.   Halley, Henry H. Halley`s Bible Handbook. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965

Yikes!   Is holding a grudge really worth losing your soul?   Not me!   I mean there are a lot of people in this world that have done some pretty miserable things to me, my children, my parents, my friends ~ a lot of them!   Some will continue to do so!

But think about it, if you hold grudges and refuse to forgive, you are allowing anyone who has hurt you to control each and every day of your life.   Not only that, you are giving them control over your eternal life as well!   In most cases, they are continuing to affect your life (and those you love) WAY more than you ever affected theirs!  They`ve probably never given you or your pain and heartache a second thought!

I would have to say that forgiving AND forgetting is tough.   Extremely, tough!   You have to literally let go of the disappointment, the anger, the hatred, the resentment and give your emotions to God.   And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.   II Chronicles 7:14

Walk away from the issue and move on to a higher level in life.   We are commanded to forgive up to 70 X 7 times, just as Peter was:   Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”   Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.   Matthew 18:21-22

Look at it in perspective . . . Jesus Christ died for our sins.   He died so that we could seek salvation and forgiveness from the Father.   He could very easily say, `hey I died for their sins but yet they forsake me, I`m done with them, I`m going to hold a grudge`.  How awful would that be?   Could you imagine missing out on eternal salvation because you committed a sin when you were 19 and Jesus won`t forgive you?   Never having the opportunity to confess your sins and receive the cleansing of the blood of the Lamb?   I shudder to think about it!

Thank the good Lord that this is not the case!   But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.II Corinthians 2:10-11

God is willing to forgive us, even our most outrageous sins.   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   I John 1:9   Who are we to say that we cannot forgive our neighbor for theirs?   Do we really think so highly of ourselves that we are above it?

On the other hand, one might say, `Hey, I`m not above God, I`m just too weak, I don`t have it in me to forgive`.   (I hear `ya!)   Luckily, we don`t have to do it alone!   By the grace of God, by faith, we have help.   And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.  I John 3:22   We just have to trust Him and ask Him to help us!   "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."   Mark 10:27

Praise God!

Labels: Forgiveness