The Power Of Forgiveness

  
    You know, you can shout at the mountain, curse the fig tree and pray your greatest desire, but if you have offense in your heart toward your brother or sister, you are just blowing hot air.   Why?  'Cause if you don't forgive, neither will your heavenly Father, and if He doesn't forgive - quit praying and save your breath.  At that point, if you are going to pray, pray for forgiveness for your sin of un-forgiveness.   Now, with un-forgiveness in your heart, what your brother or sister did, or did not do, becomes irrelevant.  Your problem isn't with them any longer.  It is with God!  When you suspend yourself from His forgiveness, with your petty problem, you have suspended yourself from grace, the substance from which prayers are answered. And, before  you tell me your problem isn't petty, measure it against the loss of God's forgiveness, the absence of His grace and then tell me about it. With your unforgiveness, you have stopped faith which works by love, love best expressed by forgiving those who deserve and those who do not deserve it
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    Over the years in the ministry, I have seen people sacrifice the grace of God, their relationship with Him, answers to prayers and valuable family and church relationships for some of the stupidest, dumbest, petty things. I have known of churches to split and people to risk everything over a disagreement of the color of the carpet.  Really now, compared to what they lose, how important is the color of the carpet?  Instinctively I would love to deal with such folks like dealing with a Missouri mule - which is a thumping over the head with a 2X4 until they pay attention.  Oh, I know, I can't do it but you see, I know it would shorten their misery considerably.  And, they are going to have misery.  Sooner or later, you will hear them say, "Oh, I just don't know why God isn't answering my prayers".  Or, "the devil is really giving me a hard time".  Or, "things are falling apart".  Or, "everything is going wrong".  Or........(should I go on?)

   I dread the day (if I am still on earth) when persecution comes, and it may well come.  Jesus said it would and it already has for a lot of Christians around the world. I am afraid that in the modern church, there may not be a lot of leaping and rejoicing as God expects from those persecuted. We can't even handle a cross-eyed glance from the fellow Christian on the same pew without a fuss and possible a changing of churches. A small inconvenience is likely to cause us to disown friends and family.  Somebody calls us a  bad name and we return the favor with whatever name we can think of that is worse. Somebody slightly inconvenience us, insult us, neglect us and we are DONE WITH THEM!   Yessiree Bob!  DONE - cut them off.

   Seriously, was it worth it?  Do you know the risk in being so easily de-chipped (having chip knocked off shoulder)?  Is it worth separation from the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God just so you could feel bad toward someone?  Having to get even, having to win a struggle is a curse on people that Christians should not be under.  If we our life having to always be right, always win, always be treated fairly as we see it, we exclude God from so much of our life.  For me, no sun is going down on whatever petty wrath, grievance, hurt feelings, inconvenience, etc., that I might have.  It is not worth it to me!  I value being able to walk in the grace of God.  I value having my faith be effective.  I value having God fight my battles and not have to fight them on my own.   There are two pieces of advice I would give to you Missouri mules:  One, forgive quickly, no matter what the other party says or does.  God is more important than them.  Two, stop getting your feelings hurt so easily.  Grow up and toughen up.  Just sayin!