Forgiving from the heart
May 10th
BETA
Chapter 9 – Illustration:
There was a woman whose husband had left her for another woman-her best friend. During the 10 years since this had happened, the woman still held on to her bitterness and anger toward the happy couple. She resented that the couple papered to be getting on with their life together very well, living in a nice house and taking expensive vacations while she struggled to make ends meet. To top it off, neither her, ex-husband or ex-friend showed any remorse for what they had done, or made any attempt at asking her for forgiveness.
One Sunday after listening to the message on forgiveness, the woman approached the pastor and exclaimed, “Forgive them?! You want me to just forgive those two for ruining my life?”
The pastor quietly replied, “I see a hurting person with one arm thrust in the air with a closed fist, but the strong arm of God has a firm grasp around your wrist. Although your hand is not hanging on to God, His is hanging on to you. Your other arm is dragging you down because you are holding on to the past. Why don’t you consider letting go of the weight of the past and instead grab hold of God with all your might?”
The woman was sure the pastor didn’t understand the depth of her pain. “But you don’t understand how badly they hurt me,” she protested. “What I understand is that they are still hurting you” the pastor answered, “and forgiveness if God’s way of stopping the pain. When you let go of the past, it no longer has a hold on you and you can reestablish communion with your heavenly Father who loves you, it is not easy to let go of our pain-and that’s why it cannot be done without the help of Jesus Christ.”
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Principle 5 - Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
Step 6: We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10)Step 7: We humbly asked him to remove all our shortcomings. I John 1:9)Scripture: James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” I John 1:9“ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
BETA
Chapter 9 – Illustration:
There was a woman whose husband had left her for another woman-her best friend. During the 10 years since this had happened, the woman still held on to her bitterness and anger toward the happy couple. She resented that the couple papered to be getting on with their life together very well, living in a nice house and taking expensive vacations while she struggled to make ends meet. To top it off, neither her, ex-husband or ex-friend showed any remorse for what they had done, or made any attempt at asking her for forgiveness.
One Sunday after listening to the message on forgiveness, the woman approached the pastor and exclaimed, “Forgive them?! You want me to just forgive those two for ruining my life?”
The pastor quietly replied, “I see a hurting person with one arm thrust in the air with a closed fist, but the strong arm of God has a firm grasp around your wrist. Although your hand is not hanging on to God, His is hanging on to you. Your other arm is dragging you down because you are holding on to the past. Why don’t you consider letting go of the weight of the past and instead grab hold of God with all your might?”
The woman was sure the pastor didn’t understand the depth of her pain. “But you don’t understand how badly they hurt me,” she protested. “What I understand is that they are still hurting you” the pastor answered, “and forgiveness if God’s way of stopping the pain. When you let go of the past, it no longer has a hold on you and you can reestablish communion with your heavenly Father who loves you, it is not easy to let go of our pain-and that’s why it cannot be done without the help of Jesus Christ.”
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Principle 5 - Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
Step 6: We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10)Step 7: We humbly asked him to remove all our shortcomings. I John 1:9)Scripture: James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” I John 1:9“ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home