[Dontgiveup]

I agree.....great messages!

[StillStanding]

When You Are Rejected, Choose to Forgive
by Tom Holladay

“You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

It’s tough being rejected, especially when it is by someone you love. It might be one of your kids, your spouse, or a close friend. But the Bible says you need to forgive that person because God forgave you.

The key to being able to forgive somebody is in today’s verse. It’s the word “remember”. When you remember what Jesus Christ did for you, then you have the power to forgive somebody else.

If you hold on to the hurt, it will only end up hurting you. When you don’t forgive others, it creates bitterness and anger in you. It will eat you up on the inside and drain you of your energy, leaving you tired all the time.

Every time you start to feel bitterness towards someone, remember Jesus on the cross, how he loved you enough to give his life so your sins can be forgiven. He was rejected and insulted as he hung there, but he looked at everyone and prayed, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV).

In complete meekness and humility, Jesus gave his life because he loves you. He wasn’t thinking of himself; he was thinking of you. Peter says, “They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things straight” (1 Peter 2:23 MSG).

The definition of forgiveness is found in two words in that verse: “let God.” You let God set things right. Forgiveness is not about trusting the person again or forgetting everything that happened. It’s about putting the situation in God’s hands instead of seeking revenge or holding a grudge.

As you read this, someone might be coming to mind. Don’t wait. Take a moment right now to pray this prayer: “God, I am giving you this hurt right now. I am letting it go to you. You’re in charge. Enable me to forgive the person who hurt me.”

This probably won’t be the last time you pray that prayer. If it’s a deep hurt, you might have to pray that 70 times a day as you struggle with it. But keep doing it, and then maybe next week you’ll only have to pray that prayer 30 times a day, and maybe only 10 times the week after that. And eventually, there will come a time when you realize that you haven’t thought about the hurt for several months. That’s how you let go and let God.

[Dontgiveup]

Awesome stuff, StillStanding.  Two key Biblical messages are forgiveness and reconciliation.

Thanks for these messages.

[Trustandlove]

Those spoke to me as well, SS.  Particularly the prayer on asking God to enable us to forgive those who hurt us.

x

[Mitzpah]

StillStanding,
I read the message yesterday and reflected on it. Today, when I was at church, I actually relayed it to a hurting friend! Thanks!!

[StillStanding]

This is a set of two articles that I got while I was away.

What Forgiveness Is...
The only healthy response to an apology is forgiveness.
 
But what does it mean to forgive?
 
Forgiveness presupposes that a wrong has been committed. When one person in a relationship speaks or behaves unkindly to the other, it calls for an apology from one party and forgiveness from the other if the relationship is going to be restored. Whether the offense is major or minor, this process is always the same.
 
When someone is offended, the passing of time won’t remove the barrier. Barriers are removed by sincere apologies and genuine forgiveness. God provides the ultimate example of forgiveness. When He forgives, He pardons us and will never again hold that failure against us. And we are instructed to forgive in the same way.
 
Thus, forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.
 
While forgiveness will remove the barrier and reopen the possibility for the relationship to grow, there are things that forgiveness will not do.
 
We’ll talk about that next.

What Forgiveness Isn't...
Forgiveness isn’t an instant cure.
 
While forgiveness will remove the barrier that hurt or betrayal has created, there are misconceptions about the feelings and results that come after the decision to forgive.
 
First, forgiveness does not destroy our memory. We’ve heard the phrase “forgive and forget,” but most of the time, that’s just not humanly possible. The human brain records every experience, good and bad. A memory of the event simply means that you are human and remembering a painful experience.
 
Second, forgiveness does not remove the consequences of the wrong behavior. All of our behavior has consequences, and forgiveness does not change that.
 
Third, forgiveness does not rebuild trust. When trust is destroyed in a relationship, it can only be rebuilt by a change in behavior over a period of time.
 
Fourth, forgiveness does not always result in reconciliation. While the possibility of reconciliation is fostered by forgiveness, reconciling a relationship requires time, conflict resolution, and teamwork.
 
Forgiveness may not be an easy fix for a relationship, but it is certainly the first step to healing.

[truth_seeker]

StillStanding

Thank you so much for continuing to post these. They are always timely and great reminders for us in order to help our healing process.  I ALWAYS get comfort when I read them.

The consistent thought which comes up for me is "what would Jesus do?" The answer is ALWAYS the same: 
He would forgive as his already did. 

Even if a person is not religious IMHO, spiritually the answer would still be the same.  my .02   

TS

[StillStanding]

Here's a quick one from Michele Weiner-Davis:

Lack of forgiveness imprisons you.

[StillStanding]

Don't Understand? Trust God
by Rick Warren

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, or relational—but if you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day.” (NIV) One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path he specifically chose for you.

In the meantime, do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what is best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays—all the things that make you ask “why”—one day will all be clear in the light of God’s love.

But for now, we’re learning to trust God.

[StillStanding]

A short tweet from Michele Weiner-Davis:

Our lives are shaped less by what actually happens to us then by the meaning we ascribe to these events.