Day Three
Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21-22
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.
Prayer:
Dear God, you know how difficult it is to forgive. Give me your Spirit so that I can forgive others as I've been forgiven. Clean my heart of all the baggage and chains from the past that hold me back in loving you and loving others.
Application:
Write on a small scrap piece of paper the name of someone who has hurt you. Take that paper, wad it up, say a prayer that God will release the chains that bind you. Flush that paper down the toilet and let it go, along with the pain that went along with it.
Write on another small scrap piece of paper these words: “Forgiveness means Freedom.” Carry that paper with you today. Contemplate those words throughout the day.
It is really hard to forgive when someone hurts us or wrongs us, but God commands us to do it. We wrong God ALL the time, and at the end of the day or week or month we pray for him to forgive us because we know he will. So how can we not forgive other people? Look at it this way, forgive others completely before you ask God to forgive you. You can't ask for something that you don't do...
3 comments:
In my blue bible, I have written, "Can anyone offend me more than I have offended God?" I have had a blessed life, and can honestly not think of a single person who has really done me wrong. So I don't think I am in danger of clogging up my toilet with names, but I know several that could stop up one of those industrial toilets with all the people who have wronged them. I could however, come up with a long list of people whom I have wronged. It is usually myself that I have a difficult time forgiving.
Okay, I have been carrying around this piece of paper that I put in the toilet all day long........that is what I was supposed to do right?????? Just kidding. This one is a tough one for me, because I have been done wrong, and I have done plenty wrong. I will definitely put this one into practice.
I am on the same page as you, Drew. I never really seem to find it hard to forgive others, but myself.
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