More Than Enough

 And forgive us our debts, 

As we forgive our debtors.  Matthew 6:12 

What is the most difficult thing to forgive?  Is it betrayal?  Perhaps it is the transgressions of a close friend who turns out to not be a friend at all.  Maybe it is dishonesty.  Or it could be someone who either fails a loyalty test or does not follow through on their solemn obligations.  There is a list of many things that we could spend an entire devotion talking about.  However, I want to share my greatest challenge.  I read something that reminded me of this, and the more I thought about it, the more I find it to be true.  A marriage is a perfect union made perfect by God between two imperfect people.  Well I must admit that my wife is far closer to perfection than I am.  But here is the thing.  She would tell you that I am a wonderful husband and father.  I’m humbled that she thinks so highly of me.  It is not because I do not try hard, and I don’t know saying I am not good to her.  But to me, being good to her is not enough.  Not because she or anyone else says so.  But I do.  You see the most difficult thing for me to forgive is myself.  When I fail, I do not fail just me.  I fail her.  My family.  My loved ones.  When I did, it was the guilt I carried, and until being born again, I was convinced would define me down until my death.  Then I learned that we all fall short of God’s glory, and if I confessed my sins, I could be born again.  We all know that story.  But for some, the pain remains, and it never has gone away.  This is because we have not truly accepted God’s second greatest gift; His grace. 

God wants us to forgive ourselves as well.  An easy way to connect the dots would be to look to the Greatest Commandment, where Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39b) This to me is truly the Greatest commandment because it forces us to focus not only on God and others but also ourselves.  We our only capable of loving others as far as we love ourselves.  In today’s verse, the focus is on the portion of the Lord’s Prayer asking God for forgiveness of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  We must love our neighbor and God, and to do so we must certainly love ourselves.  Thus, it makes perfect sense that in order for us to have the ability to forgive we too must fully embrace God’s grace given to us.  To do so, we must agree that indeed His grace is sufficient.  Then, we must forgive ourselves.  Before we go over the deep end of ‘that’s easy enough,’ one must truly repent, and that is indeed painful.  In reading 2 Corinthians 7, we get a full feel for what a true repentant heart sounds like.  Paul wrote addressing the sins of the young church saying: 

 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  2 Corinthians 7:8-10 

Note the last verse where Paul spoke of ‘worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance.’ As I wrote about my inability to forgive myself, it is a pain that is never forgotten.  But the pain God wishes for us to have is the kind that reminds us to not go back to our old ways but to also accept the gift of His grace which leads to eternal salvation.  Thus, we are not to be consumed by this pain.  It is but a wound that will heal, and we are free from it.  It is that which we are given forgiveness, which allows us to forgive both others and equally as important ourselves. 

 

We must always remember that God is simply enough.  His provisions are infinite, and His love is limitless.  His knowledge is without limit, and His presences is all around us.  With a God so awesome, why in the world would we ever tell Him, “No.  I’m sorry, but that is not enough.”  If God gives us the amazing gift of His grace, how can we continue life as if we still have the burden of that which He forgave us for?  Let us focus our attention on releasing the guilt of our old sinful ways and embrace the New Life provided for us through His mercy.  What in your past holds you from committing fully to God today?  Will you surrender it to Him?  My prayer is that we simply remember God’s grace is more than enough for all of us.  Amen. 

Let It Go!

 And forgive us our debts, 

As we forgive our debtors. 

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (NKJV) 

I was at a Leadership Conference this past week.  It taught me several things such as how to better manage my time and building trust in challenging time.  Later in the conference, I listened to a conversation about forgiveness.  It was very humbling.  Strangely, it was not something I thought that I needed work on.  It’s not that I am prideful when I say such a thing. Instead, it was to note that I have dealt with a lot in my life that I too have struggled to forgive.  At times, it comes up when my daughter does something where I find myself battling to find the ability to trust her.  But I have received many lessons on my forgiving others.  A relative who betrayed a trust, a parent who wrongfully accused me, and a friend who stole from me are all situations where I once failed to forgive.  However, I found the strength later to do so.  Yet, it was when I was wrong and forgiven where forgiveness had its greatest impact on me.  When my wife forgave me for doing something hurtful, it was a reminder of my role as a husband to love, honor, and cherish her.  It showed something I could not learn on my own; how God’s forgiveness is so great.  It was an Elsa moment for me.  I ‘let it go.’ 

Forgiveness is an essential part of spiritual growth.  In the Lord’s prayer, it spoke of forgiving as we are forgiven.  It’s but a small piece of the Lord’s Prayer but note one thing about it.  It is the one part that requires our own action.  We ask for God’s forgiveness, but we are to forgive others.  This is not one of those ‘well it would be nice if’ comments.  It is a clear expectation by God that we too are to forgive.  Not as in the future. But in the now.  We cannot have any expectation of His forgiveness if we ourselves cannot model His example.  I was reminded of the sins of David in 2 Samuel 24 where he asked God for forgiveness because of his wrongdoings to help ease the pain of Israel’s plague.  But God’s forgiveness of him was not taken haphazardly.  It was a precious commodity that had immense value, and as a result, David grew closer to God and God to him.  Jesus understood this in teaching the Lord’s Prayer.  Yes, it covers our sinful nature, which needs forgiveness.  But it’s our awareness of the need for forgiveness and heartfelt regret that makes it so much more valuable, and if we understand that value, how great is it to forgive others. 

Additionally, when we forgive, we also give ourselves permission to let it all go.  All the pain, hurt, and resentment that has taken up space in our minds and hearts become open to things that God wants to place there; love, peace, and joy.  Those two sets of things cannot co-exist in the same space.  As such, if we forgive, we also gain greater room for those things that matter most not only to God but also ourselves. 

God’s love for us is multidimensional.  Peace, joy, and abundance are attributes that are gained from it.  None of this is possible had Jesus not paid the ultimate price for our sins.  Yet by claiming Him as Lord of our lives, we are forgiven.  If we truly understand the weight of this, we should understand the impact of forgiving others.  It can not only bring them to the realization of their err of their ways, but more importantly, it frees us from the bondage of our own suffering and pain.  Let us appreciate both God’s gift of forgiveness as well as the freedom of forgiving.  What pain are you holding in today that needs forgiveness?  Who can you show grace in the spirit of forgiveness?  My prayer is we recognize the strength and power of not only God’s forgiveness but also our own, and simply, let it go!  Amen.