I've been thinking about forgiveness today...and God's unending supply of it. I fail him again, and again, and again. And often in areas that I have asked forgiveness for again, and again, and again. And often in areas that I turn over again, and again, and again....and pick back up again, and again, and again. In the past, I used to get tremendously frustrated with myself. I do still get frustrated, but I have come to see these areas as specific ways that God has used to keep me humble.
Asking forgiveness requires a great deal of humility....and accepting forgiveness takes a great deal of humility. I am a very "self-sufficient" person. I want to do things myself and I don't like acknowledging things/areas that I can not accomplish on my own. But, without these constant reminders of my weaknesses, I may forget how much I need God, and his forgiveness, and his protection, and his provision.
The Lord forgives us so much. We, in turn, must forgive as much. Too often (especially lately at work), I find myself in a state of "irritation". People and situations get under my skin...I choose to take things personally and get my feelings (or my pride) hurt. I believe, that if I were constantly mindful of how much the Lord has forgiven me, and that if I were making it a priority to emulate that forgiveness, I wouldn't find myself so "irritated"....I wouldn't be yelling at traffic, I wouldn't be whining and complaining about work. I would be a better Christian, a better Mother, a better co-worker, a better friend if I were practicing an attitude of forgiveness.
"An apology is a friendship preserver, an antidote for hatrad, never a sign of weakness; it costs nothing but one's pride, always saves more than it costs, and is a device needed in every home." - Author Unknown.
Lord, don't let me be unforgiving....don't let me hold on to bitterness....
I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34b
About Me
- Julie Alexander
- Phenix City, Alabama, United States
- I have been called by God to serve Him through ministry to the orphan children of Africa! I have just started this journey! My prayer is that God will grant me wings so that I may swiftly arrive on the field! Please pray for his guiding!
5 comments:
I never got to call you mrs.A. I will probably do it on a weekday, if thats ok. This post really hits me too, because I am always falling... and it's really easy to get frustrated (and mad for me). Well, email sometime, so I can have an intellectual conversation with SOMEONE! Later older lady-muga
i think what you said is key - realizing how much God forgave us - then we are much more likele to be forgiving towards others.
Hope things "work out" at work. :)
Awesome post. This has really gotten me thinking over the past few weeks. That whenever I see someone doing wrong it gets me annoyed and sometimes angry. It's so much easier to see the dividing line between our sin and His holiness when I see others blatently sinning. This got me thinking about how I reacted so pridefully to a isolated situation and how He reacted to ALL the sin committed against Him. He sees everything I do, He knows when I've done wrong and He has forgiven, so why shouldn't I when it comes to others...and myself????
Bye for now Mrs. A.
Oh, hey Jef-- I mean foo-monkey :)
thanx fer bein a shoulder to lean on
My pleasure....lean away.
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