Roadblocks:
You Can’t? Or You
Won’t?
#37 in the Series: Daddy, It's Me--Conversations of an Ordinary Person
with an Extraordinary Heavenly Father
When my mother
rejected and disowned me for a third time, I have to admit, I really doubted
the wisdom and rational of forgiving her…again.
It has not been easy but again it is simple. I just had to do,
what God said to do:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and
asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins
against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times,
but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who
wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man
who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not
able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all
that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees
before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But
when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you
owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be
patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off
and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other
servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their
master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in.
‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you
begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had
on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured,
until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will
treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.””
Matthew 18:21-35 NIV
This passage has haunted me not so much regarding the
forgiveness, but that in order to forgive “seventy-seven times” (in other
places it says seven times seventy times or 490 times) I have to forgive so
completely that I am willing to open myself to offense again. Forgiving is often times easier than trusting
someone enough to give them an opportunity to hurt you again. I have talked to the Lord about this A
LOT. Usually the conversation goes
something like this:
Me: Lord, I will forgive
because you said I must, but I can’t trust them. I have to protect my heart.
God: Really?? I am your
refuge and shield. I am your
fortress. I am your strong
deliverer. Who is the protector of your
heart??
Me: Oh Lord, you are! Help me to believe that and have faith for
you to DO what you have promised… because it hurts!
God: Yes, I know. I know what it feels like. Jesus was
rejected…
falsely accused…
condemned…
beaten beyond recognition…
and killed.
Humans reject me every day.
Yet…I still forgive when asked.
I forgive YOU when you ask.
Me: Lord, give me the power
to forgive like you do.
God: You already have
it…because I live in you!
It is no
use arguing with the Lord (although he doesn’t take offense to it)…I have come
to the conclusion that he can do what he says he will do, and if for some
reason he doesn’t do it the way I think he would or should, I know he will work
it out for my good by growing me through it.
That’s the hard part…growing!
“Even if they sin against you
seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you
must forgive them.””
Luke 17:4 NIV
“Therefore I tell you, whatever
you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything
against anyone, forgive them, so that your
Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.””
Mark 11:24-25 NIV
“For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
“Bear with each other and
forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13 NIV
These
passages are pretty clear…no “what ifs…” or “what about…” No “I can’ts…” No
“buts…” Just forgive—so that you too can
be forgiven. It is the path to freedom
for your mustang heart!
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Teri