You know, it happens in every single one of our lives. At some point we all seem to do something we regret and maybe hurt someone we love. We realize that we have been selfish and sometimes that realization comes the hard way.
On the other hand I also think we will all be on the other end of the trouble at some point. We will all be the one who is hurt. We may feel like such an innocent victim who has been wounded so deep for no reason.
It seems like I have heard about it a lot lately.
We must be in submission to God and be willing to be humble enough to both admit when we are wrong and forsake our troublesome ways and on the other hand we must also be willing to forgive the wrong that has been done.
Ha....if only if it were as easy as reading these words!
We are all just a bunch of fools stupidly bumbling through this world....it's amazing we even complete a full life! How is it that God who knows the depths of our hearts, our thoughts and every action puts up with us for another day. Oh, I have no choice but to forgive you because I am also an incredible fool!
Men like to appear strong and we bury our emotions and feelings under a stone encrusted heart.....we are really just stupid boys full of fears and insecurities....we are trying to be the men we think the world wants us to be. We are like toddlers following their hearts desires.
Women long for security. They too hide their secrets deep in their hearts....their feelings and worries of being adequate....their need for security and protection for themselves and their children. They are also like little girls in their hearts....they like to be noticed....it's exciting when a boy pursues them.....
You know, let's just admit, we all have been foolish. We have been like toddlers putting ourselves before others and only seeking the desires of our own hearts.
So what do we need to do when we have failed another?
First and foremost we must face God with our failure. Be honest with Him....He already knows thoughts and motives. He is Holy and will not be mocked. If we claim to be Christians, followers of Christ, our sin is us yelling up at the cross mocking Him as He hangs there....our sin makes us a Judas, we betray our Lord.
So we must first get right with God and forsake our ways and fully submit our lives to Him..... I remember being so broken over my sin and crying so hard I couldn't even stand.... I refused to fight God anymore and I was a totally broken man who just fell at the feet of Christ. Like a pile of worthless mush, I was nothing....just a pile of not clay, but manure!
I had to admit, Lord I am not worthy of being called Yours.... I am not worthy to even be looked upon by Your holy eyes. But if You are willing, I make myself Your servant.... Or as the Catholic Mass says "Lord I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed" That is it! We must first evaluate ourselves properly before the Lord and be broken before we can be put together and healed.....Until this happens, we will only serve ourselves and our sin and we will refuse and will not even be able to take the next step of either repentance or forgiveness.
Next after making sure we are in a right relationship with God, we must then start to make things right. Sinners must fall at the feet of the one injured by the sin and beg to be forgiven for errors.... we have to admit when we are wrong, not trying to explain away or justify ourselves, but simply admit our wrong. Then understand that wounds are slowly healed. A Christian who has deeply hurt another is suddenly humbled by what they have done. In this humbled state one can now finally love as they should. Unworthy of the others love, they serve them. They serve them not to gain favor or for self serving reasons, but because they realize they have hurt the one that means so much to them.....now the true love relationship has begun.... We love for the sake of loving, not loving to receive love..... Just like Christ doesn't have to love us worthless sinners, He could get scores of people more faithful than me right this very minute....I am not worthy of His love, but I love Him deeply because He has first loved me and He has done a great thing in the forgiveness of my sins!
The one who forgives must also start with deep humility. Understanding the humanness and weakness of sinners, it is not a surprising thing that our loved one has slipped and fallen? Are we not just as vulnerable to sin if we are not careful? Oh, our dear loved one....you have fallen and sinned! Do you not love me? How could you have injured me so? I want you to know that my love for you does not depend on how well you love me. You have failed me and I am just as capable of failing you if we are not careful with our lives and wander from the Lord. Oh, I want you to know how deeply I have been hurt! But I will not walk away from you....because my love does not walk away, just as Christ will not walk away from me when I fail Him. He loves me with an enduring Love and He loves You with an enduring love and just as He will not leave me, I will not leave you! Please, return to the Lord....maybe come to the Lord in the first place....let us confess together how we have failed each other! I will love and serve You as Christ loves the Church and in the same way will you love and serve me as Christ loves the Church?
Now from that point it is between the people involved and the Lord. They will all answer to Him at the judgment.
Let me also add this..... Did you know God could have withheld sin? Just as He could have kept Adam and Eve from sinning in the Garden. God ALLOWS sin to happen according to His plan.
Do you think my marriage hasn't been strengthened by tests? We are stronger and closer and more inseparable now after having been tested than we would be if we had never been tested. We know that we must cling closer to the Lord and pray for our marriage and pray for each other and truly be open with each other and have one heart and mind working together in the direction of the Lord who died to save us from the hell our sin has earned.
Can you have steel without fire? Is anything useful forged without fire and pounding?
God allows the things of life to happen to mold us, to strengthen us....and sometimes because of our incredible pride and stubbornness He must break us and leave us a puddle of much at the feet of Jesus.....Some of us are so strong willed, even though He has determined to rope us and pull us to Himself, we fight and fight against Him until we are knocked down, tired and worn out from fighting against Him....with no strength and no will left.....then in our weakness we are perfected! That's the Christian paradox, the way up is down....to be lifted up we must be put down....the cross of Christ must be lifted higher and higher and the work of man must be constantly lowered and lowered.....
Life is not about finding ourselves, but finding God!
May all of God's peace and blessings be with you as you seek Him!
Father, You know of the various needs of the various people....there is not one of us who must first repent and submit to You, as You and each other forgiveness and we will all have to forgive one another at times.
Lord take our toddler hearts and help us to grow. The song says, "All we are is dust in the wind" well that is just chaff that will be burned in the fire. Let Christians not be dust in the wind, but trees firmly planted by streams of living water. Where our leaf will not wither and in whatever we do we prosper. (Psalm 1) Holy Spirit, be with us....we need Your help!
Also, Lord in these final days before Thad arrives, we pray deeply for his heart. I look forward to watching You bring glory to Your name in the work You do in Him.
May his life be in service to You. We also thank You from the bottom of our hearts for the overwhelming peace and joy and wonderful perfection Emma enjoys now in Your presence. She ran a sprint and finished well! Help us in our marathon Lord....I pray we will not ever stop to walk, but pace ourselves to run a strong race and finish well.....may our finish line be just over the next hill! We are watching for our Savior who will give us the cool cup of water to drink and hold us and refresh us from our long race we ran in His name.
Be with the ones who are blindly stumbling through life. They are not Yours and they do not desire to be Yours. They seek only themselves and like wild dogs they attack, injure and devour one another......they have no wisdom nor is it even available to them, only the simple principles and philosophies of the world are there to guide them....Even though they curse Your and turn their back on You and challenge You to Your face, forgive them Father....they truly do not know what incredible blasphemies have crossed their lips. What a great mercy and patience You show them every day You give them breath as they wander in the wilderness until Your chosen are called out from among them to become Your children to run the race to Your glory. You are great and GREATLY to be praised! Amen.
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