Forbearing and Forgiving Regardless
"Some things never change. Even the way he tilts his head and how he swaggers when he walks bugs me. When he sits down he gawks around as if to say: 'I've arrived. Does everyone see me?' Well, to put it mildly, he just gets under my skin. And besides, that turkey has never even apologized yet to me for saying that about my mother. He didn't just call her a gossiper, he called her a busybody - sticking her nose into everyone else's business. I feel like pounding him."
I just finished reading Colossians 3. In addition to all the sinful things that we are to abandon listed earlier in the chapter, verse 13 jumped off the page : '...forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel or complaint against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye...." As a christian I am to put up with, graciously endure and cope with others who may have a personality that I personally don't take to or idiosyncrasies I don't like. Look at how the Lord puts up with our manners, our insensitivities, our attitude, our lack of discipline or lack of focus, our procrastination in spiritual things. He puts up with us and loves us just the same. We are to show the same forbearance with other people - saved and unsaved alike. Forbearance is our christian duty.
Forbearing is one thing. Forgiving is another. Forgiving is sometimes harder to do. If someone has hurt me directly or indirectly, or wronged me or someone I love and they refuse to apologize or make it right, what is my attitude supposed to be towards that person? I am to get on my knees and forgive that person before the Lord and leave it there. PERIOD. So when I see the person the next time, I am not consumed with hate or bitterness. I can shake their hand, I can give them a smile, I can give pick up their handkerchief if it drops on the floor, I can hold the door open for them, or let them go ahead of me if the line up to the washroom is a long one. Yeah, even if the person in the wrong has not said they are sorry, or has not apologized, I am to forgive them before the Lord. That does not mean I am reconciled with him. It means I have forgiven them - reconciliation in the relationship will only result when the other person recognizes their wrong - but my own personal responsibility is to forgive regardless. On the Cross Jesus said to His Father: "Father forgive them...." I never read of any of the soldiers coming up to Him and saying they were sorry first. No. But The Lord Jesus did His part. Now it was up to the individuals how they wanted to respond to Christ's forgiving attitude.
Don't ruin another day of your life by failing to forgive that person. A christian who has an unforgiving spirit becomes stunted in their spiritual growth and often is wrecked by bitterness. You become more wrong before the Lord in your own spirit than the other person's wrong that originally caused the offence. Do your part before the Lord so your attitude is right. As for putting up with a person who bugs you, confess your intolerance and annoyance to the Lord and show forbearance. It is our christian duty. It is like Christ.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home