Begin
Silence, Stillness, and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Silence, Stillness, and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture
Reading
“Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation
but rescue us from the evil one” Matthew 6:9-13
“Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation
but rescue us from the evil one” Matthew 6:9-13
Devotional
These two lines of the Lord’s Prayer are breathtaking. It seems Jesus is nailing each of us with a benchmark of attitude and behavior which is beyond achievable. The way these two lines are worded sounds as if Jesus is telling us to ask God to limit his forgiveness of us based on how much forgiveness we offer to others. It’s as if Jesus is telling us to pray, “Lord only forgive my sins as much as I forgive the sins of others. Lord hold me captive to your judgment and condemnation as much as I hold others captive to my judgment and condemnation of them”.
These two lines of the Lord’s Prayer are breathtaking. It seems Jesus is nailing each of us with a benchmark of attitude and behavior which is beyond achievable. The way these two lines are worded sounds as if Jesus is telling us to ask God to limit his forgiveness of us based on how much forgiveness we offer to others. It’s as if Jesus is telling us to pray, “Lord only forgive my sins as much as I forgive the sins of others. Lord hold me captive to your judgment and condemnation as much as I hold others captive to my judgment and condemnation of them”.
So,
what to do?
What do those of us do who hold grudges, are bitter, and hold
unforgiveness, and condemnation toward others?
Do we pray, “Lord since I can’t forgive them, I don’t want you to
forgive me either?
I don’t think so.
If
we are to make progress in this most important of Christian practices, we must,
as is always the case, start not with our attitudes toward others but with
God’s attitude toward us.
Of course this means being able to see things as they really are.
It means being able to see myself as I really am.
It requires being able to look in the mirror and see flaws and cracks
that others see.
In short it requires getting a glimpse of the sinfulness of myself and
the holiness of God.
I believe the only way to describe such a glimpse is that it is
horrifying, so much so that I see myself as a hopeless cause because I am
powerless to do anything about the depth of my sin.
Without undeserved mercy I am crushed.
However
when I “get it” that I am a hopeless case, I am then a perfect candidate for
Grace.
I’m eligible for forgiveness.
I’m now able to be overwhelmed, astonished, uber-grateful, and overcome
with joy that God, paying the ultimate price, forgives me fully, totally, and
unconditionally, and calls me his son.
I
don’t think any of us can forgive another until we have been given the
capacity to forgive and that capacity arrives when God’s holiness is expressed
as Grace to an undeserving sinner.
Once I “get this”, to whatever degree I “get it”, I can then
begin to apply this humility to freeing others from my judgment, condemnation
and unforgiveness.
I can set others free and in doing so I can live into the freedom that
God has given me.
Question
to Consider
Is there a root of bitterness in your soul? Is unforgiveness of any sort lurking in your heart? If so take some time to contemplate the perfection and holiness of God and His incredible choice to give his life to forgive you of your sin. Don’t think about the guilt you have, rather think about the freedom you have. You’re free!
Is there a root of bitterness in your soul? Is unforgiveness of any sort lurking in your heart? If so take some time to contemplate the perfection and holiness of God and His incredible choice to give his life to forgive you of your sin. Don’t think about the guilt you have, rather think about the freedom you have. You’re free!
Prayer
“Lord, reveal to me any anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness that lives in my heart. Help me to see it. Help me to hate it. Help me to see how you have forgiven it, freed me from it and broken the chains of its bondage over me. You have set me free. I am free to live forgiven. I am free to forgive. I am free. Thank you and Praise you God, Amen”
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
“Lord, reveal to me any anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness that lives in my heart. Help me to see it. Help me to hate it. Help me to see how you have forgiven it, freed me from it and broken the chains of its bondage over me. You have set me free. I am free to live forgiven. I am free to forgive. I am free. Thank you and Praise you God, Amen”
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
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