FORGIVINGLY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Someone close to you blow it recently; let you down; miss expectations? Recently have someone disappoint?

Tough to handle isn’t it. Feelings get hurt. We might even get angry. Disappointment certainly surfaces. It isn’t fun being let down. And it would be easy to “get bitter” or write the offender off. That is what the world does right? It encourages the TRUMP TACTIC; to bellow out an emphatic finger-pointing “YOU’RE FIRED” and then close them out.

But GOD calls us to deal with “disappointers” a little differently.

Love don’t loathe. Embrace don’t eject. Restore don’t reject.

That is a tall order huh? But it is one we are to fill.

We are to offer God’s love, especially when ours runs out.

John 13:34-35

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.

Why should we you ask?

Because when we blow it, our heavenly Father extends His matchless, unending, bottomless grace on us.

Titus 2:11

…God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone.

And GOD has given us His SPIRIT in order to emulate Him in all choices and actions.

Romans 8:9 ESV

…in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

So when another lets us down, misses our expectations or disappoints, we must lean on the SPIRIT of GOD and do as He leads and forgivingly restore that person.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

There is no doubt this is one of the “toughest” tasks for many of us. I know it is for me. It hurts to be let down or hung out to dry.

But look at it this way.

How many times have you fallen short of GOD’s expectations in the last 24 hours? I will tell you the truth when it comes to me I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count. Yet the BIBLE says GOD, through Christ, continues to extend HIS grace to me.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

So if GOD is willing to forgive me unconditionally and extend His grace unrelentingly, then, I (and we) need to do the same don’t you think?

Matthew 6:12

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others...

Be blessed today!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney