A Leap in the Dark

One of the most difficult features for making forgiveness a reality is seeing meaning and purpose in the suffering that was experienced. This insight creates a pathway for moving forward to discover and accept how others also suffered. Isaiah 53:3 describes Jesus as being “despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.”

It’s critically important to understand that forgiveness serves as a  bridge to healing the wounds that caused so much suffering. Transforming a desire to forgive into reality takes courage and faith. Henry David Thoreau said, "We walk consciously part way toward our goal, and then it may take a leap in the dark to secure our objective."

 

There's a timeframe when we're suspended in darkness waiting to see if forgiveness is accepted, yet it’s imperative to take the initiative to seek forgiveness regardless of the cost. The Apostle Paul states emphatically, "I want to know Christ and the fellowship of sharing his suffering."  Forgiveness is the pathway to freedom and joy. 

________________________

When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair. You should make them sure of your love for them.

~2 Corinthians 2:7-8 Contemporary English Version

For he has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins.

~Colossians 1:13-14 The Living Bible

Risk Rejection for the Reward of Reconciliation

God created human beings with the quality of character that has the potential for elevating forgiveness above self-interest. This infers that an individual can look beyond an offense and assess someone on the basis of potential rather than what he or she may deserve. Yet forgiveness requires working through hurt feelings and healing deep emotional wounds.

 

Taking the initiative to forgive and restore a relationship is comparable to investing in something of great value that potentially results in a good return for the effort and energy expended. Taking the initiative to secure forgiveness also may involve the risk of being rejected.

To risk anything of value may come at a high cost, but when consideration is given to the rewards of forgiveness and reconciliation, the costs by comparison can be negligible. When the Lord God considered the cost of sending Jesus Christ his beloved Son into the world to secure its redemption and reconciliation, the price to be paid was done without regret. 

_____________________

He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering…He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well.

~Isaiah 53:3-5 Contemporary English Version

God…reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

~2 Corinthians 5:18-19 New International Version

Open the Door to Forgiveness

Assuming responsibility for one's actions is an example of maturity and a major component for making forgiveness possible. The moment responsibility is assumed for hurtful behavior, blaming others ceases to be a viable option. An essential component for extending forgiveness is seeing inherent value and worth in the person guilty of inflicting pain and suffering.

The basic reason for feeling empathy is that it opens the door to forgiveness. Just as you are worthy of forgiveness, being willing to see others as worthy of forgiveness is a necessity for letting go of anger and the desire for revenge. Forgiveness has to be unconditional, with no strings attached.

It's apparent everyone is not at this level of  maturity. However, wounded people need time to work through their pain and emotional damage until they are ready. God's love is patient and kind. He will never push you beyond your capabilities. Yet when you’re ready, God will give you strength and grace to build the bridge to freedom and forgiveness.  

_______________________

The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails. The Lord won’t always be angry and point out our sins; he doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve.

~Psalm 103:8-10 Contemporary English Version

Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And above everything else, be truly loving, for love binds all the virtues together in perfection.

~Colossians 3:13-14 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

Bridging a Wall of Isolation

Adam and Eve realized they were outside of God's favor after ignoring the boundaries set for them in the Garden. With a strange, new self-consciousness of guilt and shame, they covered their bodies and hid from God. They were now aware that their choices resulted in their loss of freedom and that forgiveness was the way for regaining that freedom.

Appropriate guilt and shame as well as empathy for the offended person creates the will to earnestly push toward forgiveness. If denials and rationalizations are allowed to overrule reality, then a wall of isolation gets constructed that will endanger a relationship.

 

Acknowledgment of an offense doesn't guarantee reconciliation. However, it gives the offender the option to seek forgiveness with hopes for reconciliation. Choosing to forgive or not to forgive is a choice between good and evil, but choosing forgiveness is choosing freedom from the burden of guilt and shame. The Holy Spirit creates in you the desire to seek forgiveness.  

______________________

O Lord, our God, you answered your people; you showed them that you are a God who forgives, even though you punished them for their sins.

~Psalm 99:8 Good News Bible

So I confessed my sins and told them all to you. I said, “I’ll tell the Lord each one of my sins.” Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.

~Psalm 32:5 Contemporary English Version

Need to Move Forward?

Forgiveness is a bridge builder to peace and a sense of joy. Without forgiveness, feelings of security essential to healthy relationships would be fleeting. The Apostle Paul teaches that the primary focus of forgiveness is reconciliation, a key component to fellowship with God and others.

A strong, unwavering desire to correct wrong behavior provides assurance that forgiveness is an honest, worthy objective. Desire for forgiveness has to be the basic primary motivation for seeking reconciliation, which means fellowship without shame and guilt. Desire, for some, is equated with a determination to reach a specific goal.

The desire for genuine forgiveness is made possible by believing an offender is beloved of God and worthy of kindness and goodness. We're all equal in terms of our inherent worth before God. St. Paul makes it clear that "there is none righteous...for all have sinned," and yet God joyfully forgives us. Please apply this truth to yourself and others.  

______________________

With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.

~Psalm 103:2-4 Contemporary English Version

All people have disobeyed God, and that’s why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.

~Romans 11:32 Contemporary English Version

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.

~Ephesians 4:29 Good News Bible

Empathy and Mercy: Freely Receive, Freely Give

The expression of empathy has the potential for building a bridge to forgiveness and reconciliation. Empathy builds this bridge because it neither demands punishment nor excuses wrongdoing. While God forgives our sins, we still must face the consequences for those sins, and this is true for other relationships.

Empathy looks beyond the surface issue to know what drives a person to behave as he or she does. Hope motivates the offended person to discover the cause of the offender's pain and suffering that may produce hurtful behaviors. By understanding at this level, we may see ourselves as needing redemption.

Empathy helps us realize the need to repent, to forgive and be forgiven. Feelings of mercy inspire us to give up the need to blame and punish. Listen for a moment to wise words from Proverbs 11:17: "The merciful man does good to his own soul."  May God bless you with the desire to be empathetic and merciful.  

 _______________________

The Lord is merciful and good; our God is compassionate.

~Psalm 116:5  Good News Bible       

We have a High Priest (Jesus the Son of God) who can sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way just as we are, only without sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. So let us come boldly to God’s throne of love to get mercy and find love to help us when we need it.

~Hebrews 4:15-16 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

~Colossians 3:12 New American Standard Bible

Empathy and Mercy: Pathway to Forgiveness

When feelings of empathy and mercy are interwoven into an offer of forgiveness, the chances for a positive reception are greatly enhanced. Very few people are incapable of empathy, but expressing it to those who have wronged us remains a difficult choice. Forgiving another person is an act of mercy, but it takes empathy for it to be put into action.

 

Empathy is an inborn human trait and serves as a bridge builder to closeness and intimacy. When empathy and mercy are expressed, they communicate a truth essential for relationships. These two, empathy and mercy, open the door so forgiveness can serve as a healing agent capable of saving a relationship.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." It's critically important to keep in mind that forgiveness follows in the pathway of empathy and mercy, which are expressions of love. Forgiving others is sometimes hard to follow through on, but the rewards for doing so can be life-changing.  

____________________________

The Lord Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love. He is good to everyone, and his compassion is intertwined with everything he does.

~Psalm 145:8-9 The Living Bible

None of you should think only of his own affairs, but consider other people’s interests also. Let your attitude of life be that of Christ Jesus himself.

~Philippians 2:4-5 Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English

To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another and be kind and humble with one another.

~1 Peter 3:8 Good News Bible

A Mile of Shoe Leather: The Gift of Empathy

Most individuals are able feel sorrow for someone who is in pain, especially a person who is known and loved. Feelings of empathy are basic to healthy, loving relationships. Empathy depends on the willingness to put yourself in someone else's place, to feel what they feel, including their moments of joy as well as their sorrow.

“Walk a mile in their shoes” is an old saying that personalizes empathy. Our hurried lifestyles don’t allow time to think about other people’s struggles or to delight in their happiness and joy. Then in the course of our hurried life we often offend those we love by neglect and emotional distance.

Forgiveness is essential for healthy relationships but may go unheeded until it’s too late. God's word tells us that Jesus empathizes with us because he knows our joys and sorrows. He, himself experienced the pain and sorrow of being rejected by the very ones he came to save. Empathy is a gift that makes forgiveness possible. 

_______________________

He (God) is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him.

~Psalm 103:13 The Living Bible

When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.

~Romans 12:15 The Living Bible

Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

~ Luke 6:31 Good News Bible

Forgiveness: Choose It & Pursue It! Don't Refuse It!

Forgiveness is a choice as well as a privilege. One reason for choosing forgiveness is personal sanity and peace. Refusing forgiveness is choosing an embittered and tormented life. Internalizing anger, hurt and grief means hanging on to frustration, disappointment and bitterness that diminish the capacity for happiness.

Someone explained to me how difficult it was to let bygones be bygones. She was referring to a person she had loved and trusted, but from whom she had experienced rejection. Feelings of guilt flooded her conscience for being unable to forgive completely which left her with feelings of insecurity and the absence of peace.

Forgiveness has to be pursued by asking God to unlock every chamber of your heart and soul that may be harboring the slightest trace of resentment and hatred. Present and future happiness cannot compete with these disruptive feelings. Forgiveness depends on trustworthiness and honesty. Forgiveness provides hope for a life of peace and security. 

________________________

Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.

~Matthew 6:12 Good News Bible

“I have told you all this so that you may find your peace in me. You will find trouble in the world – but, never lose heart, I have conquered the world!”

~John 16:33 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

“You didn’t choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you. I demand that you love each other.”

~John 15:16-17 The Living Bible

Faith's Priority ~ 2020 Vision of Sharing Your Faith

What are your main priorities for this New Year? This can be a year of significant changes, so it can be a time of uncertainty for the nation. As believers in Christ Jesus, what are your hopes for yourself, your family and God’s family? Millions of people place their hopes in a political party and a presidential candidate.

Have you asked yourself, “What about faith’s priorities? What is God’s purpose and plan for America and all its people for this year?” Most of us have expectations and hopes that attempt to cancel out our fears and anxieties. We may be tempted to take up a banner against those who are different.

 

Especially in times of uncertainty, the banner of Jesus Christ encourages us to hold to God’s unchanging hand for faith and his guidance. God sent Jesus to seek and to save those who are lost, so faith’s priority could be for you to share your faith in Christ Jesus with others. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” What a great expectation!  

______________________

God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.

~2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Contemporary English Version

Our children too shall serve him, for they shall hear from us about the wonders of the Lord; generations yet unborn shall hear of all the miracles he did for us.

~Psalm 22:30-31 The Living Bible

So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.

~Hebrews 12:1-2 Good News Bible

Faith's Priority ~ 2020 Vision of Renewal with God

We are born with potential gifts and talents God will use for the furtherance and maintenance of his world and church. Yet it is possible to lose your way by submitting to the attractions encountered in society. The beginning of a new year can offer you the chance to renew what God meant for you to be.

This could mean resetting faith’s priorities as the redeemed person for whom Jesus died on the cross. It might mean coming to Jesus for the first time, accepting him as Lord and Savior and truly repenting of all the sins that are burdening you down and of which only you know. 

Thank God for the New Year where you can make a new start with faith’s priorities rather than live under the guise of a few resolutions that you too easily can discard. Faith’s priorities reflect what you can become with the help and presence of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Praise God! Happy New Year!  

_______________________

Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

~Ephesians 4:23-24 Good News Bible

Then he who is seated upon the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!”

~Revelation 21:5 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

Faith's Priority ~ 2020 Vision of Patience for Peace

Finding peace in a world filled with anger and hate does not come easy. Just listening to any newscast can be upsetting. Jesus said, “In this world you will hear of wars and rumors of wars,” and I would say that is true for today. Is it possible to be guided by faith’s priorities including peace and patience?

Of what do faith’s priorities consist for Christians who want to avoid conflict and live in peace? Conflict has always been a part of a human being’s nature whether in the family or in the world outside. Conflict arises within churches and may cause them to disintegrate and die.

Yet God will not be silenced. He calls out peacemakers and empowers them with language that can calm the troubled heart and cause men to be accommodating and seek peace. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that “We are his handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Happy New Year!  

______________________ 

You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills before you will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

~Isaiah 55:12 New Living Translation

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

~John 14:27 The Living Bible

Do not lose your courage, then, because it brings with it a great reward. Remember your reward! You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises.

~Hebrews 10:35-36 Good News Bible

Faith's Priority ~ 2020 Vision of God's Peace

With so much contentiousness in our country promoted by political parties and the media turmoil, what should be a faith priority of every Christian who inhabits our country? A priority has an urgency about it to be understood and abided by because of the importance attached to its purpose.

Faith’s priority goes straight to what Jesus encourages us to do, and that is to be peacemakers. To be a peacemaker when so many clamor for their way, regardless of the cost to the majority who make up society, is – I admit – difficult or even scary to do. Yet God calls the peacemakers his children.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” but how can you do it and not be identified as someone out of the loop with your crowd? Peace has to be faith’s priority wherever you are. You do this by speaking God’s word, his scriptures, and not by yelling out your opinion, not by engaging in arguments that cannot be resolved. “A soft answer turns away wrath.”  Happy New Year!  

_______________________

God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children!

~Matthew 5:9 Contemporary English Version

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

~James 3:18 The Living Bible

Faith's Priority ~ 2020 Vision of Trust in God

Do you believe on this New Year's Day that the new year can offer a fresh start for your life? If so, have you promised to make lifestyle changes to ensure that a fresh start has a chance for success? Your fresh start has a chance for a positive outcome and success provided you inaugurate Christian faith’s priorities into the action to be taken. 

What do Christian faith’s priorities include? Trusting in God to give you wisdom to choose what to include in your fresh start will determine if your journey will be successful. Trust is essential for activating faith that keeps you on the path when the way grows narrow and distractions abound.

What is an essential faith priority that holds you steady when the way becomes filled with obstacles? Essential is a heartfelt belief that the presence of God will keep you from falling away or giving up when it’s impossible to see what lies ahead. God promises never to leave or abandon you regardless of what you encounter, so keep pressing onward. God keeps his promises.  Happy New Year! 

_______________________

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

~Psalm 143:8 New International Version

You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.

Trust in the Lord forever; he will always protect us.

~Isaiah 26:3-4 Good News Bible