Come as you are. Experience God's love. Go out like Christ.
3864 Glenville Rd, Glenville, PA 17329
Come as you are. Experience God's love. Go out like Christ.
3864 Glenville Rd, Glenville, PA 17329
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14
It’s not easy to forgive. I think we can all say that. But why? What makes that characteristic of God so difficult? Perhaps our biases, our beliefs. Because we so hold on to the past, we believe someone is what they are and can’t get over it. Or do we have a stereotype of perfection we expect people to live, a standard which actually is impossible to reach.
Gosh, when I think about why I cannot forgive someone, the concept just seems overwhelming. And yet I wonder, do I just like to hold a grudge? Does that little twinge in my human soul just not want to let something go?
Clearly, forgiveness is a journey. We’ll be burned along the way even if we forgive people. The journey involves a lot of hurt, betrayal, loss, vulnerability, struggle, uncertainty, and perhaps even separation from someone or something. And then there’s the not being able to forgive ourselves, I think we can easily say we’ve all been there too. It’s so easy to beat ourselves up over some things which may or may not have happened, something others may have forgiven us for a long while back.
Friends, however, we struggle with forgiveness, let’s remember it’s a spiritual discipline. To forgive someone is crucial in order for us to be close to God. If we can’t forgive ourselves or someone else, how can we be open to receiving God’s mercy ourselves?
And then we get to the real question. There’s sin which happens over and over again, and God still forgives, but it’s much harder for us to do so. But friends, let’s remember even there, God is the judge, we are not. There are countless mistakes and missteps we make which we want God to overlook, so why hold it against someone else in their weaker moments, even if they seem to happen over and over again.
With God and with us, we should still all be family no matter what. True, we struggle, we’re frustrated, we’re weak, we’re sinful creatures, but we’re still God’s creatures together! My prayer this week is we would feel the mercy of God enfolded in Jesus Christ as he truly showers us with unending and unfailing mercy. And may we reflect that mercy the next time someone wrongs us or stomps on our biases or beliefs. And even if it’s a journey, may we begin the process of forgiveness. After all, the heaviest things to carry are guilt and grudge. Let’s let God lighten our load and the journey will be so much easier.
To God be the glory
Pastor Brandon
Adult Sunday school 9 am
Morning Worship at 10:15 am
Children's church during worship
Enjoy the feeling of home and family.
Please join us, all are Welcome.