Ocean: Exploring the depths of forgiveness.

We have yet to truly explore the ocean depths.

Ocean: Exploring the depths of forgiveness.

This could be a 30 day program all to itself. How much garbage do we carry around with us every day because we have not forgiven someone? Some people seem to hold onto their grudges because they have a closer relationship with their bitterness towards someone than they do with God. Some people have found the god of hate, contempt, and bitterness and they are faithful in their worship.

Our God, the one true God is a jealous God. He made us so that we cannot have piece when we worship these other gods. Yes, worship is the right word here. Sometimes we are so faithful to holding on to our grudges that we are blind to the divine heart that saved us while we were sinners.

This chapter of One Month to Live calls us to look at the Lord’s Prayer and the verse that follows. Jesus says that if you forgive men their sins against you then your Heavenly Father will forgive you. Jesus reminds those who follow Him that if you don’t forgive, your Father will not forgive you. Ouch!

The words in the Lord’s Prayer are meant to be words of assurance, not a conditional statement. “As we forgive our debtors” is a statement to God that we are forgiving those who sinned against us. The verse that follows this prayer reminds us that we really need to do what we are telling God that we are doing.

“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.” Martin Luther King Jr.

I know that I am supposed to forgive, but this can be tougher than “just do it.” I would love to be free from all of the chains of bitterness, vengefulness, contempt, hate, anger, and other conditions that don’t want to go away easily.

Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves at how deep God’s forgiveness is. The Shooks offer the ocean as a metaphor and it is a good one, but even the unreachable depths of this world’s oceans cannot compare to the depth of love and forgiveness in God’s divine heart. God made us to love him first. That didn’t happen. Generation after generation seeks to satisfy themselves first. So many turn away from God, deny his existence, resist his love, worship other gods that by all that is just, we should have been wiped off the face of the earth without a remnant. 

God chose to love us and forgive us in spite of us and the way we lived. When we hit the brick wall that won’t let us forgive, remember that we have been completely forgiven despite our love affair with evil. God paid the price for our sin.

How can we not forgive others? The answer is that if we really believe Jesus to be our Lord, we are compelled to forgive others. If we really live with Christ in us, this is not our choice. God’s irresistible grace working in us leaves us only one way—forgiveness. 

Here is today’s make it count moment.

If you only had one month to live, what would you ask forgiveness for?

From whom?

Whom would you need to forgive?

Today we will move directly to the make it last for life challenges.

1.       Make a list of the people you need to forgive. Be detailed. Write down what they did to hurt you. Ask God to help you forgive these people.

2.       Make a list of the people from whom you need to seek forgiveness. Again, but detailed. What did you do to hurt them? Confess these first to God and then seek his power to help you seek forgiveness from those whom you have offended.

3.       Write God a letter and unload on him. In counseling terms, this is called dumping garbage. Give God everything—every little piece of garbage that you have been carrying around. Give Him everything that you have been holding against him or questioning or wondering about no matter how dark, desperate, or doubtful you may be. After you have let Him have it, ask God to heal your heart as you close the letter.

4.       Get visual. Choose a photograph, painting, seashell, or other memento that represents the ocean. Put it in a conspicuous place as a daily reminder to ask God for his forgiveness and of the depth of his love and forgiveness.