Something Stinketh
November 9, 2023 by admin
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles
By Lisa Buffaloe
A strange odor emanated from inside our refrigerator. I knew it was bad when even our teenage son was disgusted. Rolling up my sleeves, I held my breath, then wrestled strange mutations from the vegetable drawer and deposited them in the trash. Bins were wiped and shelves cleaned until they glistened. Taking a step back, I drew in a deep breath of fresh air.
Ignoring the problem wouldn’t solve the situation or eliminate the odor. Whatever caused the stench had to be removed—much like the offensive thoughts that often lurk in our head. Those thoughts that remind us about the person who wronged us… the person who said those horrible things, or took what should have been ours, or robbed our innocence. Does that person deserve forgiveness? Probably not. Some people have done terrible things. But then again, do any of us deserve forgiveness?
Jesus said, “…if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14 NIV).
That can’t be right. Why should I forgive them? Jesus goes on to say, “… if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15 NIV).
Ouch.
Picture a courtroom. The jury is in place, the lawyers are ready, and the judge sits at his bench. The person who wronged you is brought into the room. You scream, jump to your feet, and beat the person bloody. The bailiff and lawyers try to restrain you, but you can’t be contained, because that person does not deserve forgiveness.
The judge bangs his gavel and pronounces his verdict—as you have spoken, so it will be done to you. If that person doesn’t deserve forgiveness, neither do you.
Our choices are limited. We can forgive others and be forgiven, or we can keep a tally of their sins. The problem is, our sins also continue to be tallied. Which sins do you want remaining on your record?
“We are here for such a brief time. In order to heal, you may need to start by forgiving. Yet you may fear as I did, ‘If I forgive, that will make it all right, and it’s not all right.’ Let God whisper into your ear what He whispered to me: ‘No, My child forgiving will make you all right.’” Beth Moore[i]
Don’t lose another moment in the anger of yesterday. Stop living in the “what if,” “what did,” or “what might have.” Live today—right now—this moment. Do we think that God did not see, or know all that happened? The Bible assures us, “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 NIV).
No sin goes unnoticed. Repeat that. No sin goes unnoticed. God knows everything they did and thought. He knows what we did and did not do.
Let’s revisit the courtroom. The date arrives and the person who wronged you appears before the judge. You forgive—not because the person deserves forgiveness—you forgive because Christ has forgiven you.
The judge listens quietly and pronounces his verdict. The person who wronged you is convicted. With a righteous Judge, the punishment always fits the crime. Justice is served, and you walk free.
Max Lucado wrote, “…the one who tastes God’s grace and then gives it to others, the reward is a blessed liberation. The prison door is thrown open, and the prisoner set free is yourself.”[ii]
An unforgiving spirit fouls up everything, including your attitude, your relationship with others and with God. The person most hurt by not forgiving, is you.
The road to Heaven is narrow. Unforgiveness gets heavy, smells, and rots from the inside out. You can’t bring your garbage in the gates, they will not fit and they do not belong.
Jesus reaches out with compassion, mercy, and grace. “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37 NIV).
What is your choice?
Resources:
[i] Beth Moore, A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place, 1995, Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN, p 36
[ii] Lucado, Max: The Applause of Heaven. Dallas [Tex: Word Pub., 1996, S. 115
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