The Lord's table is a place of forgiveness. Jesus went through all he did because he loves you and wanted you to have the opportunity to be forgiven. When you are forgiven by God and have a relationship with Him you are expected to learn how to forgive in return. God forgave you when you did not deserve it. To follow Jesus you have to forgive those who do not deserve your forgiveness.
Forgiving someone does not make you a door mat. It doesn't mean that you do not need to establish boundaries and enforce them. It means that you actively remove the anger and the hurt. You give all the negative emotions to God, so He can bring healing into your heart and soul. It can take time for the anger to disappear all together, but it doesn't have to hold power over you.
Before you come to the Lord's table you need examine your heart for any resentment, grudges, or unforgiveness in your heart. If the person is present, then go to them to pray over it and try to resolve it before you partake in the remembrance ritual. If you don't forgive, then you are insulting Jesus' sacrifice and desecrating the act of worship. Unforgiveness make you unworthy.
Unforgiveness in the church causes division. Neglecting the needs of people is an insult to the church. It reveal contempt in your heart. Quarreling in the church is disrespecting God's establishment and mission. You can disagree, but you need to find a common ground or agree to disagree without it becoming a divisive issue. This is a serious sin that God will not take lightly because it will drive people away from Him instead of seeking Him out. You are His ambassador. You are expected to be His representation in the world.
God designed you to need relationships. You need Him whether you will admit it or not. You need the church because that is way God designed the church. We are to work together to be strong, healthy, and reveal Him to the world. Unity is a form of worship. Forgiveness and unity is a part of your testimony.
If you have offended or been offended, then pray over how to reconcile. Not everyone who is forgiven gets to stay in your life, but the goal is always to try to reconcile. Pray on how to forgive and move forward. Pray over how to communicate with the person, then go to make things right. Start with the most difficult offense and move down your list to the least offensive person. Do not dwell on the negative thoughts toward the offense or the person or it could make you defensive and bitter.
If you have done the offending, then pray to repent your sin and how to reconcile with the person you hurt. Go in person, write a letter, call the person, or text to see how they would like to proceed. Only address your part in the offense. Allow them to address their part if there is any. Make restitution if it is necessary. Once you ask for forgiveness, continue to pray, but do not try to force them to forgive you. It has to be their choice.
Matthew 5:23-24, 18:21-22, Mark 11:22-26, John 17:22-24, 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, 3:1-4, 11:17-30, Ephesians 4:31-32, & 1 John 1:8-10
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