Daniel 9:9
But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I still remember when my Mam-ma Polly told me that she had shoveled the ice off her driveway…”so that people could pull in safely.” She did this despite our most earnest pleas to stay inside…and stay OFF the ice! I cannot honestly say that she never fell doing this (because she probably would not have told us!), but thankfully, she never suffered any significant injuries as a result. And while we did not like her “rebellious” actions and behaviors at times, we always loved her and forgave her.
Parents have been doing this with children for generations. My cousins were telling recently of their now-adult daughter sticking something into the electrical outlet as a child – TWICE - despite their admonitions…”Don’t do that!” Of course, they loved her and cared for her afterward…but they still did not want her to put anything in the electrical outlets!
Every single day, we do things that displease God. We may be fully conscious of our rebellion…or it may be something that we do so automatically that we don’t realize what we have done. We may also rebel against God by charging ahead without asking for His guidance and seeking His wisdom. We have to do better at responding to God and obeying His commands. Thankfully, God is merciful, forgiving…and relatively patient with us in the meantime. Hopefully we can make daily progress as we grow closer to Him through prayer, Bible study, and the fellowship and sharing of encouragement with other believers.
As part of our Christian discipleship, we are called to show mercy, forgiveness and compassion to others. Let’s be honest…people are going to rebel against us…betray us…insult us…ignore us…or show us disrespect and/or mistreatment in some manner more than once in our lifetimes. Maybe you feel like this is a daily occurrence in your life! Truly, this is not what God desires for us. But then, He doesn’t desire that we treat Him in this manner, either. And in God, we see the perfect example of how to treat others. We don’t have to like their actions and behaviors…we don’t have to be their personal doormat…but we do have to offer them mercy and forgiveness, just as God offers each of us.
How do you maintain boundaries, stand up for yourself and what is right…yet let someone know that you do not condone rebellious actions and behaviors? We have been perfect examples of this all throughout scripture. There are consequences for bad behavior. God does not dole out blessings and “free passes” to those who disobey or disrespect Him. But He never stops loving them. God is always available to hear from His children…He makes sure basic needs are met, and He offers opportunities for restoration and reconciliation.
A cousin of mine once said of a mutual acquaintance…”When you get on his list – there is no eraser.” We may have to take a “time out” from someone…or step away from certain situations. We may have to practice “tough love” for a season. But we never stop sharing God’s love. We never stop praying – or caring. And when the person sincerely asks for our forgiveness…we must offer it. Imagine how you would feel if you were cut off from God…if you felt you had messed up so badly that He could never love you again. Thankfully, this will never happen! But we must still imagine how a person would feel if he/she thought this were the case…or how it would be for them to feel as if we had permanently and completely rejected them.
God wants us to love others as He loves us…so we must stand ready to offer mercy and forgiveness. To do otherwise is also an act of rebellion! This is a big challenge…but we serve a MIGHTY God…and He will give us the strength and wisdom to accomplish this! Are you ready to pay His mercy and forgiveness forward? Isn’t this a good day to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment