Luke 17:3-4
So be careful what you do. Correct any
followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry.
Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, “I
am sorry,” you should still forgive that person.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Like
many young children, when Timothy wants to stall and gain time to think
of a question or a response, he will sometimes say,
“But...but...but...” before he answers. Frankly, a lot of us let our
“but” get in the way (and I’m not talking about the kind where you ask,
“Does this make my butt look big” - because if you’re asking, you
probably already know the answer!). We offer all sorts of blame and
excuses. “But you don’t know what he/she did to me!” “But I was
embarrassed!” “But he/she never even said ‘I’m sorry.’” “But this is
not the first time that he/she has done this!” “But I was sick...I was
too busy...I wasn’t myself!”
Dr. Phil says that frequently, when a
person utters the word “but”...they are about to tell you how they
really feel! So I’ve got a suggestion. The next time you feel your
“but” getting in the way... follow it with one word... GOD! When
you have been lied to one time too many, say, “But God...” and remind
yourself that He can help you handle this situation in the right way.
When you are offended or betrayed...maybe for the umpteenth time...say,
“But God...” and let Him show you how to proceed according to His will –
not yours. When YOU stand ready to offer an excuse to someone else for
YOUR sin, pray, “But God...” and let Him give you the strength to own
your mistake and make adequate restitution.
Our 3-year-old niece
Zola is in a stage where she likes to quickly say “Sorry!” any time she
is corrected. My mom reminded me that our late cousin Eddie used to
say, “Sorry doesn’t get you out of trouble!” And there is some truth to
this. When we forgive someone, we are not excusing them or giving them
a “pass”...nor are we making ourselves a doormat for future
mistreatment. But we are acting in obedience to God... and
demonstrating our Christian faith.
Look at it this way...we are
continually telling God we are “sorry” for this thing or another. What
if He said, “Too bad!” and refused to forgive us? Surely we understand
what our repeated sins cost Jesus...yet He has forgiven us for every
single one of them – even those we’ve yet to commit! So when someone
tells us, “I am sorry”...how can we refuse to forgive them? “But I
don’t believe them!” you may say. (There’s that “but” again!) Here’s
where we need to change what we insert after “But...”! Remember - ”but
GOD” is the phrase to keep close at hand!
We are not three or
five years old. It’s time to own our words and actions. When we learn
to substitute God’s power for our own...when we take our emotions and
excuses out of the equation and let Him handle things according to His
will, the forgiveness thing becomes a whole lot easier. When we operate
under His authority and quit trying to play judge and jury and decide
who is really sorry or who will disappoint us again...when we let go and let GOD have control...operating in mercy and forgiveness becomes almost second nature. If we will only learn to say “but GOD”, we.can.do.this! Are you with me?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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