Daily Devotional for July 11, 2012

2 Corinthians 2:6-7
Most of you have already pointed out the wrong that person did, and that is punishment enough for what was done.

When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Imagine if God hung onto your every sin. What if all of your friends and family remembered EVERY SINGLE THING you ever did that they felt was offensive, irritating, or immoral… and reminded you of these actions continually? What if people treated you with an “I-know-what-you-did-and-you-disgust-me” attitude? Would you feel loved and accepted? If you felt that others held a grudge, would you desire more of their form of “grace and mercy?” Would this reflect the love of Christ for you… would you feel His presence and tender care?

There have been times when I have had to remove children from an activity and place them in “time out.” When a child disobeyed, he/she had to suffer the consequences for the action. But at the end of the “punishment,” I tried to offer them a hug and an “I-still-love-you.” And then I made every effort to put the incident behind us and move forward. This is fairly easy to do with small children. It’s harder when you are dealing with teenagers and adults. We often find that we are far less forgiving… we have learned to carry a grudge.

Don’t misunderstand me. There are times when we are right to step away from someone… to distance ourselves from toxic situations. If you know someone who is using illegal drugs, you are smart not to hang around him/her. If someone you know is involved in something illegal or immoral… or this person has hurt your feelings or harmed your reputation… you may need to take a step back and love from afar for a little while. But withdrawing love and concern for this person is never appropriate. We never want to leave the other person asking “What’s the point of caring/trying?”

I am so glad God does not do this with His children. I am grateful beyond measure that when I fail Him and fall short, He picks me up and says, “I’m still here. I still love you.” I may have to suffer consequences for my action. There may be a period of time where God steps back and lets me wallow in my mistakes and learn a hard lesson. But He NEVER deserts me or stops loving me… and we must never do this to anyone we encounter.

Think over your circle of influence – friends, family members, acquaintances, fellow students of co-workers, church members and those in your community? Where have you exhibited an attitude of un-forgiveness? Where are you holding a grudge – and holding a past offense over someone’s head? Who have you given the impression that there is no hope… that there is nothing he/she can do to make amends? Is this how you would want to be treated by others? How would you feel if God treated you this way?

In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul tells us, “But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.” This “prize” is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ. Does your treatment of others reflect the hope of this reward… or the despair of unforgotten grudges? Who needs your offering of forgiveness and comfort in Jesus today?

©2012 Debbie Robus