Luke 11:4
Forgive our sins, as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And keep us from being tempted.’”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Virtually everyone is thinking about the tragic shooting that occurred at Aurora, Colorado, yesterday. And how could you not? People are covering this story on every news media outlet – it’s all over social media. And the question of the day seems to be, “Why?” Why would someone do this? What drove them to such madness? How could someone who high school classmates described as an ordinary, albeit geeky nerd do such heinous things? What makes a seemingly brilliant student lose focus and become so dark and evil?
Before you jump straight to placing the blame on Satan, consider that it’s not quite that simple. I heard one analyst this morning describe this behavior as possibly being the result of “injustice collecting.” In other words, some people do not seem to react to “injustice” in their life… from what seems like the smallest insult to a much larger affront. Instead, these offenses build up… they are collected over time. Sometimes the person becomes sullen, withdrawn, and someone we might call an “angry old cuss.” But sometimes… this “collection” is so distressing that the person becomes totally unbalanced because of it… and he/she may react in a serious – if not violent – manner.
Either way, you can see that failure to forgive those who have wronged you can lead to some serious consequences. And yes, the devil will dance over this! We are all guilty of “injustice collecting” to some degree. There has been a point in all of our lives where we have said, “I’ve HAD it!” We’ve “blown our tops” and behaved disruptively… if only on a relatively small scale. But any time we do this, we have succumbed to the temptation to harbor our grudges or ill feelings – and allow them to fester.
This is a good time for all of us to stop and ask God to give us strength… to help us to operate in forgiveness… to let go of even the smallest offenses and grudges. Ask God to help you forgive quickly and move forward. Call on Him to remove any sense of irritation or unsettled feelings – and to help you operate in love and peace in every situation. Whenever you feel tempted to add an offense or injustice to your “collection,” stop and ask God to remove this desire. Never give the devil an inch – or a moment’s pleasure!
I will be the first in line to tell you that forgiveness is often hard. But there is no way we can ask God to pardon us if we are unwilling to do the same for others. I am so thankful that God doesn’t harbor my offenses toward Him. If I want His forgiveness – if I want to be more like Him - I can’t do this, either. What about you? Do you have an “injustice collection?” Isn’t this the perfect day to get rid of it?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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