Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

This sounds a lot like you earn God’s forgiveness. I forgive, God forgives me. I forgive again, God forgives me again. This way of thinking, I believe, goes completely against Who God is and what His word generally states. So what does this mean? I believe that Christ is addressing the state of the unforgiving heart. The consequence of an unforgiving heart is a heart that can’t be forgiven. At the time that I cannot forgive someone else, my heart is wrong with God…something is wrong with my very relationship to God. This puts me in a “position” with God that can’t accept His forgiveness. Have you ever known someone that can’t forgive? They are bitter and/or angry to some degree. A heart that has any bitterness or anger is not a vessel that can be filled with forgiveness; it is not a vessel that God can pour His forgiveness into. Forgive others. Position yourself so God can forgive you. An unforgiving heart is a heart closed to accepting God’s forgiveness. He freely pours out His forgiveness but is your heart closed with unforgiveness?

"What If"

God is now. His strength, His grace, His sufficiency is for us here and now. I know that God Himself Is and Was and Is To Come but He is with us today, right now to handle any situation. God does not give us the strength today to live in the past or in the future. He does give us His grace to live today, one day at a time...sometimes one breath at a time. Most of us don't battle living in the past. The harder battle is to not look ahead, to not live in the "what ifs". I have walked with friends who's possible "what ifs" for a situation could be devastating. The truth is that God's grace is sufficient to carry you through whatever you face each day. God does not give us the strength however to live out the "what ifs" in our mind. If you find yourself contemplating all the "what ifs" of a situation, you will be drained. You will only have your own human strength to rely on. If you however find yourself actually living out one of the "what ifs", you can rely on God's infinite grace to carry you. Today I find myself once again called to walk the talk. My grandbaby will be induced on October 27th if my daughter does not go into labor before that. We have been told there could be issues with the baby...a lot of "what ifs". Here's the thing...only God knows the plans He has for this baby. I don't know what the future holds for anyone but I know God! So today my mind wants to run through all the "what ifs". What an exercise in futility. It won't change a thing but it will drain my strength and steal my focus. How much better if I set my mind on things above. I need to set my mind on God Who can change things and simply live in the truth I know today. He gives me the strength to face today...to glorify Him today. I don't know what tomorrow holds for anyone but I know He will meet all your needs to live for today. What I know today is that God is still creating my grandbaby and I praise Him today for that! Today, I celebrate my daughter's pregnancy! Do you find yourself in a situation that tempts you to focus on the "what ifs" of tomorrow? Live today in the grace that God gives you. His grace is sufficient for today!