Dear friends,
As the new year begins, everyone is ‘cleaning house’ in a variety of ways.
Some are organizing their household and purging clutter. Some are chucking all the junk food, eating leaner and healthier. Others are taking stock of their lives and making changes to up their game.
One that I’ve been thinking of lately has to do with forgiveness.
That’s a kind of clutter in our souls that weighs us down in many different ways, some we may not be aware of.
Consider this verse: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.” Matthew 5:25 NIV
Do you know of someone who is offended with you? Are you offended with someone?
Settling matters quickly keeps things from snowballing into more serious issues. Unresolved offenses can spark greater and greater offense, causing us to prosecute one another to the fullest extent of the law as we see it. We get into ‘enemy mode’ and begin to see the other person as less than human.
Love is far more powerful than judgement. If we are able to humble ourselves and ask forgiveness of those who need to hear that from us, it will short circuit all the negative spiral of thoughts, emotions and actions that accompany an offense. Likewise, if we are offended with someone, we can stop all that by choosing to forgive.
The cross is the place where justice and mercy meet. All can be reconciled there, it’s where we can settle out of court.
If you need help with this, I have an exercise that might help you. Just contact me at https://fullyalive5.com/contact/ and I’ll send it to you.
It’s a house-cleaning you’ll be glad you did!
Warmly,
Terri
