Prayer: The Gate

There are times I think we have all done or said something we regret.  I don’t know about you, but I can go to God and say “please forgive me”. I believe he does.  But it can be so hard to forgive myself.  I have spent years beating myself up over some regret.  Does it fix it?  No.

Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves?  God forgives us, and he is a big and awesome God.

Forgiveness is a big idea.  It is love, and grace.  Grace is not earned, it is a gift from God.

If we can learn to forgive ourselves, love and forgive other people, the world will be a better place.  Amen

Newsong

Psalm 25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Thy lovingkindness remember Thou me, For Thy goodness sake, O Lord.

25:8 Good and upright is the Lord:

As we pray and walk with God like David did, he isn’t a distant or unreachable God, but a loving father.

Psalm 100:1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

100:5 For the Lord is good;

(NAS version)

Newsong

I am always amazed at the righteously indignant folks who you see publicly correcting complete strangers. And I am always taken aback at the immediate access to intense hostility they are able to project to a complete stranger. I thought about a guy who had verbally attacked me a few months ago and I got this sick at my stomach feeling. I wondered if I had truly forgiven him.

Why do I take these things so personally? He might have been having a bad day. He might be mentally ill.  Can you think of any other reason for anger at someone you don’t know?  I don’t know that we need to let bullies and the self appointed Captain of the World ruin our day or our lives, but I know there are hurtful situations between strangers and between friends, between co-workers and casual passers-by that a little forgiveness, grace and forgetfulness could help a lot.

For a long time I carried a little piece of paper in my wallet that said, “While you are carrying a grudge, they are out dancing.” It is true.

I used to work with a woman who said her motto was forgive and remember. I think the remember part is easy. Probably it is good idea to keep current on my prayers of forgiveness. Probably it a better idea to forget. 

In Hebrews 10:17, God said ”Their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

I certainly hope so.

Erin