A Forgiving Spirit

"I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.

Many are the times when I have seethed in anger at a word or deed thrown into my life by an unthinking or uncaring person. I have wasted valuable hours imagining revenge or confrontation... I will now and forever more silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I give up my bitterness. I am content in my soul and effective again with my fellowman.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.

Knowing that slavery in any form is wrong, I also know that the person who lives a life according to the opinion of others is a slave. I am not a slave. I have chosen my counsel...I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.

For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. Every mistake, every miscalculation, every stumble I made has been replayed again and again in my mind. Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached has compounded the disgust I feel for the lack of achievement in my life...

I realize today that is is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun."

- Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift

Luke 23:34
"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

Forgiveness has been my theme lately. God has provided me with plenty of opportunities to extend it to others and to ask for it. I am thankful for the practice I've been getting. The more I "get it", the more I understand the absolute joy and freedom that lies in the realm of walking in forgiveness. There is no bondage there. We are no longer chained to what happened to us, to hurtful words that were said to us or to what we did to others. The grace of God breaks all chains! It is scandalous, it is radical. It involves giving people exactly what they DO NOT deserve and it doesn't come natural to us! But, isn't that what we want God to do with our sins, "forgive us and act as if it never happened?" Don't we get a clean slate with God through repentance? He said that is exactly the kind of grace, mercy and forgiveness we are to extend to others.

Wow, sometimes I can't even believe the things Jesus has asked us to do, as followers of Him. Think how radical it was for him to forgive those who placed him on that cross. Amazing!!

It simply is not in my power to extend that kind of forgiveness to others so I have to ask God to give me the forgiving heart of Jesus; to see my offenders as people whom He loves, whom He created!! Because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, we just don't have to get offended any more!

Thank you God for your very spirit that lives inside of us, empowering us to live out miracles in our every day lives!!

That's Amazing Grace!!