( Here are just some notes I wrote down after listening to a podcast, and some thoughts I had on them! Hopefully they help you as much as they have helped me!)
Forgiveness is:
1. Cancelling a debt.
-There is no pay back. They owe you nothing.
2. Removing that person's control over you.
- If you don't forgive someone, they still have control over you, your emotions,
and how you live your life.
- Unforgiveness is also another word for bitterness. But how do you know if you are
bitter? Here's some questions to ask yourself:
1. Do you keep thinking about it?
2. Does it emotionally affect you?
3. Is it the kind of thing you can remember all the details?
3. A gift for THEM and YOU.
- Not forgiving someone doesn't affect only them, but also has a tremendous affect
on you. One of my favorite quotes is " Unforgiveness is like drinking poison, and
waiting for someone else to die."
4. Forsaking revenge.
5. Leaving ultimate justice to God. (God determines justice. Not you)
- If someone else has sinned against you, it is not your job to figure out what is to be
done about it.
Your only job is to forgive. The rest is God's.
6. A decision and a process.
- Healing takes time. Don't ever feel like you are in a rush to forgive someone. Allow
time for God to work not only on them, but also on you!
7. Genuinely want good for them.
- The hardest one probably, but when you can finally take this, you WILL see reward!
Forgiveness is NOT:
1. Denying or diminishing the sin.
- If someone has sinned against you, don't act like it didn't happen. IT DID.
2. Enabling.
- This isn't a pass to participate in their same sin. If someone has wronged you,
that doesn't give you permission to do the same.
3. A response to an apology.
- If you are waiting for an apology, they still have all the power. (what happens if
they never apologize?)
4. Covering up a sin.
5. Forgetting.
- Too often we hear that saying "to forgive and forget".... But here's the thing. Its
impossible to forget. It is not biblical ( as some say it are).
6. Trust.
- Trust always needs to be rebuilt. You DON'T pick up where you left off.
7. Reconciliation.
- This requires work from both ends, and unfortunately sometimes the other person isn't
willing to do the same. Its not fair to you to stay trapped in unforgiveness just
because they are.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Waiting Room
After listening to the podcast recently, I started thinking about how many times I just assumed God only tells us to be patient, because he needs more time to work everything together.I was reminded that its actually the complete opposite. Too many times I think a lot of us forget that God is being patient for our sake, not his. Instead of thanking God for all the times he has been so patient and forgiving towards me, I tend to get angry with him when things don't happen on my timing. This week was one of those weeks where I started to feel lonely while being in this whole waiting process. I know many of you have been, or are in a place where you've just gotten tired of waiting. It happens to all of us. It feels like you've been waiting for something for forever, and it still hasn't happened. You feel like all you have been doing is praying about it and being obedient and you're still not seeing any results. So what do you do? how do you overcome those feelings? Here's some notes I took, and hopefully they will help you!
1. WHAT SEEMS TO BE LIKE A POINTLESS OR EVEN PAINFUL WAITING ROOM, MAY BE GOD'S MOST PRODUCTIVE WORK ROOM. So how can you turn your waiting room into a work room? How can you overcome the feeling of doing nothing, feeling lonely, or even the urge to want to give up? Resist the urge to complain and fill your situation with praise. I know personally, I can complain to God a lot. Too often, I think we forget how serious God does take complaining.(Phillipians 2:14-15) What we don't realize is that by complaining, we can be prolonging what God wants to do. Instead we should focus on the positive. Thank and appreciate what God has already done. After all, you're much closer than you were yesterday, or even 5 years ago. When we begin to take our mind off of all the negative stuff, we are more open to the good things God wants to do.
2.PREOCCUPY YOURSELF W/ FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE, INSTEAD OF ESCAPING YOUR PROBLEM. I think too often we miss out on what God really wants to do because if one little thing starts going wrong in our journey to fulfilling God's plan, we automatically assume that it couldn't be part of his plan. This is where you have to remind yourself that God never told us life would be easy with him, he said it would be worth it. You have to realize you have an enemy. When you're following God, you become an even bigger target. So when things start to happen and the journey gets harder/longer, that doesn't mean its not part of God's will. It also doesn't mean to escape the problem and drop everything, it just means this is the time you have to overcome. God has already given us the power to overcome, its our choice if we use it. When you are waiting on God to do something in your life, it can sometimes be painful. Sometimes you will be hurt by others, and sometimes you just won't have answer as to why it happened. What is so cool about that, is if we allow our pain to trigger a praise in our heart, we begin to position ourselves for God to work on us while we wait. Don't escape your problem, learn to enjoy the journey.
3. REALIZE THAT OUR DETOURS ARE OFTEN GOD'S DESTINATIONS There are many times where we expect our future to look a certain way, and then we end up going a completely different way. Remind yourself that God is always at every detour. There isn't a place you can go where God isn't already there. Most of the time, when that happens you are going exactly where he wants you. I encourage all of you to go after what God wants you to do now, and he'll take care of the future. Maybe you don't know what God wants you to do now, and thats okay. I felt that way for months. I suggest finding something you're already doing, or a ministry you are already serving in... and serve more. If you're not apart of one, join one. When you can show God you are faithful and obedient in the little things, he will give you bigger things!
1. WHAT SEEMS TO BE LIKE A POINTLESS OR EVEN PAINFUL WAITING ROOM, MAY BE GOD'S MOST PRODUCTIVE WORK ROOM. So how can you turn your waiting room into a work room? How can you overcome the feeling of doing nothing, feeling lonely, or even the urge to want to give up? Resist the urge to complain and fill your situation with praise. I know personally, I can complain to God a lot. Too often, I think we forget how serious God does take complaining.(Phillipians 2:14-15) What we don't realize is that by complaining, we can be prolonging what God wants to do. Instead we should focus on the positive. Thank and appreciate what God has already done. After all, you're much closer than you were yesterday, or even 5 years ago. When we begin to take our mind off of all the negative stuff, we are more open to the good things God wants to do.
2.PREOCCUPY YOURSELF W/ FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE, INSTEAD OF ESCAPING YOUR PROBLEM. I think too often we miss out on what God really wants to do because if one little thing starts going wrong in our journey to fulfilling God's plan, we automatically assume that it couldn't be part of his plan. This is where you have to remind yourself that God never told us life would be easy with him, he said it would be worth it. You have to realize you have an enemy. When you're following God, you become an even bigger target. So when things start to happen and the journey gets harder/longer, that doesn't mean its not part of God's will. It also doesn't mean to escape the problem and drop everything, it just means this is the time you have to overcome. God has already given us the power to overcome, its our choice if we use it. When you are waiting on God to do something in your life, it can sometimes be painful. Sometimes you will be hurt by others, and sometimes you just won't have answer as to why it happened. What is so cool about that, is if we allow our pain to trigger a praise in our heart, we begin to position ourselves for God to work on us while we wait. Don't escape your problem, learn to enjoy the journey.
3. REALIZE THAT OUR DETOURS ARE OFTEN GOD'S DESTINATIONS There are many times where we expect our future to look a certain way, and then we end up going a completely different way. Remind yourself that God is always at every detour. There isn't a place you can go where God isn't already there. Most of the time, when that happens you are going exactly where he wants you. I encourage all of you to go after what God wants you to do now, and he'll take care of the future. Maybe you don't know what God wants you to do now, and thats okay. I felt that way for months. I suggest finding something you're already doing, or a ministry you are already serving in... and serve more. If you're not apart of one, join one. When you can show God you are faithful and obedient in the little things, he will give you bigger things!
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