Saint In the Mirror

Tell the truth, sometimes we just want to hold onto a little piece of unforgiveness just in case the perpetrator messes up again. Then we can say, “I knew it! You’re not worthy of my forgiveness.” Calvary’s Cross says otherwise. This week our Devotional Team aims to help us all see just how integral “Repentance from Sin and Unforgiveness” is to the believer.

Years ago I heard someone say that whatever you want to receive from others, make it your aim to be a dispenser of the same. That can be said of friendship, financial benevolence, and especially forgiveness. Our Lord certainly sees it that way; such precepts are laid out repeatedly in His word. He who would have friends must show himself to be friendly [Proverbs 18:24]. Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over… [Luke 6:38]. And let’s not forget that wonderful and widely applicable instruction found in Colossians 3:12b—that we’re to persist in “… bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Notwithstanding these scriptural commands, we all know that it’s more typically true that we expect others to shower these beautiful aspects of Christ-following upon us, even as we fail to consistently dispense them to others; and I’m not even talking about our dealings with folks in a cold-hearted world of Christ-rejectors or spiritually dead folk, but our casual (and at times conscious) mistreatment of our brothers and sisters in Christ!! We can and MUST do a “180-degree turn” and REPENT!

Withholding forgiveness is a glaring and grievous act of disobedience and disloyalty to our Lord and Savior. To withhold forgiveness is outright REBELLION against our Lord and Redeemer. Saints, let us earnestly repent of being like that soul mentioned in James 1:23, 24, who hears God’s Word, but is NOT a doer, but rather a person who sees himself in a MIRROR [i.e., God’s Word] and immediately afterward FORGETS what kind of person he was.

PRAYER: Dear Abba, remind us daily that the pathway to Your greatest blessings is to abide (remain) in our commitment to be not forgetful hearers, but DOERS of Your word! Thank You, Lord;  AMEN!
By Sis. Denise Diggs