Thursday, January 30, 2014

Forgiveness


I am so thankful for forgiveness: from God, from Amy, from others, from myself. Amy and I will never forget the pain we've been through, but how much harder would it be if we would have spent the past 2 1/2 years stuck in un-forgiveness,  un-repentance, and un-gratefulness. God is a big God, yet so personal, gracious, forgiving, kind, merciful, firm, and for us. Even His discipline is an act of grace and kindness. I can't explain why God saved me from the "far country," saved my marriage, restored us as a family and continues to show us more of Himself, but I am grateful. 

Romans 2:4, (NASB)
Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Love doesn’t erase our memories. It is actually a demonstration of greater grace when we are fully aware of what occurred and we still choose to forgive. Love is a choice. Total forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling – at least at first – but is rather an act of the will. It is the choice to tear up the record of wrongs we have been keeping. We clearly see and acknowledge the evil that was done to us (or we did to others) but we erase it – or destroy the record – before it becomes lodged in our hearts. This way resentment does not have a chance to grow. R.T. Kendall, Total Forgiveness

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