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Wednesday, November 02, 2005
20:19
How many times? Just imagine. Someone's really irritating the life out of you. Being a nice patient God-loving person, you hold your tongue. He/She does it again and again - be it on purpose, or unintentionally. You lose your patience. He/She becomes your super enemy. The person you hate, the person you don't want to come within 1000 miles from, yet you're up close every day of the week. --- Hold it right there --- So what happened to the fruit of the Spirit in you? The love of God that uplifts you? You're suddenly plugged down by an MRSA bug-like feeling of being angry. Nothing can get you out of the temptation of losing your temper, nothing can cure the irritability, nothing... nothing can even remind you of God's mercy towards you everytime you trespass against Him. What is it that the bible calls us to do in situations as such? I believe Matthew 5:43-44 says something about the first step we should take in such situations. In fact, verse 44 says "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". Well, you may say that he/she isnt really your enemy. Just someone you cant get along with and that you're not required to like everyone. Fair enough, but that doesnt mean that the little pokey feelings of being mean and unfriendly arent there. They most certainly are, and they will be the root by which the devil will catch you by and toss your life around! Beware! Harbouring ill-thoughts is dangerous!!! Okay. This suddenly becomes a really tricky situation doesnt it? We need another answer - desperately. Oh oh, look at Matthew 18:21-22, that might help: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, " Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Not seven times, but seventy times seven? That's a good 490 times!!! Oh.. is that simply too much to ask of you? Well, maybe if you look at your heart and find out how many times you have offended someone else, and have them forgive you? Or maybe look towards God and see how much grace He's showered upon you and your sins that you have continually committed against Him, and how many times you've broken His heart? and how many times He's always forgiven you and called you His child?... then maybe in this way, 490 times will seem like quite a small number. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" - Matthew 6:14 |