Sunday, August 10, 2014

"Let Go!"

This past Sunday my wife and I were having a causal conversations with a pastor friend of ours about forgiveness. He said that a lot of people preach and teach on the topic of forgiveness but very rarely do they actually give practical steps on how to forgive. Then he mentioned that one of the ways he teaches people how to forgive is to go find a rock that they can carry around for an entire week. You write the name of the person you are struggling to forgive on the rock and at the end of the week you bury the rock and pray for the person who you need to forgive. He told us when people bury the rock there is a lot of deliverance.

After we finished talking I thought top myself "I wonder if that will work?", not that I was skeptical of my friend but this was something I just had to experience for myself. So I gave it the "old college try". The first couple of days were fine just somewhat awkward because I was not used to carrying rocks around with me (I had to rocks for two issues that seemed unsettled in my heart). But as the week progressed it became harder and harder to carry those rocks. Every morning that I woke up I the thought of carrying rocks for a day we burdensome. Even though the physical weight of the rocks never changed they became extremely burdensome. At the end I did not care anymore why I was carrying the rocks I just waned it to end. Every step I took reminded me of the rocks, I stopped walking up the steps and started taking the elevators, I was doing whatever I could to seek relief. But the rocks were not that big are even that heavy it's was just uncomfortable and made everything I did just a bit harder.

When the end of the week arrived I took the rocks to the top of a hill that I run on during the week and tossed them down the hill with all might. When I cast the rocks out I said in a loud voice, "I forgive you!". As I left the hill I could already feel the difference, my movements were faster, and I did not feel the burden anymore. As "corny" as it sounds, I felt free of the weight that not forgiving someone brings. Ironically enough later that day one of the people I was struggling to forgive offended me and I had to make a choice to carry the unnecessary weight of that comes with n forgiving him or walking in love through forgiveness.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Carrying the weight of unforgiveness, bitterness, or a grudge is labor and extremely heavy because it is the weight of sin. (Yes not forgiving someone is sinful (Matthew 18:21-35) Much like the rocks it slows you down and makes each new step more difficult. And just like I sought the elevator for relief we seek the easy way out. It is easier to hate someone and shut them out your life then it is to love them through difficult times. It is easier to avoid a problem then it is to give your attention to find a solution. It is easier to separate then it is to reconcile. It is easier to validate your feelings then it is to deal with the truth of God's Word. But Christ promises us that He will give us rest from all this if we exchange what have for what He gives. Our bitterness for His JOY!, our grudge for His Reconciliation, and our need for justice in exchange for His Mercy. His Yoke means we cast our "rocks" away so we can accept the weight and burden of living a life that pleases Him. When I cast my "rocks" away two hours later I had to deal with forgiveness. One of the person's I carried the rock to settle the matter in my heart that I am going to walk in forgiveness offended me again, The temptation to pick up the "rocks" returned but I thought of the burden it brings. I thought of how two rocks had altered my life for one week and I begin to imagine how walking with this unresolved issue in my life had negatively altered it after all these years. I begin to think of missed opportunities to bring God Glory in the situation, I thought of how many times I could have been a light but I let my emotions over rule God's Grace and acted a "fool" as opposed to acting Godly. I thought of all this and I determined in my heart that the "rocks" will stay on the ground! In doing this I learned more of what it means to love like God (1 Corinthians 13) and my soul found rest.

So I say to you today cast your rocks away and accept the light and easy burden of loving and forgiving like Jesus. At some point we have to get past our feelings and truly apply God's truth when it comes to forgiveness. Or you can continue to carry you "rocks" and be weighed down for the rest of your life. The choice is yours, stay focused you can do this!

"In His JOY!"

Read the Word, Share the Gospel, Be Accountable.

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