Forgiveness & Thanksgiving
Living in a place of joy always begins with giving … with hilarious, generous, unselfish and lavish giving.
I don’t know one person on the face of planet Earth who lacks joy if he or she has ruggedly determined to be a cheerful, extravagant and liberal giver.
Conversely, I don’t know one selfish person who splashes in joy. Do you?!
On the road to joy, you must daily walk upon the Highway of Giving. It is the only route to joy … no other avenue in life will deliver you to that delightful destination of delectable joy!
But let’s go beyond simple giving today and let’s examine the power of forgiving. You see, forgiving is also a pre-requisite to joy. Forgiving seals the deal on heaven’s joy becoming a strengthening component of your earthly make-up.
It’s easy to say … but it is oh! so hard to do!
Forgiveness can be a gut-wretching, arduous and gargantuan decision but honestly … the alternative is infinitely worse.
Choosing to be a bitter person will never place you on the road to joy and to healthy living. Holding on to offenses will only ensure that you are effectively locked out of the Kingdom of Joy.
Vengeful emotions and angry words always lead to a futile and ugly dead-end in life.
If you choose NOT to forgive … you will never arrive at your intended destination.
If you choose NOT to forgive … you ain’t going nowhere …
If you choose NOT to forgive … you will never know the refreshing and rejuvenating effects of joy upon your life.
Unforgiveness will keep you tightly bound in emotional and spiritual chains the rest of your earthly days.
What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is simply when the innocent one lets the guilty one go free! What?! Where is the justice in that type of lifestyle? That doesn’t seem fair at all!
Yep … you got it right. Forgiveness isn’t fair. Forgiveness is a gift of sacrifice and of dying to one’s self.
If you have truly forgiven someone – you don’t bring up the wrong suffered or the pain endured. If you have sincerely forgiven a person who has deeply wounded you – there is no need for conversation because you have let it go completely and fully.
Let. It. Go.
Forgiving someone else just might be the best gift you have ever given to yourself! When forgiveness is freely and sweetly bestowed – joy comes rushing in like a refreshing breeze on the desert sands.
Forgiveness is the miraculous oasis in a wasteland of offense and pain.
If you are thankful for the Lord’s forgiveness toward you then you must forgive others.
You must.
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” – Matthew 6:14 & 15
Forgiveness is important to Kingdom dwellers. It is a foundational issue of our call to be like the Father and like the Son. The Father sent His only Son to die so that you and I would be forgiven.
When we choose not to forgive others and to hold onto our human pain, we are making little of what the Father has done for us.
When we choose not to forgive someone who has offended or mistreated us, we are ignoring the power of the Cross.
Humility is the price of forgiveness and joy is the glorious purchase of the price!
If you have experience the unbridled joy of forgiveness … if you know personally the exhilaration of emancipation from your human weaknesses … then you will be constrained to forgive just like Jesus did!
“Then Peter came up to Jesus and said to Him, “How many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Should I forgive him 7 times, Lord?’
“Jesus answered and said to Peter, ‘I tell you not up to seven times but up to seventy times seven.’ “ – Matthew 18:21 & 22
Who do you need to forgive this month when our entire nation recognizes the joy and blessing of being thankful?
If you desire to fully engage in the celebration of Thanksgiving then you will also fully express the gift of forgiveness.
Thankful people choose to forgive. It’s what they do when others have mistreated them. Forgiveness is their immediate and joyful response to unkindness and mistreatment.
Forgiveness is a rich and glorious part of the holiday known as “Thanksgiving”. Don’t miss this vital and delicious course of sweet forgiveness that will add more joy to your day than will pumpkin pie, parades or sumptuous gravy.
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!
