You will show me the way of life,
….granting me the joy of your presence
….and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

Luke 11:4 (<<click to read the passage)

Have you ever needed to forgive someone? That’s a rhetorical question if there ever was one! Every single person to ever walk the face of this earth has had to forgive – even Jesus, for that is why He came, to provide a means of forgiveness for us all.

If we are followers of Jesus, we are called to forgive. One might think that following in Jesus’ footsteps and being filled with His love and living out His love would make forgiveness a piece of cake…but it doesn’t. Forgiveness can be a challenge!

In my lifetime I have served at seven different churches. One I left because the senior pastor left. Another I was asked to leave, though no reason was ever given as to why. And a third one I left because the senior pastor thought I had what it took to be a senior pastor myself. He had a lot of faith in me, but I didn’t have a whole lot of faith in myself…so it hurt…a lot. I was frustrated. I was angry. I was confused. I felt like I had been sent out to take a long walk off a short pier.

Everything in my life seemed to come crashing down. I, in no way, felt that I was in any position to pastor a church. I was floundering and my long walk off the short pier had left me in cold water.

When it happened, I questioned everything. I questioned myself. I questioned the leadership above me. …and the worst thing I did was question my senior pastor. I put the blame for it all on him. And, honestly, I was the one that was wrong. He was looking out for my best interests, but I couldn’t see it.

In the end, after I had allowed God to work in my heart and mind, I could see clearly. And because I saw the way things really were, one of the first things I did was to forgive my pastor. There had been no ill will on his part, but he was the one I took my frustrations and pain out on. So, in my heart, I forgave him, and then I had to seek his forgiveness. In my anger and confusion, I had lashed out at the one person who believed in me…the one person, from a ministerial level that had had my back all the way. I can only imagine how much I hurt him…and he was a good man…a godly man.

Part of the model prayer that Jesus shared with His disciples made the stipulation that because we are forgiven by God that we must forgive each other.

And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended or wronged us].

Lord Jesus, those memories seem so long ago but going through them once more brings to mind the utter respect and love I have for my former senior pastor. He is a man after Your own heart.

May we all forgive and enable ourselves to move on. All that I went through has made me who I am and enabled me to be where I am today.

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. Romans 8:28 (AMP)

June 9th, 2020, Tues, 8:20 pm