Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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People Are Irritating.
Recently I became irritated with a sister in Christ. I did some private venting about it, and then felt very ashamed. This morning my Lord told me why I was right to feel ashamed as I read Matthew 18:21-35.
There is, in one sense, a cost to the forgiveness that is ours because of the work of Jesus Christ. Beyond the Cross that He suffered in our place, He tells us that we are commanded to pass on this forgiveness to others who sin against us. This is harder than it sounds. I know a lot of folks who 'have their little ways', as I like to put it, who irritate like sand in my eyes. They don't even know what they are doing. Sometimes they do. Sometimes, as I suspect might have happened with this sister, they might mildly snub me because they probably think I am a fool.
We all have our pride, right? But the more I thought about it, the more I saw that this sister was right. I really am a fool. I have no excuse, really. Foolishness and ditheriness and thoughtlessness is what I am in most moments.
What if we were to all simply acknowledge this fact, and ask forgiveness? Even better, what if we were to simply overlook, and bear with one another's foolishnesses? As in, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do", only on a far less cosmic scale than our Lord did?
When I got irritated with my sister, the Lord looked at me and said, "How about all I have had to forgive YOU for? Do you want My kindness? Then bear with her. Overlook it. Forgive her. Return good for evil. Be kind and accommodating. Shall I bring to your mind all the millions of ways you offend Me, Your High King, every day? If you throw this sister into your little grudge-prison, shall I also imprison you until you can pay off what you owe Me?"
The older I get, the less likely I am to deny that I am a nitwit. Please know that I have been reminded of this. And if I seem to forget, pray for another reminder-- and exemplify forgiveness to me. I am greatly in need of it.
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Comments (2)
(((Hugs)))
Gilda
O! I definitely hear you. I had a couple similar incidents quite similar to yours in the past couple days! We need those continuing reminders, that iron sharpening iron!