Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Conditional Forgiveness????????

I have been talking about forgiveness a lot lately...because that is kinda my world right now. As I'm reading through the word and growing in Christ, the same concept has been popping up over and over. I dont know if its because it is God asking me a question or if it is me obsessing over this thought so any feedback is much appreciated!! I have been reading this book called Radical by David Platt. Today I read a chapter about the American Dream. It drew the difference between how we think life is supposed to be lived and how God intended life to be lived. Striving for the American Dream states that if we are determined and set our mind to it, we can do anything and accomplish anything so acheive that "white-picket fence" or high-rise condo or mansion in Spain or multi-billion dollar company or whatever lifestyle that we want. The Bible time and time again tells stories of the opposite. God causes things to happen in our lives that bring us to complete desperation in Him so that He reecives the glory...the glory that He solely deserves. If I work really hard on a project, then when it is completed I am proud and satisfied with my dedication. I receive the glory because I worked hard. What I forget is that God gave me the opportunity, focus, drive, talents, etc that I needed to complete the project in the first place. Unfortunately, often times with things are going good, we forget about thanking God completely. In the book, David mentions the story of Jericho. He displays this picture of Joshua preparing for battle. He is thinking about all the strategies and tactics for war as he should be being the leader of the army. But God has a different plan. This battle was not about Joshua being a good leader or a strong warrior. This story is about God revealing His power and strength. So he tells Joshua to march around the walls and on the last day, march around playing trumpets and have the people shout. That must have sounded ridiculous. But this is the plan that God designed that would show his faithfulness the best. I say all of this to draw a comparison to how we think things should be done vs how God inteds them to be...I promise my question will come soon... hang tight. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us Now to the question part of this rant....I obviously struggle with insecurity because of the infidelity in my marriage. It goes back to that same head-to-heart struggle that I have described before. I remind myself of who I am in Christ and that I am a daughter of the God who created me exactly as I am and loves me unconditionally. But just as easily in the back of my mind I have the picture of being replaced...of someone else holding his hand and laughing at his jokes. Everyone says trust is not just given, it is earned. I know there are consequences for actions but here is where I'm getting a little confused. In the verses that I listed above, none of them say "If you confess your sins, He will forgive you but He will have to wait and see over time if you really are going to change." And they also dont say "For he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and put us on probation to make us jump through a ton of hoops before being really reconnected and forgiven and given a clean slate." Part of me is very convicted about this. I sin EVERY DAY and I know I will sin EVERY DAY for the rest of my life but yet I want God to trust me to carry His will out. I want to be used by Him and for Him to trust me to be a good and faithful servant. So how does that connect with my human emotions? God gave me a very big heart and feels everything. I love and hurt very easily because I love with my everything. I love with my everything because that is how I feel that God has called His children to be. So I guess my question is two-fold and all boils down to this: When God forgives us, he doesn't put conditions on his forgiveness. He forgives and says you are wiped clean and your sin is as far as the East is from the West. If we are called to be like Jesus, doesn't that mean we are called to forgive without conditions? And how the HECK do I do that when all of those insecurities and thoughts keep popping up in my mind?

3 comments:

  1. Kayla,

    First I want you to know that I am praying for you every day and am amazed at the strength that I see in you through this hard time in your life. God is working so that this time would not be a victory for Satan but so He (God) can make it into something good in your life.

    You are right to say that God does not forgive us and then wait to see if we can be trusted. And our forgiveness is to be unconditional as well. But, just because you forgive him, does not mean that you have to forget everything that happened. It does mean that you release the anger, hurt, and bitterness to God. The forgiveness is for your healing, not his. If a woman has been beaten by her husband and decides to forgive him, it does not mean that she goes back to get beaten some more. But by forgiving him she does not.allow that anger and bitterness to build up in her like a poison. Because that will put a barrier between you and God and affect everything in.your life, especially your precious little girl.

    Stay strong in Him, Kayla, and fight the good fight. Praying for you girl.

    Kelsey

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  2. Sw,
    I am just now seeing this... as far as Good goes his love is unconditional. He forgives unconditionally.... as far as but I know you love unconditionally.... forgiveness is ok to be conditional.... it will take a lot, it will take time, but it all starts today.... you know how I feel and I cannot say I WANT you to forgive... but you also know I support you and am behind you 203750% . I love you

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  3. Hey Kayla,

    I totally get what you're saying. It is such a hard, fine balance to come to a place of unconditional forgiveness where we don't keep taking the forgiveness back by getting angry about it all again. It's soooo hard to keep our minds from dwelling on the injustice of it all and the hurt and the pain and the anger and then the injustice and the hurt and the pain.....it's a vicious circle that we get caught up in in our thoughts. I know because I do it so much! I forgive and I think I'm over it, then something happens that triggers feelings or an incident that you thought you had dealt with and there go the thoughts again ... unjustice, hurt, pain, anger.....and pretty soon I've taken back my forgiveness as if I'd never given it to begin with!

    After trying so many times on my own to forgive....as if I could muster up the will to forgive and keep it there all by myself....I realized that I just absolutely cannot do it. This forgiveness....this unconditional forgiveness....is something that only God can do through me!! I've been trying to forgive for 10 years and I still have not totally accomplished it! Even when I give it to God, I end up taking it right back through my thoughts! Ugh!! I totally understand the frustration of it. Some people can forgive and they seem to move on right away....you seem more like me...very sensitive, love with your whole heart, love easily and get hurt easily....I think for people like us that forgiveness doesn't come so quickly. We are like peeling back the layers of an onion....you recognize and forgive and heal from the pain and then before you know it, there's another layer that you didn't realize you were even hurting in....layer after layer, submitted to be covered by His blood and yet the layers seem endless! sigh....I'm not trying to be discouraging, just honest about the process of healing. It can take a very long time and I would advice you to be patient with yourself as you go through this process...one layer at a time!

    This unconditional love and unconditional forgiveness comes from God ONLY...we can't muster it up no matter how hard we try because we want justice ....we are programmed to want justice....but it's not what God asks of us. He asks us to forgive for our own healing (not for the other person) - as someone here has already said. He asks us to leave the retribution in His hands...He will repay...but not on our timing and maybe not the way we would like Him to repay. But even so, the healing process is one that will bring the forgiveness and it will take time. I think there are levels of forgiveness....at least with me there have been. It's something you give the other person as a gift, but in reality the gift is for you....for your healing and it doesn't all come overnight.

    Sorry to be so wordy, but it's difficult for me to put this into words sometimes....I have walked through it and am walking through it and I know the pain and the injustice and I know the hurt! I also know that just because you are asked by God to forgive....I don't see anywhere that He says we have to trust the other person! We are not called to trust anyone but God! Not that we shouldn't have people in our lives that we trust, however, our ultimate trust is not in people, not even in pastors....but in the Word of God and in God Himself!! I am praying for you, Kayla. I wish I could take away your pain! I love you! <3

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