CWW Week 16 - Day 3 - God In The Family
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Joshua 24:15
‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’
Devotional.
We continue today to unpack the Resolution commitment with the ninth
principle of manhood.
I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I
have wronged.
This has been a hot topic in recent months as the world grapples with the
effects of mandates and government over reach. It is hard to overlook the
crimes that have been perpetrated in the name of public health. These have
either been brought about by gross over reaction, wilful blindness,
malpractice, criminal negligence or just plain corruption or a mix of all.
There are many people calling for retribution, and an anger is seething
below the surface in a growing second tier society screaming out for
justice. Calls for Nuremberg trials and even public hangings are witnessed
at every flick of the social media pages. People have been hurt.
But what should be the real purpose of justice in a Christ centred society?
Is it vengeance to see evil doers brought to justice and summarily
condemned and punished?
Perhaps it’s to put the wrong doings of others under the spotlight so that
lessons may be learned and those who committed these crimes are
penalised in order to discourage future criminal or negligent activities.
If our desire is to seek revenge then that does not align with what should
be, our Christianity. When the Bible says an eye for an eye, is it referring
to the measure at which justice should be metered out? God says clearly in
the book of Romans.
Romans 12:17-19
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of
all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with
all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to
wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
When we commit an act of revenge, we are doing God’s job and not God’s
work.
When I flew for my former employer we had what was termed a non
punitive safety culture. This meant that we were encouraged to self report
as a means of the entire group learning from each others mistakes.
If our motives are revenge, then our methods will be seen as no better than
those we strive to rise above. But if our motive is to learn, to ensure this
never happens again, then our methods will enhance the better stance that
develops character and shines a light on the principles espoused in the
Resolution.
Reconciling with those I have wronged requires courage and self
reflection. Nothing demonstrates character more, than admitting we were
wrong. When we do this we grow and so does the other party. God’s plan
for mutual benefit is incredible.
Once again here we find motive in method. Just because we apologise does
not mean that an acceptance is mandatory. If we expect to have our
apology accepted and display our motive in the way we react to the
rejection, then our reconciliation attempt was not genuine. A sincere
apology should never be couched in a getting off the hook mentality
because it nullifies the sincerity as false.
Jesus died on the cross to reconcile us to His Father. Reconciliation is of
paramount importance in the government in Heaven. It fits perfectly with
God’s plan of amazing grace and mercy. If we are created in our Fathers
image then we are more than encouraged to understand these principles.
When I was a young teenager I was jigging school for six months by
hiding out in the bush where I lived. In boredom I used to steal our
neighbours mail and read it. This went on for weeks. The police came
around to see my folks and we had to attend the police station. I thought I
was going to jail.
My Dad was horrified and very embarrassed.
The police sergeant said that they would let me off if my Dad took me
around to each neighbour and made me apologise. I was so humiliated at
every house. It was an utterly demoralising experience for me and even
more for my Father. I talked it over with Dad many decades later before he
died.
I declared that the experience taught me so much, and he admitted he
learned a lot too. I asked him what he learned, and he told me that he
realised that he wasn’t a very good father and had all his priorities wrong
when I needed him most.
That’s how all this is meant to work in God’s strategy that all heal when
grace is applied in compassion and in love.
I remember a situation that almost destroyed me. A family friend became
my tenant when I leased my family home to her. She paid rent for the first
three months and then stopped paying. She would not take my calls and
every attempt to reconcile was ignored. This dragged on for over a year. It
not only destroyed me financially, but it jolted my faith in human nature
and a friendship I thought was worth so much more than the value my
friend placed on it. It took me years to realise that my anger was eating me
alive long after she eventually moved out. What I did not realise was that
she was also being eaten alive by her shame at what she had done. Satan
was having a field day with collateral damage on both sides.
We met years later at a friends wedding that both of us were invited to
without knowing the other had also received an invitation. She was hugely
embarrassed and would not make eye contact with me all night.
Eventually it got the better of me and I sat next to her at her table. She
didn’t know where to put herself. We made eye contact and held our
breath. She dissolved into tears before I even spoke. “ I am so very sorry.”
she sobbed. I put my arm around her and forgave her behaviour and the
debt. We talked for half an hour, hugged and moved on in more ways than
we could ever have ever imagined. Grace had just set us both free.
I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I
have wronged. I cannot think of anyone who loses when this principle is
applied.
Questions.
1. 2. 3. Have you ever felt relief when someone apologised to you?
Have you ever felt relieved when you admitted you were wrong?
Who do you know who needs to receive your forgiveness?
Prayer.
Dear Lord, Papa God.
Thank you Papa for forgiving me my sins. Thank you for showing me
what is so amazing about grace and thank you for growing in me a heart of
flesh to replace my heart of stone. Please Lord forgive me my sins as I
forgive those who trespass against me. Cover me with your wisdom grace
and mercy as I grow in You is my prayer in Jesus Holy name. Amen.
Graham Hood.
