Friday, September 25, 2009

Letting go

Ephesians 4:32; Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

You want a guaranteed way to get yourself all fired up and angry? Just start thinking about all the things people should be doing for you that they aren’t – the ways they should be encouraging you, the ways they should be helping you, the ways they should be letting you know that they care about you.

Go ahead, try it. Don’t make excuses for them. Don’t remind yourself of their many respons-ibilities. Don’t think about the times they have been there for you (concentrate only on their failures!), and whatever you do, don’t you dare think for one minute about the times you may have let them down.

Good job. By now you ought to be boiling mad. You might even be crying because you’re just so hurt by how people disappoint you!

Are we having fun yet?

It’s a fact of life – people will let us down. Sadly, I’m sure I’ve disappointed everyone in a hundred ways. I’m thankful for those who bear patiently with me and forgive my many shortcomings.

Sometimes I’m not so forgiving of others. I can mull a grievance to death, working myself into a state of pathetic self-pity until I’m unfit to be around other humans. I need to let go of these things.

When I’m disappointed in others, I need to remember how much I have been forgiven. In my sorrow over being disappointed by others and being a disappointment to others, there is comfort in knowing that in all these things, somehow, miraculously, I am “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.
1:6).

My Savior knew that I would fail, and that is why He came to redeem me. And from a heart of gratitude for His great grace, I can extend that grace to those around me.

No comments:

Post a Comment