Make allowance (2)

Thursday, 07 October 2010


'Make allowance for each other's faults...' Colossians 3:13 NLT


CS Lewis said, 'Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.' Author Mac Anderson writes, 'A few times in my life I've been wronged. My first reaction... was anger and resentment. I... felt my stomach tie up in knots, my appetite wane, and the joy slip out of my life... like I'd played the first half of a basketball game in steel shoes. In the locker room the coach said, 'Try these new Nikes in the second half.' Multiply that by ten and you'll understand how it feels to unload your emotional baggage through the power of forgiveness.' Jesus debunked the myth that love is based on feelings. It's an act of your will, and if you love God you'll keep His commandments. It's that simple. If you're struggling to forgive someone who's hurt you, here are some scriptural guidelines to help you. Don't seek retribution. Instead, '...overcome evil with good.' (Romans 12:21) God said, '...Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' (Romans 12:19) Don't rush to judgment. That's not always easy when you're the injured party, but the ultimate Judge said, 'With what judgment you judge, you will be judged...' (Matthew 7:2 NKJV) Make things right. Jesus said, '...be reconciled to your brother...' (Matthew 5:24 NIV) Don't wait for the other person to make the first move, you do it. Paul says, 'Make every effort to live in peace with all men...' (Hebrews 12:14 NIV) Pray for the offender. As much as it goes against your grain, when you '...pray for those who mistreat you' (Luke 6:28 NIV), God gives you the grace to forgive and see them through His eyes.

***I think God really do want me to let go of the past. I've always been a very forgiving person. I mean there are some people whom I want to punch in the face or people I want to trip over. haha.. I mean that's wrong, that is one form of vengeance. I should forgive freely, openly with my whole heart not wishing the bad of the other person. God exactly knows what to do with these kind of people. I'll leave their offenses to the higher power.

Another thing is I am not very forgiving to myself. That's a part I really need to work on.

Make allowance (1)

Wednesday, 06 October 2010

'Make allowance for each other's faults...' Colossians 3:13 NLT


When it comes to forgiving, you can't say it better than Tim Stafford did: 'I would rather be cheated a hundred times, than develop a heart of stone.' The Bible says, 'Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.' You don't get to choose who you'll forgive. Love is a command, forgiveness is an act of obedience. 'He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.' (1 John 4:21 NIV) You can't be closer to God than you are to the people you love least. God sets the bar high because grudges are like cancer, and forgiveness is the laser that removes them. Bitterness chains us to the past, destroys families, divides churches and sours relationships. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hate. Take your hurt feelings to God and say, 'Point out anything... that offends you...' (Psalm 139:24 NLT) It takes courage, but that's the kind of prayer He answers. It gets easier as you grow in Christ; in the meantime you have to work at it. As a child of God His Spirit lives inside you. You're no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:14). God knows it's hard to forgive deep-seated hurts, but He will give you grace to do it. To 'make allowance' means to take a charitable view and consider extenuating circumstances. People change and grow over time, so don't insist on clinging to a limited, outdated view of them. Try to see them as they are today. Most folks are doing their best based on the knowledge and understanding they have now, so give them a break!


**** I terribly hate _a_i_i haha.. but I know the Lord wants me to have patience with everything even in the things which are most unreasonable. In a way I know God is perfecting my patience. I have to forgive the people who had offended me from the past so that I won't have a stone heart or a heart so hard full of calluses. The Lord commands me to forgive even to myself. I have been so hard with myself lately. I cannot redo the past but I can forgive myself and move on. Yes, I need to move on.