Not Revenging a Difference
My husband and I had a horrible month. It was a thread of little fights that gave birth to bigger fights. If you're married, you know exactly what I'm talking about. One night I turned to him, concerned and worried and asked, "Is our relationship dying?" He grazed my face assuring me and told me, "Christ can resurrect all things. All we need is a resurrection. If his son can resurrect from the dead, this is drop in the bucket." It reminded me about a discussion we had around Easter.
Our conversation was about what big thing we felt God was trying to prepare us for this year. His response was spiritual resurrection and mine was faith. I had no clue what this would mean at the time, but I know now that it was divine intervention. A glimpse of preparation to understand what was to come and test the strength of my faith.
I'll admit to you... the hardest journey I've had spiritually was the faith to believe in a miraculous biblical change because the Holy Spirit changed someone from the inside out. In fact, the very idea has plagued my mind – even as a believer. I know that faith offers forgiveness and promise that no choice, no mistake, no sin is too much to overcome through a simple act of faith. In fact, God, granting us forgiveness through faith, will declare a ‘not guilty (justified)’ to all who believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for theirs sins. Still, I have wondered what forgiveness looks like (as a mental checklist) and if I l was truly leading by faith that they have/can change (d). I've reconciled by understanding what I’ve blogged below.
The first thing that I had to accept and understand is that by passing by an injustice, without revenge, is not an eclipse of my honor or character. It says in scripture that, "It is his glory to pass over a transgression (proverbs 19:11)." I gather from this scripture that it is far more honorable to bury an injury than to revenge it. In fact, it is wrath that's comes from weakness. If we want to achieve nobility, than we must overlook offenses to some degree.
In my opinion, resentment is the deliberate decision to nurse an offense so well that it becomes a black, low hitting, growling grudge. Yes, unfaithfulness is wrong and revenge is bad. However, the worst part of all of that is without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.
I've been thinking about the truths that Moses tried to teach the Israelites. This still hold true for believers today. Moses explained to the Israelites about their privileged status as the people of God. He reminded them that they were not like the people of the foreign lands whose gods could not respond to them. He explained to them that God is alive. He proclaimed to them that He is close and He is responsive. That He is here to listen and bring insight and transformation in hopeless situations.
When I pray in faith... I am praying to a responsive God who loves me and wants to be an active part of my life. There is no obstacle He cannot overcome if I allow Him.
That is faith.
It is the belief and permission to allow God to do exactly what He wants to do in your life and your spouse’s life. The belief that He, God, can do all things.
In the final analysis, forgiveness of a debt is an act of faith. By forgiving someone, you trust that God is a better justice-maker than you are. By forgiving, you release the right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. You can spend hours figuring out who had the most faults or plague your mind on how much healing God has to do or...you can truly leave it in God's faithful hands. My continued prayer/plea for you is that your heart will be in the ministry of Godly harvesting. I pray that you will have faith that He will nurture the good, bring peace through actual forgiveness and bring death to anything contrary to that. The simple (but seemingly unsatisfying) solution is to treat forgiveness like any work. Those without that work ( or forgiveness) will be lacking in true faith and thus not be among the justified (forgiven).
After all He is the only God whose scale balance justice and mercy. I say those are great odds!
