Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Colossians 3:12-13
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Brothers and sisters one thing I know I've shared before both on here and with others is I know mercy for I have been shown mercy. I know kindness and longsuffering for He showed it and continues to show it to me. Friends as I was driving home last night I thought about when Jesus said that the disciples would be His witnesses( Acts 1:8 ) and the same call is for all believers, well this got me thinking. Should not in our daily lives our very actions be a very witness of the fact we are one of His. For example someone treats you unkindly and instead of being mean you show them mercy and treat them kindly. Whether you realize it or not by doing this you are extending the love of Christ and it does shock them. Too often people are ready when they blow up or treat someone ill they expect it back,but to get a calm, cool or loving response it makes them think. Not only that it may just open the door to share the good news.
Not only that we don't know the situation or why they may be the way they are,but in extending genuine Christian love and exhibiting the fruit of the spirit we open the door to witness to someone. Another thought I had as I was driving was how often do we as Christians want to witness, but say well I don't know what to say or how to do it? The beautiful thing is we really in honest sense don't have to worry about the exact words to say for the Lord will give us the words to say.I think of the Prophet Jeremiah when called by the Lord he said Lord,but I'm a youth and the Lord touched his mouth and put the words in his mouth ( Jeremiah 1:6-9 ). This is an encouraging thought to me and should be to any Christian. This by no means gives us a reason to get lazy,stop reading and studying His Word,but what it means is we can be sure that He goes before us and is with us all the days of our lives.
Verse 13 really touches my heart and there are other verses that touch on this topic of forgiveness. For me forgiveness is a big deal. I understand it to such depths do the fact as just as I said I know mercy and love for He showed them first and continues to show them to me. For me my father whom I believe few have met who lives in Florida really hurt me deep when my parents split in 2002, my senior year of high school. The beautiful thing is Jesus can heal deep cuts and and through it teach you lessons. Despite the hurt and distrust I went through in this, it amazes me just how beautiful my Savior is. I can honestly say I have forgiven my father for what he has done. I've prayed for him a number times and don't lose hope. I know that since salvation is of the Lord( Jonah 2:9 ), I know there is hope. You know up until I met Jesus I thought I had really and completely forgiven him. Of course there was a deeper problem in it and I do believe it was I didn't understand forgiveness until I knew the Savior and author of my salvation.
Brothers and sisters I encourage you if there is someone you haven't forgiven, don't hold a grudge forgive them as Christ forgave you. Don't allow unforgiveness to root in your heart and eat at you. It is no wonder my life was such a wreck before Christ. The more I walk with Him and mature in Him I see my past life in light of the scripture and see the burdens I carried as a result of who I was without Him.Without Him I was a man lost and on a road that had a definite end to destruction. Then He found me and life has never been the same and I wouldn't want it to be. I leave you with encouraging words from the Apostle Paul, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21 )
Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><
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