Forgiveness of Others

Revenge is for God, Not Us

Proverbs 20:22 NRSV
Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the Lord, and He will help you.

Have you ever been misunderstood? Of course. We all have. We have done something or said something and our intentions just didn’t communicate well. Beyond that, have you ever made a mistake, one that ended up costing or hurting someone else? Again, of course! We all have made those mistakes, the actions or choices we regret and wish that we could have changed.

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I Have Learned….

The following quote contains “principles for Christian living” that are taken mostly from the ‘wisdom’ literature of the bible: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

It is impossible for one to live right, or to have wholesome
relationships, without following Scriptural principles.

I’VE LEARNED that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved…
The rest is up to them.

I’VE LEARNED that no matter how much I care,
some people just don’t care back.

I’VE LEARNED that no matter how good a friend is,
they’re going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I’VE LEARNED that just because someone doesn’t love you
the way you want to, doesn’t mean they don’t love you
with all they have.

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We Fight the Wrong Way

Ephesians 6:12, 18 (NRSV)
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. . . . Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

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Adultery is Forgivable

First of all let me say this, I don’t condone adultery. And just because it is forgivable by God, if a spouse repents and turns from their sin, doesn’t make it justifiable in any way shape or form. Infidelity always hurts someone and causes much unneeded animosity between couples. It’s best to be healthy minded spiritually and mentally so you won’t be tempted by lustful desires in the first place. But unfortunately many Christians today are not keeping as spiritually fit as they should.

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Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.

Really? I think that innocent childhood adage should be revised. Sticks and stones can break my bones but words … can break my heart. Broken bones will mend, but surgery can’t heal a broken heart.

This week I’ve been thinking about criticism. I’ve discussed Criticism vs Feedback and Keys to Responding To Criticism. One additional thought seems crucial to the basic premise of SetFreeToday.

You might guess that an event in my own life has prompted this analysis, and you’d be correct. I’ve been watching someone close to me in a wrestling match with criticism disguised as feedback.

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Love Is Forgiveness, Compassion, Submission and Respect

A healthy marriage is made up of compassion, submission, respect and forgiveness. Did you notice that I didn’t even use the word “love”? That’s because all of the above constitutes love. When you demonstrate these character traits with others you are essentially turning these words into loving action. Love is being submissive, compassionate, respectful and forgiving.

Forgiveness is Love

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