Fruitvale Christian Fellowship

Real Forgiveness

Real Forgiveness

I like to listen to country music, and I know for some of you it’s not your style, but for us who like our dogs, cars, and guns, well you get the picture. I digress; I was listening to a new song by Jared and The Long Road to Love, “Pray for You,” and it got my attention. In the song a young man has broken up with his girl and is looking for closure. His life is a mess, so he goes to Church and listens to the preacher who says we must forgive and pray for our enemies. So the young man decides to take the high road, says “I’ll be praying for you (the girl). I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill, I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to, I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls, I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls.” I think you get the picture: he’s doing a lot of praying.

Now to be fair, a lot of us pray that way. We pray that God will do things the way we want Him to, kind of take care of our interests. I do recall reading in the Good Book that when we pray we are to pray in this manner: “ Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” Now it would seem our friend in the song has it wrong. He’s not asking God for release to move on with life but to avenge a hurt he has received. How many of us carry hurts and pains that cripple us as well as our relationships? God has laid it out for us: we must seek His will in all things, and ask His forgiveness for our shortcomings. Forgiveness is exoneration, … it is to give another grace, grace perhaps they don’t deserve. In order to receive grace we must also give it. Today, if you’re struggling with pain, walk through the door of forgiveness and begin your process of healing.

Pastor B.