Despite the poor state that the world is in, there will always be things that make us happy. For instance our children. Children are fallible and we know the importance of forgiving them. Like our children, we adults also need to receive forgiveness. An attempt to visualize the biggest gift that God has in store for us.
We live in a broken world and get confronted with bad news regularly.
Crimes, diseases, deaths: so much is happening around us and it seems to get worse day by day. All these events shatter us. Yet in this same world, we manage to delight in the presence of the innocent.
A newborn baby, a happy child or a joyful puppy. Everyone that loves children or pets probably knows this feeling.
You find yourself looking at these little fellas, whilst you have a big smile on your face and feel this happy tingle in your heart.
I call this feeling DELIGHT.
We find joy in watching our children play, seeing them laugh and observing them how they have a quality time.
Until...
they do something stupid.
Do not do what they are told to.
This behaviour has a name: REBELLION.
Every child rebels at some point in their life if not daily. This is a natural expression of them showing that they are independent and unique human beings. "Hey! Here I am. I know what I want and what I do not want".
We have to teach our children everyday, that some of the things that they do, are not good for them. We know that, because we are a little bit longer in this world and made our experiences.
In the end, we can’t be angry with our kids for too long, even though they come with faults and bad behavior.
We forgive them, day in and day out.
Because we love them.
We adults are also children.
Yes, read that again.
We are children.
Not only do we all have an inner child within us.
We are also children
Children of GOD.
As soon as we acknowledge the inner child within us, we draw closer to the truth, that we adults also need forgiveness
Like our children, we come with many faults and mistakes. In comparison to our children, we adults should know better what is good and what is not.
Yet this certainty does not stop us from failing. No matter how hard we try, we all fall short sooner or later.
Whether we judge someone else, hurt a person that we love, or we lie; we all do some of these things.
Like our children, we also rebel. Whilst they rebel against us parents, we rebel against our heavenly Father. He is the one who sets the moral standard of right and wrong.
There are two possibilities to react to an incorrect behavior. Through punishment, or through Grace.
When we think back to our childhood and to a moment when our parents or someone else we rebelled against, forgave us: How did that make us feel?
I remember feeling very relieved.
By receiving forgiveness, the negative feelings of guilt and shame get stripped off the soul.
With a clean conscience, we can start afresh. Move on.
Rebellion against God has a second name. It is called SIN.
We sin against God over and over again. Do we deserve to be forgiven even if we do that?
Of course we deserve forgiveness.
Simply because we are loved!
No one would argue not to forgive a child who repents. So why do we argue about receiving forgiveness from God?
I believe it all has to do with the fact that people are not able to grasp how much we are loved.
Yes, God also delights in us adults.
You.
Me.
Everyone.
However, God had to find a way somehow, to show his forgiveness to us and to set us free. Set us free from the consequences that a sinful life has. God came up with the smartest move that one could ever imagine.
He came up with a sacrifice to put in place of our rebellion against him (the sin).
Imagine forgiveness is a pathway.
And on the path many things lie around.
Obstacles such as:
Pride.
Shame.
Guilt.
These all lie around on the pathway.
God is the WAYMAKER, that is able to remove all obstacles.
Forgiveness is the state, where all obstacles have been removed. Where the way is free.
Imagine you are walking on this pathway now. And suddenly there is a cross in front of you.
In front of your faults, mistakes, your pride and your shame.
What does this cross have to do there?
What, and there is someone hanging there? A man called Jesus Christ who lived in flesh more than 2000 years ago?
Who is suffering, who is bleeding and sheds his blood that is slowly dripping down?
Imagine seeing the blood dripping on your guilt, faults and sins.
Imaging seeing how it washes EVERYTHING away.
You can watch the obstacles disappear.
You look at the path and there are no hindrances anymore.
The cross that you see represents FORGIVENESS.
It is there to show to you that you are God's child and are worthy to be forgiven. Who would not want that?
Why would you choose not to be forgiven?
YOU ARE WORTHY!!!
YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!
Forgiveness is the biggest act of love towards our children. By forgiving, we show them that we accept them the way they are and love them unconditionally.
Forgiveness is also the biggest gift that we can receive from God.
Let us remove everything that is between us adults and our children.
Let us remove everything that is between God and us, his children.
Let us accept the GIFT OF FORGIVENESS.
We need it more than ever.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
If you are interested in the topic Forgiveness, make sure you do not miss the last post.