Forgiveness....what does it really mean?

"In prayer there is a connection between what God and does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part."-Matthew 6:14-15 (The Message)

What does forgiveness mean to you? For some, the literal definition of this concept may seem daunting. How are we to simply let go of the wrongs that others have inflicted upon us? How are we to move on? Sometimes others hurt us so much we are changed forever. Sometimes we have to rebuild our lives.

When this happens, it can be extremely difficult to even consider the thought of forgiving our enemies.

If we can't forgive, we are only looking at our world through a human point of view. Sure, by worldly standards, we can't forgive people of the horrible acts they inflict upon us. But doesn't the Bible teach that we are not of this world? When we choose to accept and follow Jesus, we are no longer a part of this sin-filled world. We are consumed by God's amazing grace and fulfillment. Our eyes should be pointed towards spiritual eternity, not the temporary death of the world. So by God's standards, we have to forgive.

God lets go of all our sins when we choose to follow Him. He expects us to do the same. Every day we should strive to look more like Jesus, and that includes incredible, complete forgiveness. The way we treat others is how we treat God. We can't hold onto grudges, because that's not what God does to us.

So the big question is, how do we do it? How do we forgive people? Do we gingerly let them back in a position to hurt us again? Do we become a doormat? Not at all. We lean on God's guidance and provision and become wiser through it.

What we do FIRST is call on God to change our hearts. Those hurt feelings can change you into a different person and destroy your life. But if you calm down and let God into your soul, he will change your heart and teach you how to focus on Him.

Second, we decide to "wish them well." Rob Bell speaks on this in his NOOMA video series. Part of unforgiveness and hate is to wish horrible things upon someone. Let's be honest, that's usually our first gut reaction, right? But when you allow God to change your heart first, he will show you how to wish your enemy well. Pray for them. Pray that God will show them (in whatever way He needs to) what they did wrong. Pray that they will seek God and change. Pray that their life will turn around and they will know true, Godly success.

Third, decide realistic boundaries. This varies between the person and the circumstance. In most cases, you can let the person back into your life, slowly allowing yourself to trust them. Unfortunately, many other times we have to distance ourselves from the person completely. It can be dangerous to let them in . Ask God to show you what to do. He will guide you in how to deal with this step.

Remember that forgiveness is mainly for you, not the person you are forgiving. Be set free from pain and hurt feelings. When we move past it, we move closer to God.

"......For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Philippians 4:11. What about you? Do you find yourself desiring more and more things? Or for your life to completely change to make it "easier?" There are many things we cannot change. Sometimes we are just destined to deal with certain things. There's no point in dwelling on how you wish to change it if it's not going to happen. Learn to be content, no matter what happens. Rest in the Lord and what he provides. Sometimes circumstances will turn around, other times they won't. But when we learn to embrace it is when we can grow with God.

"......For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Philippians 4:11. What about you? Do you find yourself desiring more and more things? Or for your life to completely change to make it "easier?" There are many things we cannot change. Sometimes we are just destined to deal with certain things. There's no point in dwelling on how you wish to change it if it's not going to happen. Learn to be content, no matter what happens. Rest in the Lord and what he provides. Sometimes circumstances will turn around, other times they won't. But when we learn to embrace it is when we can grow with God.

"Whenever you do something for someone overlooked or ignored, that is me, you're doing it to me." -Matthew 25. (the message). When we do good things for others we are not necessarily doing it only for them. Jesus tells us that the way we treat people is the way we treat Him. Why? Because as Christians, we are to spread God's love. He created and loves everyone, so we are to treat His creation with respect. That being said, this also works the other way around. When we treat others poorly, we are doing the same to God. We can't all be perfect of course, but let's get in the habit of treating people with love and respect.

"Where can I go from your Sprit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." - Psalm 139:7-8. Lately something has been bothering me continuously. You may have heard me talk about this before. But it is a trend that needs to cease. A common phrase I'm sure that all of you have heard is, "God showed up at ____!" or "God was so there!" or "Let's ask God to come here!" God is everywhere, and always with us. People who say these phrases wouldn't deny that. We are able to feel God when we open our hearts to Him. But people don't want to admit this because it takes humility to admit that we don't always have our hearts open to God. Let's stop the pridefulness and be truthful.

Most of us have had times when friends turn their backs on us. Sometimes they act like they don't know us. Sometimes they act as if we are ridiculous when around others. Sometimes they just leave us. They act in this way to gain acceptance from others. Maybe some of us do or have done these things to others. You can imagine how much it hurts. Unfortunately, many of us do this daily with God. Some praise Him in private or at church, but ignore Him when around certain crowds. Imagine how it feels. Take your eyes off of status and popularity of this world and point them towards God. People and their opinions will fade away, but God is there forever.

Most of us have had times when friends turn their backs on us. Sometimes they act like they don't know us. Sometimes they act as if we are ridiculous when around others. Sometimes they just leave us. They act in this way to gain acceptance from others. Maybe some of us do or have done these things to others. You can imagine how much it hurts. Unfortunately, many of us do this daily with God. Some praise Him in private or at church, but ignore Him when around certain crowds. Imagine how it feels. Take your eyes off of status and popularity of this world and point them towards God. People and their opinions will fade away, but God is there forever.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5. Many people have heard the last part of this verse, but have you ever read the beginning? Be content with what you have. Don't focus on money. God takes care of us. There's no point in obsessing over getting more and more money/possessions. If we were meant to worry about temporary, earthly things, He wouldn't tell us "Never will I leave/forsake you."

"What you fear reveals what you value the most. What you fear reveals where you trust God the least." -Craig Groeschel. Don't let fear become your god. When we fear something, we lose faith in Him. We put that fear above God and let it consume us. Let go of your fears and worries, and let your faith rest on Him. Put God first.

take time today to hear directly from God. Don't let a text message or sermon get into your head for a moment. What is He saying directly to you?

America's culture is all about productivity and time management. It seems as if we are always asking ourselves how much we can get done in a short period of time. We are always in a rush, always on the go, and always busy. Hard work, productivity, and drive are great attributes. But when do we stop? Sometimes we can be so consumed with activity that we lose sight of God and His will for us to rest. HE rested when He created the universe. He commands us to take one day to relax and be reminded of Who He is. It doesn't matter if it can't be Sunday for you. What matters is that God is your focus. Pastor Chris was talking about this topic sunday. To hear the message you can watch it online at churchofthehighlands.com !

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and God's spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. God gave us our earthly, physical bodies. So why do so many of us choose not to take care of them? The Bible is very clear that our bodies should be treated as temples. They should be kept clean, healthy, and pure. We use our God-given bodies every day for His work and His will. We need to have the right tool for the right work.

"Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry-but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the devil that kind of foothold in your life." Ephesians 4:26-27 (The Message version). We're all human, so we naturally experience human emotion. It does not say anywhere in the Bible to hide sadness, fear, and anger. God created us to be emotional creatures. So why do so many churches have an unspoken code of hiding how you truly feel? Because so many people are trying to fit the fake, cookie cutter image of a Christian. Be real and honest when you're upset. Tell God why you feel that way. But don't let your anger consume you. It's ok to feel angry, but give it over to God and let it go. Ask Him to help.

"The world asks, "What does a man own?" Christ asks, "How does he use it?"- A friend tweeted this quote this morning. Think for a minute on the truth of this quote. The human conception of capability is limited by material, finite things. God's power is limitless-beyond our own reasoning. He can turn anything into a possibility. Do not lose heart because you think you have too little.......instead, keep your faith strong, and God will use whatever is necessary.

"The Godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray." - Proverbs 12:26. Sometimes jealousy, grudges, and etc can lead us to have resentment towards our friends. These feelings can make us do thing we wouldn't normally do. If you ever feel yourself wanting revenge or leading a friend astray, stop for a second. What is the right thing to do? It's certainly not to lead them astray. Show them love, and guide them on the right path. The right thing to do is usually the hardest, but the blessings are immeasurable. Remember that Jesus laid down his life for his friends......despite all of our sin.

"Be still, and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10. One of the amazing things about God's word is that we can read the same verse 12 times, but it can mean 12 different things to us. This verse may mean to you, " You will get through this....with Me..." or, "Stop worrying, I'm here." or, "You need to be humbled. I am God, not you." ....what does this verse mean to you?

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word,'darkness' on the walls of his cell." - C.S. Lewis. Nothing can hinder God or His glory. It's a useless, futile attempt. He is amazing, and His awesome presence is everywhere. You just have to open your heart.

"....Follow me and be my disciple.' Jesus said to him [Levi, a tax collector]. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him." Luke 5:27-28. Notice that Levi did not complain or make any excuses. He did not prepare, pack, say goodbye, or anything. He dropped everything he was doing, and followed Christ. He didn't wait until the "right" time, "right" scenario, "right" emotion, music, surroundings, etc. Jesus said, "Follow me..." and Levi did so, with no question. Jesus wants all of us to follow Him too. Will you drop everything with no excuses and without stalling? Levi was a tax collector, one of the most hated and corrupt people of that time. He changed and gave it up for God. We can too.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18. When we are going through the rough parts of our life, sometimes we feel as if God is a million miles away. But that is exactly the opposite. He is always right there with you, through the bad AND the good. He is there to be your comfort and strength. He will lift you back up if you just call to Him....

"The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; He sets the standards for fairness." Proverbs 16:11. We are to be fair, truthful, and honest with ALL people about ALL things. God is truth. The devil is full of lies. Which one will you choose?

"We don't think there's something wrong with one year old children because they don't walk perfectly. They fall down frequently but we pick them up, love them, bandage them if necessary, and keep working with them. Surely our heavenly father can do even more for us than we can do for our children." -Joyce Meyer.

"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:2. People usually tend to justify their own actions. Maybe deep down they know it was wrong, but they make excuses until they convince themselves it was the right thing to do. We don't always know the circumstances that fuel others' actions, but the Lord does. He knows your heart. We may be able to fool everyone around us, but there's no possible way we can fool God. We need to ask Him to give us discernment over our own actions.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5. Do you ever find yourself constantly wondering what to do in many situations? Maybe you see yourself lacking wisdom. Forget trying to solve all of life's problems on your own. Ask God for wisdom on what to do in every area of your life. God is generous, and He loves us, so He will give you wisdom. It's amazing what can happen once you give your troubles to God.....rather than trying to fix things yourself.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7. Being a Christian does not mean being weak. It does not mean hiding your tail between your legs and running away. As followers of Christ we are to stand tall against our opposition, and not be influenced by others. We are to know we have the Creator, the ultimate power, on our side. We have love, the strongest force, on our side. And when we commit ourselves to self-discipline, we can have the confidence to get us through. Being a Christian is the opposite of being weak. It is the most powerful, courageous thing you can do!

"I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2. NOW is the time to step it up. Not later. NOW is the time for salvation and repentance. We can't continue to wait around for the "right" circumstances. As Pastor Chris says, if you wait for things to be perfect.....it will never happen. What does this verse mean to you? Maybe it means you should begin the process of salvation, tithing, refraining from sin, being nice to others, etc. Whatever it means to you, NOW is the time to make a difference.

"No temptation has siezed you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. Sometimes when we sin we make the excuse that we "couldn't help it." "The temptation was to great to bear." "There was no way out." But this is not true. God wouldn't leave us stranded to a point where we had no other choice but to sin. We CAN resist, with His help. You can escape. In Christ....there's always hope.

"The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again." Proverbs 24:16. One of the most common misconceptions about Christians is that they are supposed to be perfect. But the only perfect person is Christ. So when we slip up sometimes, it can seem like the whole world is watching. But does that mean we fail at life, or go to hell? No! The whole basis behind following Christ besides love is being forgiven. We should strive to not sin, but we should also know that He will forgive us. You can get up past your sin. He will carry you beyond it. You may trip seven times..... But you can always get up again with Him.