The day after Thanksgiving (2015) I wrote about forgiveness.
It turned out to be, by far, the most popular post of the year.
This time, I'd like to go deeper and ask: Is judgment somehow linked to the inability to forgive?
Last week during a counseling session with my home church's assistant pastor, I admitted that my "go to" response in life has been to judge.
It doesn't matter what the circumstance entails. Or who the person might be.
The inclination to judge always seems to be lurking, right below the surface.
Like a school of sharks zeroing in on the kill. Did someone do something I didn't like? Did someone offer an opinion opposite of mine?
Watch, out here comes judgment, drawn to the action like sharks to blood.
And God forbid that someone offends me!
Within such a critical atmosphere, is it any wonder that forgiveness can seem difficult?
Thankfully, there is a way out of this emotional minefield.
It's called grace.
By grace I don't have to wait until I feel like it to forgive. (Remember forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling!)
By grace I can see beyond the pettiness of my offense, get the bigger picture and realize that what offends me is fairly small in the light of being forgiven by God for everything I have done.
By grace I get an inkling that thoughts of judgment aren't coming from heaven. (Isn't it the enemy/devil who comes to rob, steal, destroy and accuse?).
By grace I can actually turn judgment against someone into an opportunity to actively bless them.
All of this is part of what God's Son meant by God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
Can you imagine gossiping, or envy or other forms of tongue-wagging happening in heaven? Of course not! So why should we so easily accept these things as givens here on earth; in our own life?
It's relatively early in 2016. This year we can start with a clean slate. We can decide to grab hold of God's grace and apply it.
We can slow down the judgment train in our life if we want to. With God's help we can forgive and, like God does when God forgives us, forget and let go of the past.
What do you think? I'm curious to read your thoughts on forgiveness!
Photo Credit. www.ou.org
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