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| The F Word | 6.29.09 |
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
A friend of mine was telling me that he was at a gas station one day filling his car up with gas.
As he stood there pumping the gas in his car, he noticed a guy jogging with a big Doberman pincher on a chain, headed toward the gas station.
When the jogger got to the front door of the gas station, he chained the dog to a metal bench just outside, then proceeded to go inside presumably to purchase something to drink.
My friend could not help but notice the majestic dog sitting quietly next to the bench with the chain on his neck. THEN, all of a sudden, out of no where, the dogs eyes got real big and he bolted forward with all his might and literally snapped the metal bench from its anchors in the concrete and began to run toward the street.
The dog ran toward the street, sparks flying, a bee line towards an SUV, dragging the park bench behind him and when he got to the SUV he stopped causing the park bench to swing around and BANG! into the SUV. Then he bolted toward a Volkswagen bug and when he got there he stopped abruptly causing the bench to swing around and BANG! into the Volkswagen. The owner came running out of the store followed by the store clerk and others and the situation was quickly under control but not without damage done.
This reminded me of how when we choose not to forgive someone no matter what they did, we are chained to a heavy weight that we carry around, the weight of Anger, Hatred and Resentment. We drag this around with us like a huge weight (like the Doberman dragging the bench) causing us to be bound by our own refusal to forgive, and it is not until we choose to forgive and let go that we shed that enormous burden of weight, weighing us down.
Through Christ, you have been forgiven, the slate is wiped clean, and God asks us to do the same
Release the anchor you may have, the anger, the hatred, the resentment and allow the weight to be lifted from you. Give it to God and allow it to be cast away forever. Choose to forgive others as you have been forgiven and feel the huge weight released forever.
When we truly forgive, it is gone, it is over, we empty our hearts, our minds and our spirit from being bound by the heavy weight and chains. Forgive and let go, lighten your hearts, as Christians we are reminded…forgive and you will be forgiven.
Tim Carlisle