Grace and Forgiveness

I have been honored to serve again as a ruling elder and as an active member of the Session. As part of our duties, we have been participating in a book discussion. We read and discuss a chapter or two each month. The book that we are reading this year is Real Followers: Beyond Virtual Christianity: A radical quest to expose the pretender inside each of us by Michael Slaughter.

This month, we are focusing on chapter 5: Experiencing the Power of Amazing Grace. Slaughter begins the chapter by saying, “As a follower of Christ, we are not accepted by God because we are right or good. We are accepted by God because we are forgiven.” He goes on to explain that nothing we do can win God’s favor. This is unlike the world we live in today. Our culture values looking a certain way, achieving a certain status, and continually one-upping each other. God, however, does not. Each of us is valuable to God simply because He created us in His own image.

God then gives each of us the “power to hurt or to heal, to bless or to curse.” I normally consider myself to be a kind person, but this challenges me in my every action with others. Unfortunately, sometimes I’m guilty of treating those I love the most, the worst. But I’m their wife, or mother, or daughter, or sister, or friend! I should treat them the BEST. I strive daily with lift up each member of my family. I never want my husband and children to doubt the love that I have for them or that God has an incredible plan for our lives. I’ve recently begun texting my husband each morning, telling him either how I appreciate something specific about him or something he’s done, or I may share with him the prayers I made regarding him that day. I make a concerted effort to spend time alone with of my children daily, verbalizing my praises, hopes, and prayers for them. I would hope to be known by family, friends, and coworkers as a person who consistently lifted up others—healing and blessing them.

Lord, I am wonderfully made in your image, and for that I thank you. I ask that you help me see others with the beauty that you see in them. Please give me the ability to choose to heal and bless others daily. Amen.

While I feel like I am moving in the right direction in the quest to heal and to bless, I am hugely challenged by Slaughter (and God!) with the other big idea in this chapter: forgiveness.

Yesterday morning on the radio, I heard that when the recently elected Pope Francis was chosen, he said, “I am a sinner.” That simple quote hit home with me. We are all sinners, yet we are all forgiven simply through Jesus’s death and the grace of God. I am so unworthy! I am a sinner! Maybe it’s difficult for me to comprehend this gift of forgiveness because it’s so hard for me to forgive others. I can hold onto a grudge for years. I remember perceived slights and rude comments for months. I would say that I forgave someone, yet I definitely would not forget. But does that mean that I haven’t actually forgiven?

C.S. Lewis said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” I’ve been pondering this for a while now. Does this mean that when someone hurts my feelings, that I have to remain silent? Does this mean that I always turn the other cheek? Where exactly is that fine line between standing up for yourself and forgiving the inexcusable? The only answer I’ve been able to surmise is that it’s better to be on God’s side—the side of forgiveness.

Lord, I thank you for your gift of amazing grace! I truly don’t deserve it. Please give me the power to forgive the inexcusable in others simply because you’ve forgiven it in me. Amen.