The answer is: God.

Hello - welcome back to A Good Bible Study! What a beautiful day to get into the Word and be blessed.

Let's pray:

Lord, I am so thankful that when I fall, you are there to pick me up. Just when I pray to not do something, I notice I shortly after have an opportunity to test my resolve. You promise that when we are faced with temptation, You have already provided the way out, if we will  pay attention and seek Your wisdom. Thank you for the answers, and when we miss the mark, thank you for Your forgiveness and love. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Are you like me? Do you pray about a fault, or an automatic response you have struggled with, and before you know it a prime opportunity presents itself to act on your resolve and bam! Before you know it, you've opened your big old mouth and hurt someone's feelings? I am so glad that God is not holding me up on a set of scales and weighing how many times I have failed before I remember how to respond with His heart, instead of mine!

Read 1 John 1:9. I like the God's Word translation below, as well as my good old New King James version:

"God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong."

Amen sisters and brothers! Isn't God good?

We  live in a stressful society with lots of reasons to feel under pressure. The following is excerpted from Ken Boa's article on Bible.org

"More than 18 million Americans are on Prozac. Credit card debt is at the highest level ever, with consumer debt currently standing at $1.4 trillion. According to Lyn Nell Hancock, in 1850, the average person slept nine-and-a-half hours per night. Now, thanks to electricity, the figure is seven hours per night and declining. There are 70 million people with sleep disorders; we live in a society that is “fried by work, frazzled by the lack of time.” Hancock quoted one woman, a mother of four from La Grange, Illinois: “I am so tired, my idea of a vacation is a trip to the dentist. I just can’t wait to sit in that chair and relax.”2 When society has reached the point where people start looking forward to getting their gums scraped and teeth drilled as a refreshing activity, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong."

When we come under repeated pressure, we can crack, blow, implode, dump, or just plain break down. God tells us we while we cannot always choose our situations, we can choose how to respond.

Believe me, God knows about stress. His Word is full of people who under stress, but turned to Him and were eventually victorious, or tried to handle things on their own and experienced the consequences of their poor choices.

David, who God called a "man after God's own heart," knew more about stress than most of us. When he was a boy, he faced a giant in battle, the father of his best friend tried to kill him numerous times, his wife was kidnapped and he had to go on the run for many years living in caves and fighting his way out, because the King placed a bounty on his head - all this because God chose David to replace King Saul as ruler.

David hadn't done anything wrong; he hadn't asked to be chosen as future ruler, and really only wanted to live in peace and praise God with his music, but here he was, forced to live in dirt and under constant attack. He was frequently afraid, angry, and worried about his future. But, read his response in Psalm 31.

Let's pray ourselves:

Father, when we are under stress, when we are angry, afraid, or have been mistreated by those we tried to be kind to, help us remember that while we are just people who are frail, insecure, and afraid, You are God, the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth. Nothing is too difficult for You. Help us remember that You have the answer, and You are the answer - no matter the problem. In Jesus' name, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Stasys Eidiejus, courtesy of http://www.photoxpresscom/

Don't show your . . . what?!

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Let's pray and get prepared for God to speak to our hearts:

Lord, thank you for helping us make time for you even though we feel there is so little time to be had. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit who continually ministers to our hearts when we are not even aware of our need. And thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, who makes it possible for us to have this wonderful relationship with You. Please help us to give you back just a portion of the time You give to us. In the name of Jesus, amen.

What's the toughest part of being you? _______________________________

I started out with a blunt question because I don't want you to think about it, just answer.

If you are under stress, I bet one of the toughest things you have to deal with is ingratitude. I bet most people don't have a clue how much you do for them, or sacrifice for their needs. There are some days when it sure gets tempting to let someone know a thing or two, am I right?

We'd all like a little gratitude now and again. How do you respond when you are bending over backwards to help someone out and they treat like they are doing you a favor breathing the same air? ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Read Matthew 5:43-48

What does it say to your situation?__________________________
____________________________________________________

Read Proverbs 19:11

What is to your glory?___________________________________

Read Luke 23:34. How did Jesus respond to those who were literally killing him? These same men actually mocked Jesus while He was laying down His life to save their souls, if only they'd ask Him. _______
___________________________________________________________________________

Would anyone one of us have greater reason to take offense and act on it, than Jesus?

Now, I'm not Jesus and I am not saying any of us are going to have His patience, or His ability to see into one another's hearts. But, it is good to know that whatever we have felt, whatever we are enduring, He has felt it, and endured it, first. And He forgave.

He recognized our ignorance, our insecurities, our need for grace, and though none of us deserve it, He gave it freely and with a full heart. He asks us to love each other, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and do it for Him. Not because that snarly teen or huffy customer will appreciate it (may be), but because He will.

"Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humble help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong." Galatians 6: 1 The Living Bible

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40 New American Standard Bible

If all else fails, you can silently recite my mantra when I am really tempted to just let someone have it (verbally). It's a southern term that all Mamas tell their kids when they are getting ready to throw a good old fashioned fit. She'll give them the look and say, "Don't show your butt."

Believe me, you'll feel better if you just smile and say "Praise Jesus, this is for you Lord," and go on your way, lip buttoned up. See if I'm not right.

Lord, help us not to show our butts today (and help anyone who took offense at my butt comment to forgive me.) In Your name, amen.

Love, Karen
 
Photo by Hunta, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/

Helping helpers

Hello, it's good to see you here in A Good Bible Study! Let's begin with prayer:

Lord, here we are again, wanting You, wanting to be closer to You and closer to who You created each of us to be. Help us to drop the worries and stressors for these few moments, so You can minister to our spirits and equip us for the day ahead.

We might be tired, we might feel so burdened with our responsibilities, we might have nothing to give right now but our willingness to be refreshed by Your Word. I know that I only need to show up, for with You, all things are possible. In Jesus' name, amen.

I first called this study Stress Inoculation, because it helps you reduce stress before it gets out of hand, kind of like vaccination shot. Gee, wouldn't that be nice if all we had to do was get a little shot once a year, and we could be inoculated against the effects of stress for another 12 months?!

Ahh, hectic schedules would sort themselves into orderly blocks of time; telemarketers would lose our numbers; and annoying interruptions would be a faint memory in the distant past.

Unfortunately, we're out of luck on that one. However, we can make a few small changes to the way we think about our lives and our relationships that, with practice, will make it seem like our load is much lighter.

For now, let's get God's take on stress. Read Isaiah 40:28-31 (New International Version)
     "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
     Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." Write that down somewhere for when you are ready to slap someone silly if they do that thing just one more time.

You know, I believe the people who experience the greatest level of stress are those who make it their job, or mission, to be helpers. A lot of people feel called to help others because of their upbringing.

When you experience trauma or harsh difficulties growing up, it seems to have one of two effects (and sometimes both at the same time): it creates a desire to protect yourself at all costs from financial, emotional, or physical insecurity; or it creates a desire to compassionately help others who are in the same situation that you survived.

Which one are you? Explain:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

I responded to my own upbringing with both a difficulty in trusting other people, and also a fierce desire to parent in a way that would give my children no doubt of my love, and in my vested interest in their well-being. I also became a Clinical Therapist, helping adults and children with some of the same problems that I witnessed and experienced growing up.

Some of you are probably helpers, as well. You may not work in a helping field, but you likely have a helping personality. The hardest thing for a helper to do, is learn when it is more helpful to not help, am I right?

The second hardest thing is to know that no matter how you try, some people just don't want to, or are not ready to, be helped. Some times it seems like we see failure after failure, and nothing we do makes any lasting difference.

What in your life seems like a failure? _________________________
_____________________________________________________.

I want you to know that you are making a difference in ways that you might not see for years, if ever. The only way to cope with being a helper is to accept that, and help because you love people, even if you aren't getting the results you want all the time.

Winston Churchill said "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

I want you to keep your passion and your enthusiasm for helping others, while you also help yourself by reducing stress. Helping others can, and ideally should, come from a joyful, energized spirit, but sometimes all we can do is pray we get through the day without doing more than 3 things we have to apologize for later. The only way to keep giving love out, with joy and longevity, is to fill up with something greater than you. Re-read the verse above.

Let's pray:

Dear heavenly Father, when I am tired and weary, You are not. When I am dry, You can fill me up with Living water. Give me Your strength for the day, Your power. When I stumble and fall, remind me that I can turn to You, and You will renew my strength again.You'll make me feel like I can soar on the wings of eagles, that I can run and never get weary, that I can walk and never get faint. I praise you, Lord Jesus Christ! In Your name, amen.

Love, Karen
 
Photo by Simon Howden, courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Stress LESS

Hello! It is so good to be back in A Good Bible Study with you!


Well, fellow love revolutionaries, we have completed our first mission - to transform. Now, we begin a new focus.


Today we will begin a study is based on a talk I give to corporate groups, employee mental health days, church groups, women's events - you name it, and why? Because we all let stress get the better of us at some time.


And, we all live more joy-filled, effective, and spontaneous lives when we focus on the same three areas of our lives that make a huge difference in reducing the effects of stress, and increase the experience of being in our blessings.


There are many names for these areas, but I call the areas Authenticate, Recuperate, and Activate, and to have real joy and peace, we need to address all three. And we will.


I call this study Stress Less, because that is what it is all about, creating, experiencing and living with less stress. It's a bible study because the source of stressing less is God. His desire is for you to love Him, love others, and to love yourself. Three areas, see?


Loving yourself, remember, is to treat yourself lovingly, which will in effect, decrease stress and increase joy. You can't love yourself without loving God (and receiving His love) and you can't love others without loving yourself. It's a circle and each area affects the other. So we are going to make this easy and make it second nature over the course of the next few weeks.


After the first time I presented this talk at a Tri-County Action/Head Start employee mental health day, I was amazed at how many people responded emotionally, and with such gratitude, for the fact that the talk is infused with scripture, and messages of God's love and intention for each of our lives. And this was a government agency, not a church group I was speaking to. Obviously, no matter what walk of life we are in, where we work, or what we even believe - we need this message!


So, we are going to learn exactly what God says about habits that increase stress, and how He provides the only answer that will create a life that is joy-full and stress-less. Amen to that!


I will leave you today with a quote and a scripture that will set the tone for our continuing series:


Whatever you are going through today, no matter what is leading you to focus on stressful situations, I want you to know that you are never alone, never without resources, never on your own. Read now Jeremiah 29:11-14.


'I know the thoughts that I think towards _____, says the Lord, thoughts of _______ and not _______, to give you a _________ and a __________. Then you will ________ on Me and go and ______ to Me and I WILL _______ to you. And you will ______ Me and _______ me, when you search for me with all your heart. I WILL be ________ by you, says the Lord." (New King James Version)


Is it easy to stop worrying? No, but it is a simple act to change your focus, if that's what you decide to do. Eleanor Roosevelt said "Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product." Meaning, you don't get to happiness without taking action that leads to happiness.


So, how do I change my focus when I am stressed? That's Jeremiah 29:11-14. Seek Him, tell Him, trust Him.


Do you remember what Joyce Meyer said about faith? She said we must choose to believe that God is working on it, even when we don't see an instant change in our circumstances.


Step one- seek God's help, advice, and comfort. Then trust He is working on it.


Until tomorrow - love, Karen


Photo by Andrey Kiselev, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/

Ready, set, hooray! You are a revolutionary!

Welcome back!

What a wonderful day to mark the beginning of our new lives as Love Revolutionaries. Let's pray before we begin today's lesson:

Lord, what a journey we are on. I just want to sit in silence a moment and let You speak to my heart. Along the way You have inspired my dreams and goals. You have given me divine sparks of enthusiasm to help hurting people, and are still working in my spirit to help me overcome the prejudices and preconceptions that have stopped me from reaching out in the past. Talk to me Lord as I spend this moment receiving Your love again. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Now, sit for a few moments.

I feel inspired by these thoughts:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

We were asked to review the goals we set previously. Did you do that?
What are your revamped goals as a Love Revolutionary now?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Your mission is take this information and do one thing each day to bring you closer to your goal.

The one thing I will do today to bring me closer to my goal above, is:
______________________________________
______________________________________

Great -that's all there is to it. Easy, right?

Meet me here tomorrow as we learn an important tool in living the life of joy and peace that God intends for all of us, even revolutionaries. It's how to Stress Less.

Thank you for being a fellow love revolutionary with me. I have been blessed by knowing you were out there, a part of the same journey.

Lord, You have given us each our own mission as Love Revolutionaries. Give us whatever we need to follow through. In Jesus' name, amen.

See you tomorrow and love, Karen

Finalizing our Love Revolution goals and dreams

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Let's pray for God to infuse our time together with His Spirit, and His direction.

Father, these past weeks have been a blessing. We are learning about the greatest of Your gifts, and the greatest of Your expectations for us: love. I'm getting it, Lord. You love me. I love You. You love every sister and brother reading this study and those who are not. It's not a difficult concept, is it? My prayer today, our prayer today, is that You make it more easy for each of us to love, than it is to be indifferent. Make it so easy in our spirits that it is just like breathing, Lord. In Your name, Jesus, amen.

Let's look back for just a minute. We are nearing the end of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, but rest assured we are not ending A Good Bible Study. There is so much to share together, to learn with one another. So, keep coming back because we are moving into a study I wrote based on one of my most requested talks, "Stress-Less." What do you think that's about, hmm?

But, back in chapter 4 here, we learned our "love revolutionary war verse," do you remember? Look it up again. 2 Corinthians 5:15.

"He died for all people, so that those who live should no longer live ___ themselves but ___ the one who died and rose for them." International Standard Version

In chapter 6 we wrote our Love Revolution goals and dreams, along with some dates by which we would accomplish them. In chapter 7 we made adjustments to keep on the path, because obstacles are a part of any revolution.

Joyce asks us at this point: What challenges are you facing and what do you need to do to keep your Love Revolution goals and dreams moving forward?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

Also, in what specific areas do you need to continue to seek God's wisdom for your Love Revolution goals and dreams? Do you need more self-discipline or motivation; more of God's grace and power; help from a friend; or resources?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

We are challenged to develop the habit to review and update our lives as Love Revolutionaries! Don't let your love stagnate through business and distraction, or simple inactivity. Get out your calendar and write down when and how you will follow through on your Love Revolution goals!

Read John 13:17

If you know these things, _____ are you if you do them. American King James Version

Let's all get happy, yeah?
Let's meet tomorrow and after thinking over today's lesson, share about our goals. In the meantime, decide whether or not you need to adjust or revise your goals. Let's close with Joyce's final prayer:

"Father God, I come to you in Jesus' name. I thank you, Lord, for teaching me to be a Love Revolutionary. I know I have more to learn, and I am excited about You working in me each extraordinary day of my life! Teach me what love really means and how to apply that every day in my life and for others. God, I pray that this would not be a short-term thing I do for a month and then forget all about it. No, I want this to be life-changing - a permanent change in me by the grace and power of Your Word and Holy Spirit.

    

Father, I thank You for helping me to follow through, I desire more than good intentions, so I lift this up to You and ask You to empower me to love the way You love, each day, every day, as a way of life - a Love Revolution life! In Jesus' name, amen."

Love, Karen

Photo by Andy Newson, courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Your first assignment as a revolutionary

Hello - welcome again to A Good Bible Study. Pray with me.

Lord, here we are again, seeking Your Word and Your Wisdom. I pray that each lesson You have revealed to each of us through this study, will become a part of who we are, of what we do, and how we live out our lives. Don't let this be one more thing we "did," then forgot as we went on to the next emotional, spiritual experience. A true revolution creates lasting change - and I want the changeto last in each person who sees this study, today or any other day. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Are you ready for your first assignment? It's not too difficult.

Name one thing different about you today, than from when you began this study:
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

God met each of us where we were a few weeks ago, and He brought us to where we are today, hopefully more aware of His love, and for His desire for us to show that love to someone else.

Do you remember when we looked up 1 Corinthians 9:19-23? Read it again now.

Paul met people where they were. He didn't judge their practices, he embraced them so that he could relate to hurting people. Does that mean we should begin taking drugs, or committing crimes to show people we accept them? No, no, no. Come on and tell me you know the difference:
We should ________________________________________
_________________________________________________

That's right. It means to stop judging people based on where they are at emotionally, morally, and socially and see their immediate needs.

No one cares about your message until they know you care about them.

Did you get that one, 'cause it's a good one. Read it one more time for good measure.

Think about the people you see on a daily basis: in the market, at work, in church, on the street where you live; those who are young, or old, or poor, even those who are sophisticated or highly educated.  Are there some specific ways you can change in order to relate to these people?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________

How about your church, if you have one? Would all of these people be welcome there, or only some of them?
______________________________________
______________________________________

In The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, we are asked to pretend for just a moment that you are meeting a friend. You are going to explain to this friend that you've joined a revolution. In fact, you have received a call to be a world-changing, life-changing operative - and this revolution is really going to make a positive difference in people's lives!

You'll explain that there has been training; there is an operations manual and a field guide. "There will be risks, daily maneuvers, special operations and programs, uncertainty, some uncomfortable conditions, and may be even some danger. And part of your assignment is to find others who have a desire for change and revolution!"

What would you say? How would you explain this to your friend?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________

OK, now that you have figured out what you will say, who can you meet and tell it to? Who can you witness to about your faith and discover who will join you as a fellow revolutionary?

Write the names of two or three people to whom you can tell your story?
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________

When and where will you arrange to meet with these people?
Date: __________________- Location: _______________
Date: __________________- Location: _______________
Date: __________________- Location: _______________

Read Philippians 1:6 and then pray with me:

Lord, change is scary. You have called us to change, to revolutionize the lives of those we meet. You have promised You will complete the work You begin in us so I know what You started, You will bring to the fullness of completion. All I need to do is be willing. I am willing, Lord. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Christopher Meder, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/

Rebel, or revolutionary?

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father, thank You for continuing to bless each person reading this. Thank You for continuing to work in our hearts to not only receive Your love, but share it with others. We are Your revolutionaries now - In Jesus' name, amen.

We talked about forgiveness recently. Have you changed your beliefs regarding active forgiveness since that discussion? If so, how? If not, why?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

What's so important about forgiveness anyway?

Read Ephesians 4:32

So, answer again, why is important to forgive others?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Love Revolutionaries do things differently than most people. That's the thing about being a revolutionary - you bring about change. What is the difference between a revolutionary and a rebel?

In The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, Paul Scanlon, Pastor of Abundant Life Church, is quoted as saying, " Rebels are known for what they are against, but revolutionaries are known for what they are for."

As Love Revolutionaries we are going to be challenged to do some things differently, and that can be uncomfortable. Joyce Meyer says that "Often we see the need for change, and we learn about and pray for change, but then when it comes, it frightens us and makes us uncomfortable. Have there been things in our study that have challenged you or made you a bit uncomfortable?"

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

What have you learned that you can do when you come up against fear, such as the fear of reaching out to someone who needs to know Christ, or the fear of making changes when people are used to us as we are?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________

I encourage you to pray when you feel afraid, or unsure. The Holy Spirit is always with you, always listening and ready to answer your every need. God wants us to turn to Him, He promises that He is our strength, an ever present help in every storm. Let's pray now:

Lord, change is uncomfortable. It's very tempting to crawl back to our familiar way of doing things, even if those ways are bringing us pain, or keeping us in fear. Help us to remember that You have promised never to leave or forsake us. Help us come to You, allow Your comfort, and to choose to believe that You are working on it! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

This man went to heaven, and returned with a message for you

Hello again - it is good to see you in A Good Bible Study!

Let's pray:

Father, thank you again for meeting with us, for if two or more are gathered together in Your name, You are here! It is such a blessing to find so many examples of Your love, every where I look. You say if we search for You we will find You. I realize the more the I dwell on Your love and Your goodness, the more I see it! Give us more, Lord, more than we can almost take! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Taking a segue from our Joyce Meyer book, The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, but not from the subject of love, I want to share with you a video.

It's from this mornings television show "It's Supernatural, with Sid Roth." You might think supernatural means satanic. That is not true. According to Mirriam-Webster's dictionary, Supernatural means :

1. of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil

2. a : departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature
    b : attributed to an invisible agent (as a ghost or spirit)
 
God is very much super-natural, He is beyond the visible observable universe except when He chooses to be otherwise. God made all the laws, and He bends them at His will.

We'd all love to have a sign, to have proof of God's love, right? What if you could talk to someone who had direct experience with God, face to face?
 
Watch this interview between Sid Roth and Dean Braxton. Dean died when his heart stopped for 1 hour and 45 minutes. In this interview he relates what his experience was during the time he was dead.

Some of the things he said rang so true that I began to weep and praise God while watching:

DEAN: "But what got me about his eyes is I literally saw the love for me, like I was the only creation of his that he loved, knowing that he loved everyone else, knowing that he loves you and everyone else on this planet. But I came to understand that in his eyes when he looks at me he loves me like I’m the only creation that he loves. People got to really understand that. Sometimes we don’t understand the deepness of his love for us.

SID: It’s a different type of love.

DEAN: It’s a different type, yes, yes. It was created just for me. The love for you is created just for you. So I can’t take his love away that he has for you away from you and you can’t take his love he has for me away from me. His love that he has for you, understand this, Sid, is created literally for you."

Have you ever wanted to know what awaits you in heaven? Watch this for Dean's experience. Comment back to me when you are finished. 
 
Love, Karen
 
Photo by Karsten Fischbach, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/

I forgive you, I forgive you not

Welcome back to a good bible study!

Today we begin chapter eight of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer. Let's begin with prayer:

Lord, thank you for this time we are spending sharing time in Your Word. We ask You to make a difference in our lives through this study. Help us to keep the way clear for Your Holy Spirit to work in us, and through us, daily. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Joyce Meyer says, "If I am angry at anybody, I will take it out on everybody." Ouch. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Sometimes we have habits that really block the flow of God's love through us.

Have you ever said, "Well, I'll forgive but I won't forget!?"Jesus doesn't want people to just say they forgive, because they know it is expected, and act all big about it. Those are just words. Neither does forgiveness mean you allow someone to repeat their mistreatment of you.

It means you accept that this person made a mistake, or that they don't know any better, or that this is a person who really needs to be prayed for. Then shake it off and move on. That's what God told the apostles when he instructed them in how to deal with people who rejected their message. Read Matthew 10:14.

"And whoever will not _______ you or hear your ______, when you depart from that house or city, ______ off the _____ from your feet." NKJV

God said, you don't need to worry about those people who mistreat you because of My Word, I will deal with them. Shake it off and don't let it stop you from your purpose, don't let it ruin your day.

The problem is that if we don't feel worthy of forgiveness ourselves, we will have a hard time letting things go and forgiving others. And if we cannot receive God's love, we certainly can't comprehend having an attitude of love towards someone who has hurt us. We want to see them get their comeuppance first, then we will think about forgiving, right?

Believe it or not, God knows how badly you have been hurt, and He will deal with it as He sees fit and in His timing. In the meantime, He desires mercy, not a "sacrifical" forgiveness that is not genuine.


 Read Matthew 9:13



So, how do you forgive when you are still hurting? Simple (not easy, simple): you tell God on 'em.

Tell Him how badly you are hurt, that's right, tell God all about it. Get it all out. Then pray for God to help them see their error, offer them up to God to help, and choose to let God deal with them. Set yourself free by acknowledging your pain and anger, then decide to see them as ignorant, misguided folk that need God's love to change. Forgive.

Look, make no mistake that this might not be a person to enter into a deep friendship with right now, but there is a difference between being aware, and being unforgiving. Choose to let God have this problem and just praise Jesus that you have learned your lesson on this person until they get the Holy Ghost themselves!

Isn't that better than nursing that wound and drinking that emotional poison the rest of your life while your offender walks around oblivious?

God doesn't hesitate to forgive us. Hebrews 10:16-17 shares how God shows us mercy. It says that once we open our hearts to God and believe His forgiveness is necessary, we not only receive it, but He helps us know how to live better. He says " . . . I will put my Laws into their __________, and in their ________ I will write them," 'then He adds,' 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Here is a test: if you have forgiven, over time, you get to a point where you hardly even recall the offense. If every time the matter comes up you get angry all over again, you haven't forgiven.

People can't change if we keep reminding them of their failings. Now, I don't mean give complete trust again to someone who has cheated on you,  or stolen, etc. I do mean change your boundaries, be clear as to how their offense affected you, and decide whether they understand it or not so you can redefine your relationship, or have more peace in wishing them well and letting it go.

The important thing is to give this offense to God and be set free. It's not easy. But it's necessary for true freedom and joy.

Let's pray:

Lord, sometimes we can't see past our anger to even think about forgiveness. In those times, help us to call on You to take our pain on Your shoulders. Lord, you know. You see what has happened. When You were on the cross, you said, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." Help me to remind myself that if this person really knew better, felt the pain I am feeling, there is no way they could treat me this way. Help me to forgive so that I can be free from this poison of hate. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen


Photo by Pavel Losevsky, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/