But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39
I know what Jesus says about forgiveness.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25
I know how important forgiveness is and how debilitating unforgiveness is.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:26
So elementary, to let God have the lead., to let God deal with the offenders.
Yet, I forgot this truth. I got caught up in the drama, in the fury of the situation.
I know someone who was injured by an attack.
This may even have caused life-long repercussions.
There is a mini-war going on in this teen’s life.
Many are involved.
Another attack came from the friend of the first attacker.
I was praying about this situation this morning as I have been supporting the injured teen.
But the Lord reminded me of something I had forgotten.
To bring forgiveness to the situation. There is none at this point. That includes myself. I can do better.
From the bottom of our hearts is a big order. I wasn’t there. Not sure I am yet.
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you,
if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew 18:35
I know how hard it is to forgive.
I also know the longer you wait, the harder it can be to put it safely in the hands of God.
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19
Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We should not push God out of the way and take over.
Vengeance is not ours. It is His. It is out of our realm of responsibility.
It takes humility to forgive. To let things go that we want to fix, that we want to right.
That does not mean we cannot hold the person accountable if that is what is in order.
It means, we hand it over to God and pray for our enemy’s best and that justice is done.
Another hard part is that we want to see results instantaneously.
We want God to act fast, to relieve our feelings, to take care of the problem.
Relinquishing is tough.
it is much harder to withhold a punch than to give it sometimes.
I don’t personally want to hit people, but I do know what impatience feels like.
I’ve worked with teenagers for many years and it is usually harder for them to restrain themselves.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32 WEB
I shall pray for this teen. For healing and for a realization that forgiveness is key.
Unforgiveness can hinder healing.
If we are outside of God’s will, we may not receive His blessings.
This writing does not have an end. It will have to be revisited as things evolve.