Thursday, September 2, 2010

Forgiveness.

Matthew 6:14-15 - “For if YOU forgive men their trespasses, YOUR heavenly Father will also forgive YOU; whereas if YOU do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will YOUR Father forgive YOUR trespasses.



Euodia and Syntyche, two Christian sisters in ancient Philippi, apparently had some difficulty in resolving a problem that arose between them. (Phil. 4:2, 3) A heated dispute between Paul and Barnabas became public knowledge and resulted in their going separate ways for a while. (Acts 15:37-39) These accounts show that true worshippers are not immune to disagreements. Our heavenly father provides us with help to resolve conflicts and restore friendships. But he requires something of us.
The key is humility. (Read James 4:10.) That key allows those at odds with each other to begin applying Bible principles.
The Bible contains excellent counsel on resolving conflicts. (Matt. 5:23, 24; 18:15-17; Eph. 4:26, 27) Unless we humbly apply that counsel, however, making peace will be difficult. Waiting for the other person to show humility is not the solution when we too are holding the key in our hand.
If our initial attempts to make peace seem unfruitful for some reason, we should not give up hope. The other person may need time to sort out his feelings.
So I humbly ask for your forgiveness.