Friday
Oct222010
On the Subject of Forgiveness
Friday, October 22, 2010 at 2:46AM
This post has been a long time coming. I learned a lot over the summer on forgiveness and thought I would share. One day, before going into a meeting, I prayed for humility. I didn't expect the meeting to go well, but for some reason the Holy Spirit told me to pray for humility beforehand. Now I must say that whenever someone comes against me with attitude or accusations, I get very defensive. And wouldn't you know that one of the people in the meeting calls me out, stating various reasons why I didn't know what I was doing in my work. I was so angry and frustrated! How could someone be nice to my face and then, when their boss is around, completely show a different personality?
I used every ounce of strength not to denounce their accusation and vehemently defend myself. I kept quiet. I emailed my boss (he was on the call at the meeting) to let him know the accusation was false. I realized something right then and there: your reputation precedes you. My boss knew this wasn't true because of this other person's track-record of exaggeration and my track-record of hard work and integrity. I realized that I didn't need to make myself look perfect or control the truth because the truth was already known. I didn't have to build my case right then and there because I had been building my case every day before that. I trusted the Lord that the truth would be known and He gave me peace through the situation.
And on forgiveness, I had to figure out how I could work with this person when they had just slandered me. How can I give 110% and do a great job for someone when I know that they will pick something I haven't done perfectly and call me out on it publicly? How can you sacrificially give of yourself when you know it won't mean anything to the person you're doing it for? Did Christ do no less for me and for every one else who rejects Him? That's grace. That is forgiveness. It completely changed the way I looked at Christ's sacrifice. He suffered and died on that cross and he did it for every atheist who denies His holiness and for every human being that cares more about themselves than to follow Him. I can't forgive unless I've been forgiven and I have been forgiven.
- Andrew
I used every ounce of strength not to denounce their accusation and vehemently defend myself. I kept quiet. I emailed my boss (he was on the call at the meeting) to let him know the accusation was false. I realized something right then and there: your reputation precedes you. My boss knew this wasn't true because of this other person's track-record of exaggeration and my track-record of hard work and integrity. I realized that I didn't need to make myself look perfect or control the truth because the truth was already known. I didn't have to build my case right then and there because I had been building my case every day before that. I trusted the Lord that the truth would be known and He gave me peace through the situation.
And on forgiveness, I had to figure out how I could work with this person when they had just slandered me. How can I give 110% and do a great job for someone when I know that they will pick something I haven't done perfectly and call me out on it publicly? How can you sacrificially give of yourself when you know it won't mean anything to the person you're doing it for? Did Christ do no less for me and for every one else who rejects Him? That's grace. That is forgiveness. It completely changed the way I looked at Christ's sacrifice. He suffered and died on that cross and he did it for every atheist who denies His holiness and for every human being that cares more about themselves than to follow Him. I can't forgive unless I've been forgiven and I have been forgiven.
- Andrew
in Faith
Faith
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