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Monday, June 14, 2010

Grace, mercy, forgiving one another

A chat from last night with a friend...

"look, you might make a point about a decision which I disagree. But in your eyes it might make perfect sense. What should I do? Should I tell you that your point is wrong? What if you did try your best? Should I tell you you ain't working hard enough? But in your eyes you are doing the best that you can.


How can I encourage you? Pointing what you did wrong when you think you are doing your best is the worst way to encourage you. It ain't encouraging at all...."

"look, I have to accept you for who you are...I cannot tell you to change when you are trying your best and you are honest and sincere with what you are doing? What should I do?"

...

Hmm..more thoughts on grace...mercy..and encouraging one another...

We might have conflicts...with families...with friends...with fellowship...with church members...

This is not new. In the epistles, Paul wrote again and again..do good...treat each other better than yourself....love your neighbors.  If anyone thinks the church is a place without conflicts, take a look at First Corinthians.   There were so much disagreement.  Some follow different apostles.  Some got drunk at Communion.  Someone slept with his step mom!

And the people problems..might not be new either....right after the fall and Adan and Eve is removed from the garden of eden, we see the first murder. Jacob and Essau. Joseph and his older brothers.  The Old Testament shows how the fall from Adam and Eden affect every generation after.   The separation of man and God lead to us devouring one another (another point that I can't love my neighbors unless I love God..and to love God is only done by God showing me how much He loved me first)

...

A while ago, one of my professors said that if he ever be error on the side between judgement and grace..he will error on the side of grace.  So easy to say.  Such hard to do.

Especially when someone cut you off.  Deliberately wrong you and take advantage...and they go to church (arrgh..shouldn't Christian knows better?!?!)..

These thoughts go in my head over and over.  Like a movie clip that broadcast over and over again.

...

Is this the life that we are called from?  To hold a grudge and bitterness against my brothers and sisters?  Because this is how the way the world works.

You cut me.  I will cut you off.  Can't let you hurt me again.  I will be such a fool to get cheated again.

It is your fault.  Not mine.  I have all the facts.  I know the truth.  This is why you are wrong.  This is how you are wrong.  So now you gotta fix it.  I won't do anything until you do something.  So I am going to sit here and watch you suffer. (though I won't say it..I can feel it boiling underneath my skin) - the I am standing on my porch and I am right and I won't come down unless you come to me.

I guess with what I seen in church, in my own life...I reflected a lot on what Jesus said....
  • Proactive in making peace (Matthew 5:21-26)
  • Love your enemies...Pray for them. (Matthew 5:43-48)
  • Forgive your brother and sister..how many times?  Seventy-Seven! (Matthew 18:22) [I think the number seven is considered as a perfect number in Jewish culture.  It took seven days for God to create the world. Jesus is perhaps emphasizing the infinite times to forgive.  Like..not 100% but 100000%.]

If there is anything..I need more grace than judgement.  God gave me grace.  He didn't come with stick and punish for all my sins (we all know that if He does..none of us are qualify to have a relationship with Him [Romans 5..we are all enemies before Christ]).  Yet He is so gentle to me.  And this is the radical God that called me out of the dark, clothed me with His blood..and the One that I  followed.

I live on Salvation by Grace.  
Not salvation by truth (or judgement or 'righteous' living).

Sometimes I do wonder why I am so upset at others all the time.  God already forgiven me and pardoned my sins.  Shouldn't I do the same to others? What's the big deal?  The only thing I really need is His Relationship. Perhaps I am still depending on getting respect from others......

2 comments:

Tara said...

me too, I think I depend on others too much. Heard it said from Dean Trune, " My passion for God must outweigh my passion for people." Ouch.... that one gets me.

Anonymous said...

amen amen and a lot of amens!!!