Fighting the Good Fight of Faith (III)

It's been over a year now that we have moved into our new home. Moving has been a faith project of mine for many years. Roughly six years ago, we have been asked to pastor a church in a city close-by but we have been unable move to this city, Centurion, for four years and had to commute. But God answered our prayers, in His PERFECT TIMING. I have so much to be grateful for.

Sitting in our main bedroom, overlooking the beautiful green garden, -VERY green, thanks to all the rain- I am, once again, in awe of God's provision and timing. His intricate, detailed involvement in my life is overwhelming and my only response... silence. I cannot think of a single word to describe or to offer as a thank you to my God. He who created the universe...and somehow orchestrated perfection in my new garden many years and many happenings later. It is beyond the grasp of ordinary language.

It reminded me of some of my musings as I was preparing to share a few years back:

' Lord, I want to thank you that even though each of us has a faith project- something we are trusting for- that ultimately the finished work of Jesus on the Cross is enough. You are enough, Jesus. Forgive us where we have forsaken our first love and made idols of trivial matters. Come and reveal yourself to us in this divine romance. Help us to make time to read your love letters- the Word and to submit to the authorities that you have placed in our lives. Help us to love like You have and not to overlook or "lord it" over people. Help us to forgive. We choose to forgive today Lord. I choose to forgive, so I may continue to Fight the good fight of Faith FOR YOUR GLORY.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, that I can see what you see.'

Who do you need to forgive? In South Africa, there is much noise regarding the presidential authorities. Perhaps you need to forgive rulers? Perhaps your child or a spouse? We cannot put on the armor of God to fight the fight of Faith when we carry around unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts. I recently had to forgive someone who did something really inconsiderate and although forgiving does not excuse their actions, it does free me from the "self imposed responsibility" to "fix their lives"... we cannot do that, we cannot right someone else's wrong BUT GOD CAN. Give it to Him.

May we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection: His forgiveness of our sins by reciprocating His actions and living out forgiveness daily. 

I have made a resolute, by the help of the Holy Spirit, that I will NOT allow unforgiveness to dictate my life. I wont bury it, I will DEAL with it. And sometimes it is hard, as hard as 70 times 7 days a week kinda have-to! But if I try to just put it away, it will fester and make me sick. When I deal with it, by each time I am reminded or get angry about it, to give it to God; to remind myself (sometimes out loud if I have to) that I have given it to Christ and it's no longer my issue then the burden lifts (and the emotional baggage and exhaustion that goes with it) and I experience peace, calmness. It is no longer my problem. I am free.

Mat 18:21-22  Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.