Episode 583

TODAY’S READING

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there, remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then, come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

Many times we can go on with life and not pay attention to where we may veer; we are sometimes in a room full of clouds, and we don’t see clearly that we are in the wrong step with what the Word says. Many times we can be in a quarrel with our friends with our family, and we come before the altar like if nothing. We don’t try to reconcile those relationships, and we don’t practice the true gift of forgiveness. 

Our Lord Jesus He gives us that gift; he shows us how to be grace field people, how to be faithful people, and how to act upon forgiveness first and foremost. Now I talk about that. And I understand that there are also boundaries that we place, but forgiveness and boundaries don’t have one to do with the other. So you can have a boundary but also experience the gift of freedom with that person. So, for instance, if you’ve been with me for many, many years now, you know that me and my father have a rough relationship. He is a recovering addict. And right now, he’s doing very well. So thank you so much for all of your prayers. But there is always that boundary that I have with him. I do have these moments in which I’m overwhelmed with emotion. And I’m really upset at how the last 10 years played out, especially this last year. But I also have come to Jesus moments where I get to surrender that, and I look to the Lord to give me the strength to forgive him. But there is that boundary where I know that as he continues to get better and as he continues to seek God for himself. I can continue to pray for him. I can continue to have forgiveness towards him, but I don’t need to let him into every area of my life just yet because there are areas where I’m not comfortable sharing just yet. So one boundaries and two forgiveness can coexist. So here it says if you are offering a gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift and then go and forgive that person. Forgiveness can look like a conversation. 

Forgiveness can look like a letter you write, and never sending forgiveness can look like a deep warships session on your car, praying and asking God for the strength to forgive what you are holding in your heart. May we continue to bring those types of relationships to Jesus. May He continue to give us the strength to get past those, and I promise you life will be much easier because of the weight that Jesus will take from us.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank you, Lord; we thank You that we didn’t come to you with anything and everything. Lord, there are sometimes relationships in our lives that may require forgiveness, and so Lord, whatever that is, whatever happened, may you give us the strength to forgive that person. May You give us the strength to put boundaries if necessary. May You give us the strength to look to you and what a grace-filled relationship looks like out of faith-filled life looks like. Lord, we thank you for absolutely everything. We ask that you continue to bless this beautiful Wednesday, and it is in your son’s holy name that we pray today and every day. Amen