The Art of Forgiveness

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I do not claim to have a great memory and have the gift of confusing and/or forgetting names often... embarrassingly often. 

But I do remember my past mistakes/blunders/boo-boos and/or 'sins'. These memories are clear and hard for me sometimes to let go.

​This 'Jeff Larson blooper reel' when played can spur on all sorts of regrets often accompanied by those uncomfortable feelings of shame and failure... BUT.. this is NOT what God intends. 

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​for as far as the East is from the West so are our sins removed. Ps 103:12 from us once I ask forgiveness.  This is good news for a regret-laden fellow like me.
   
We all do need to ask forgiveness and be truly sorry ... and not say sorry through clenched teeth, but once that is done.. forgiveness is full and complete.

The Bible teaches us we are forgiven and God remembers our sins no more.

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​He will again have compassion on us... you will cast our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

Note: This of course does not imply God is forgetful, but simply that our sins are forgiven and they should no longer be a weight on our hearts or minds.

Again. If we confess our sins, God forgives us and remembers them no more.

• As far as the east is from the west Ps 103:12
• at the bottom of the ocean.  Mi 7:19

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The point is they are GONE so let your mind find peace in this great truth. Forgiven by God is perfect, and complete.

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But... let's not forget the other critical part of forgiveness. Nestled right in the middle of The Lord's Prayer. We must FORGIVE OTHERS!
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​Just listen to Jesus teaching his disciples to pray
9 “This, then, is how you should pray“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

This critical piece of forgiving others has been on my heart lately. God's Spirit has opened my eyes to some of my faulty forgiveness logic. 

I have always been forgiving of those who were sorry they wronged me, BUT ...
NOT SO MUCH when it came to those I deemed unrepentant.

This 1/2 complete spirit of forgiveness has held me at times in my life. But now I seek to prayerfully do better.

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My prayer today for you is that God bless you with the assurance of His love.  He forgives and forgets your every transgression, and He answers your prayers like the perfect Heavenly Father He is.  And... I pray you live out a spirit of forgiveness towards others as Jesus taught us.

​And... then God can and will restore, and bless your lives in ways beyond our dreams.

Blessings
Jeff

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ps Isaiah 40:28-31, and Psalms 23 share messages of hope that is in God alone. In all things TO GOD BE THE GLORY.