Poet and author of 'Hang It On The Cross', Lisa Engelhardt once penned, "Set the compass of your soul to forgiveness - it will help you find your way out of bitterness." That's it, isn't it, the journey out and away from bitterness? This thing that is, arguably, one of the single greatest contributors to many auto-immune conditions and mental illness malaise!
Forgiveness is indeed the indisputable key to exiting said states, but one of the single toughest things to do, especially if you have been unjustly treated. In fact, the greater the perceived injustice, the tougher it is too simply 'let it go'!
Of course, there are many factors that shape our sense of injustice - my self-perception of goodness - any sense of entitlement - the impact of the injustice on my, agenda, family, relationships, goals and so forth. Egocentricity aside, even harms and impediments done to noble and altruistic endeavours can incite the ire or even the most kindly soul. For most of us the incensed response that rises up at the encounter of injustice is primal, visceral and innate - we couldn't suppress these emotions if we tried!
What we need to constantly do, and a thing that many Christians who forget that they were 'sinners, saved by grace', is to remember (not with guilt and shame, but relentless gratitude) the great debt forgiven them by Jesus Christ at the Cross. Easter is nothing but the remembrance and celebration of that breathtaking gift to all people who recognize their need and of it, and their embrace of The Gift Giver!
Too many of my fellow followers of Christ have decided to refer to themselves only as 'Saints' now, wanting to distance themselves from negative titles. However, again, it is about how we remember, not how we 'label' that matters.
The inventory of my new status should and must include all the new titles in Christ - Child of God, Joint Heir, Ambassador; but they should never erase the full knowledge of my origins. Those who truly know their salvation - truly understand what they have been saved from - remember with intense gratitude from whence they came (Luke 7:36-50 The Anointing at Bethany). It was the renowned Theologian Calvin Miller who once quipped, "Few know the inadequacy of words more than the truly grateful."
No fellow sojourners, it is imperative that we understand our proclivity for self-justification, especially if we grow in our new standing with little regard for the price paid to get us there, and the rolling off of the debt that we owed. I am still deeply disturbed at times, at my quick outrage at the hurts done me by another and the punitive nature of my call for repair! It is in these moments – moments of righteous advancement of my personal ‘Godly’ agenda and deserving Christian promenade that ensues, that I have absolutely no recollection of the debt I was forgiven and the Price paid for that ‘free pass’!
Shame on me – Shame! Yet, in my new found entitled position, incurring the injustice of a clearly unrighteous act, ‘shame’ is the last thing I’m feeling! No, sadly what I do feel is everything from Indignation and outrage, to breathless and wounded disbelief as my emotive drivers!
The ONLY solution to the hurt and brokenness of these perceived injustices is forgiveness. Andrew Stanley in his candid work, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart sums up both the ‘Anointing at Bethany’ and the Parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18: 21-35 when he said this…“In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to another.”
Father God, I am so full of self-justification, entitlement and righteous indignation that forgiveness is far from my first response to hurts incurred. Please my gracious Lord, give me a new heart and a right spirit that I may not only forgive in full, but love the enemy that you called me to love! I need you so much in this space… Please break in upon your undeserving servant with that robust, selfless and generous love that wipes away fear and freely forgives!
Selah! Shane W. Varcoe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Dl5dqLz5M