Breathe

 Author Gerald Fry writes, "Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the unification of all that's been broken." As we survey all the brokenness of His church and people, we see the lack of His peace everywhere. Broken lives, marriages, families, and relationships. Turmoil, not peace, seems to rule the day. The church, which is called to be the center of His peace, is often the scene of so much of this turmoil. 

How many churches and ministries have been destroyed by warring factions? How many divisions and splits have taken place over disagreements that began in a small way but were fanned into a raging tempest? How many people have been lost to the Kingdom because of the pain inflicted upon them while "in the church?" How many ministries must be destroyed, families torn apart, and fellowships broken, and all to the glee of the enemy, the one we should be fighting? Instead, we fight each other.

However much we may talk of forgiveness, we seem to practice very little of it. Being offended seems to be a ministry in itself to many in the church. Fry says that, "If Satan can offend us, He can keep us from giving or receiving mercy." His plan enjoys success in far too many fellowships and ministries. How are we, you and I, contributing to that? 

The church is to be a gathering of love, but it is risky to love. We are very human and very imperfect. We're composed of many people at different stages of their journey with Him. Misunderstanding, conflict, and hurt, sometimes deep hurt, are going to happen. What do we do with the hurt? His Word says that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Only His love, flowing through us, can forgive such hurt and such sin. Only His love can heal it. Fry writes, "We can only love the lost to the measure we love the Body." An overwhelming observation of first century unbelievers towards the church was the degree of love for each other that was present in His church. Is that their observation today? Today, when we leave a fellowship on a whim, join another and call it "church growth?" Staying until the next conflict, the next hurt feeling.

A pastor friend once said about forgiveness that the Lord had shown him something from the life of Stephen in Acts 7. Indeed, from Stephen's death. He was stoned for his testimony in Christ. With his last breath he said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." My pastor friend said that perhaps, though he'd been willing to forgive, he also held on to the Scripture where the Father says that "vengeance is Mine." Somehow, we seem to relish the thought of that. I know I have. You have too. My friend thought we come to real forgiveness when we can stand with Stephen in the midst of the deepest offense and ask the Lord to not mark that offense, that sin, against us.....against them. Against the one who so deeply wounded us. I knew my friend was right. You do too.

Where are your deepest wounds, and who are those responsible for them? Can you come to the place of Stephen? Can you release the person from the penalty? This is more than just forgiving them. Can you fully desire that He forgive them too? God's plan is to restore us to wholeness. This can't happen while we're on the run from the churches or people who've hurt us. John Dawson said, "Breathe out forgiveness repeatedly until you feel the grace of God welling up in your soul." May you and I be ready and willing to.....breathe!

Blessings,
Pastor O