The Heart Of The Father

 

Who among us has never rejected one of our friends? And who has never been rejected by a friend? We’ve all been through this. We’ve all had squabbles with friends. Our friends have spoken badly about us and we have also spoken badly about them. Does this kind of behaviour reflect the Father’s heart? Not at all. On the contrary, it saddens his heart. We are his sons and daughters and the Father’s heart is saddened when he sees his children squabbling.

In the last few weeks, we have talked a lot about the importance of forgiveness: to forgive and to ask forgiveness. When we choose not to forgive, it is like a disease that grows in us that we do not see, and when we see it appear the disease has become serious. The lack of forgiveness gradually makes your heart sick. It infects your heart, your behavior changes, your mood changes, your joy disappears and at some point peace and joy are no longer part of your life. It is not the Father’s desire that you live like this.

Jesus had done nothing to deserve Judas to reject him. And the reject of Judas led him to death. But the death of Jesus did not have the upper hand over Jesus: the Father raised him from the dead, hallelujah!

When you are rejected by someone, especially if he is close to you, sometimes death settles in your heart, but the good news is that Jesus has conquered death, and that you too can defeat death and outsmart the enemy’s plan.

Luke 23:34, Jesus is on the cross and just before he dies, he said to his father: “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing…” Quite an example! Jesus was rejected by his friend, which led him to be beaten to death, and to be nailed to a cross, and there he asks his father to forgive them! What a great example for us!

You too are able to forgive those who have hurt you and those who have spoken badly about you. And if it is you who have done wrong, who has hurt people by your bad behavior, the Father invites you to go to these people, to ask them forgiveness and to reconcile with them. It is not easy to do, but it is essential to have peace and joy in your heart and to defeat the enemy’s plan. The enemy’s plan is to bring death into your life, but God’s plan is to bring life. What do you choose this morning, death or life?

 

Prayer

 

“Father help me forgive the people who have hurt me and help me to ask forgiveness from the people that I have harmed. I want to have a heart full of peace. Amen.”