Gods Child

Have you ever worked really hard on a project and when you were finished you were so proud of it?  Then you discover that someone thinks it really stinks and belittles your efforts.  How do you feel when you make that discovery?  Are you angry, hurt, indifferent?   Do you blow it off or retaliate with something hurtful toward that person or worse someone else?  Or are you one of those few who has complete control over your emotions and can truly forgive the person who said the hurtful things without batting an eye over the situation? 

Very few people have that kind of control.  I know I do not.  As you might have guessed by now, this happened to me today.  I was reading the comments left for me on one of the community sites about my project I told you about.   As you know I worked very hard on this and it was a painful time in my life.  I was trying to show the world how we felt at that time.  We as in those who were there at the Convention Center immediately following Katrina.  As you might imagine we were not always thinking as rationally as the rest of the world.  My attempt to portray this thought process through pictures was a total success.  The review called me an idiot and that I should keep my —– mouth shut.  Needless to say my feelings were severely hurt and my first reaction was to lash out and send the reviewer a piece of my mind.  I know, I know, not very Christ like huh?

Never-the-less it is how I felt at the time.   Now from our recent studies I know that I can feel anyway I want about this and God will still love me.  He won’t lash out at me like I wanted to do to the reviewer.  He won’t beat me, or stop loving me.  The thing is that Jesus would not have lashed out like I wanted to.  Jesus would have turned the other cheek and that is what He wants us to do in these type of situations.  My first thoughts when I read this comment were not of Jesus.  I’m just being honest here.  If I can not be honest with you guys then who can I be honest with.  So anyway, what I did was log out of that place and try to regain some control over my hurt feelings.

I logged into one of my favorite Christian sites, read two words, and came here to write out my emotions.  As I began to write, God began a work in my heart to forgive this person and pray for them.  Now honestly speaking, “I wish I would,” as one of my dearest friends just loves to say.   the truth is that I love Jesus so much because of what He did for me that I am and will pray for this person and I have already forgiven them.  I am writing this in real time.  What you are getting right now is; step by step my emotional progress through this matter.

 Not everyone liked what Jesus had to say nor how He said it.  Some thought He was too harsh and some even thought He had a demon in Him.  Wonder how the Son Of God felt when they accused Him of being from the devil?  Jesus endured the cross so that I might live free.  Free enough to forgive another of their insensitivity toward myself or others.  Iam free to choose my emotions and until this person accepts Christ they are chained to satan and must obey his will whether or not they want to.  I know the person is bound by reading their profile which reveals their beliefs.

I am not bound by Satan and can choose to resist my urges to lash out and hurt others.  It is really quite sad for those who have no choice in the matter.  They can not choose for themselves what they want to do.  They are slaves to an unrighteous master which automatically forces them to be unrighteous too.  Being free in Christ gives us a new perspective and allows us to pity those who do not enjoy the same freedom.  We have the opportunity to love them into repentence and thereby allowing Jesus to free them as well.  It is our choice and we are placed in situations daily where we must choose whether or not to love another who has wronged us.  How about the guy who cut you off in traffic, or the guy at the drive-thru who just could not get your order right?  Maybe it was the store clerk who gave you the wrong change or someone who gave you a dirty look when they passed you on the street?  Maybe they stole your cab or any number of things?  Each situation gives you the opportunity to forgive and to grow stronger in the Lord.

I want to make my Lord proud of me and by choosing to imitate Him I can both make Him proud and grow stronger in my love for Him.  Remember that we said that love covers a multitude of sins.  by choosing to love this person I have kept from sinning and released them from their sin against me.  well, there you have it.  I feel much better now and I thank you for listening.

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