TUESDAY, MAY 24
READ MATTHEW 18:21-22
MATTHEW 18:21 Then Kefa came up and said to him, “Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” answered Yeshua, “but seventy times seven!
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In my ministry as a pastoral psychologist, I have had the privilege to be invited into churches to help them heal a long-standing conflict. Underlying most of these is the fact that people are holding on to old hurts and dissensions, feeling afraid to express their true emotions to the one who hurt them. Instead, they voice their concerns through the gossip grapevine and develop unrest at a covert level throughout the church. Only when a safe place is made for all to tell of their wounds and to start letting go of the bitterness due to the lack of forgiveness can energy flow again toward healing and wholeness.
Peter asks Jesus how many times he has to forgive someone who harms him. He figures that his answer of seven is very generous and goes above and beyond the usual expectation. Jesus surprises him by saying in effect, “No way, seven is not enough! You have got to forgive continuously.” Jesus also commands them to love one another.
If we truly love one another and ourselves, we will let go of any desire to hold a grudge or bitterness. We will seek to resolve conflicts directly with the one who hurt us rather than taking revenge or destroying someone’s reputation.
In our time together at General Conference, conflicts surely have arisen. Where are you holding on to some hurt or dissension? Where do you need to resolve an issue with a brother or sister? Where, as the church, do we need to heal divisions so that we can truly be the body of Christ, united?
Gracious Healer, help us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Teach us to see one another through eyes of love, and grant us the courage to resolve conflicts and let go of bitterness. Amen.[Denise McGuiness]
Our mailing address is:
The Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
In my ministry as a pastoral psychologist, I have had the privilege to be invited into churches to help them heal a long-standing conflict. Underlying most of these is the fact that people are holding on to old hurts and dissensions, feeling afraid to express their true emotions to the one who hurt them. Instead, they voice their concerns through the gossip grapevine and develop unrest at a covert level throughout the church. Only when a safe place is made for all to tell of their wounds and to start letting go of the bitterness due to the lack of forgiveness can energy flow again toward healing and wholeness.
Peter asks Jesus how many times he has to forgive someone who harms him. He figures that his answer of seven is very generous and goes above and beyond the usual expectation. Jesus surprises him by saying in effect, “No way, seven is not enough! You have got to forgive continuously.” Jesus also commands them to love one another.
If we truly love one another and ourselves, we will let go of any desire to hold a grudge or bitterness. We will seek to resolve conflicts directly with the one who hurt us rather than taking revenge or destroying someone’s reputation.
In our time together at General Conference, conflicts surely have arisen. Where are you holding on to some hurt or dissension? Where do you need to resolve an issue with a brother or sister? Where, as the church, do we need to heal divisions so that we can truly be the body of Christ, united?
Gracious Healer, help us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Teach us to see one another through eyes of love, and grant us the courage to resolve conflicts and let go of bitterness. Amen.[Denise McGuiness]
Our mailing address is:
The Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203, United States
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