DAY 21: Wipe Clean

This afternoon, I was doing a devotional for a group of people and as I went to close, the Lord had me ask them to close their eyes and picture writing the name of the person they were having the most difficulty with on a board. Then before we prayed I asked them to wipe the board clean. I could tell that despite what I had said about there not being division among God's people (1 Corinthians 1:10) or about forgetting what was past and pressing towards the future (Philippians 3:13-14) there was still something that hadn't quite shaken loose. As I went back to my office I had the vision of some of them picturing themselves.

At times it is easy to discuss forgiveness when the object of our dissatisfaction lies outside of ourselves. It is often easy to point to another person and clearly define their flaws and ways that they could improve. However, what happens when the dissatisfaction lies within yourself? Today, I want to remind you that the same rules apply to you as to other people. Jesus said that we are to forgive someone "seven times seventy" times (Matthew 18:22)--you included.

No matter what you have done in your past. No matter what you have said in your present. No matter what may come in your future. You. Are. Worth. It. There is nothing too big and nothing too crazy that the Lord doesn't forgive you. Why, then, have you decided to hold onto what He has forgotten? The consequences to your actions may not be gone, but the act of forgiveness is not about absolving anyone of consequences to bad behavior. Instead forgiveness is a heart issue. It's an issue of LOVE. The Bible tells us that real love "keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV). As we hold onto unforgiveness, we hold ourselves in bondage and refuse ourselves the ultimate gift of love. If you don't show love to yourself, how can you expect love to flow freely from others? Demonstrate the love you seek by being that love...even to yourself.

Being able to forgive yourself today is about opening the doors and the windows to your life and letting fresh winds of the Holy Spirit flow through. It allows the Lord to reveal himself in newer ways. It allows the Lord to get through to you clearly instead of through the static of your own reduced self-worth and esteem. Forgiving yourself frees you up and releases you from the leech of bondage that unselfishly drains you of life instead of filling you with peace.

I don't know what issues are outstanding in your heart, but as you read this post, I pray that the Lord put some specific things on your mind to help you identify places of unforgiveness in your heart. While I also want to encourage you to forgive others, I admonish you today to take the first step and clean your personal record sheet before moving on to the records of others.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 18: Taste Anything?

There are so may parts of life that are sweet, but in the midst of all the sweetness are also moments of fatigue, grief, hurt, and frustration that make another taste be at the back of our taste buds and overwhelm us--BITTERNESS. Despite the sweet, it's so easy to allow bitterness to be what governs us. There's so much that I could say about it. I could tell you about the times when I've been angry or resentful  or wronged and allowed that to dissipate into bitterness. However, in the end, if you are reading this, then you are grown and I don't have to convince you that bitterness is real. In fact, the person/people this is for today need me to get to the point. So you want to know what to do about bitterness? Ready? Are you listening? Stop.....it.

I know you're hurt and I'm sorry that you've had to experience that betrayal, sting, slap, yuckiness... But no you don't deserve what you think you deserve. Things shouldn't have gone a different way. Because, if you're anything like me, then you must take a minute and reflect on the times when you were bitter that life didn't go your way and then, later, caught a 20/20 hindsight view and could say that things were for the best. Today's point deserves no soft-shoe entry to help us stop the impact of bitterness. At some point, you just have to decide that God knows best. At some point, you just have to be ready to trust Him. At some point, you have to be willing to let it go and simply STOP reminiscing on the place of your bitterness--stop telling the story to anyone who will listen, stop writing Facebook statuses alluding to it, stop writing about it in your journal, stop spending precious brain space breath and emotional energy on the story of your woe. The moment it begins to come off the tip of your tongue replace it with "STOP IT Satan because I know that ALL things work together for the good of those who are the called according to his purpose and that means ME." (Romans 8:28) Yes, that means you. YOU are "the called". You have to stop bitterness in it's tracks and not allow it to continue to taint the sweetness that is life.

No...things aren't perfect and there is pain in life. But there is life. And when you look at the alternative, can't you find anything to be grateful for? I know I can. So today, I just want to challenge you more than encourage you to actively resist the temptation to focus on what makes things bitter over what makes things sweet and I'd love to hear what happens when you do because even if you're doubtful, I'm expecting God to do some miraculous things in your heart.

Consider yourself challenged.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea