At some point in our Christian marriage we have heard or said a prayer similar to this one, “Lord, please forgive me for the sins that I know about, and the sins that I do not know about.”
There is no need for us to ask God for forgiveness of sins that we are not aware we are committing. We are only held accountable for the sins that we knowingly commit.
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
Our Christian marriage was designed to reflect Christ to the world. However, learning to become one is difficult. We may find ourselves angry at our spouse periodically. If we decide to hold a grudge, we must realize we are separating ourselves from God. At times, you may even have a very good reason for being angry at someone, but we have to ask ourselves the question. Is it worth your relationship with Christ?
We know that when we do not forgive others, Christ will not forgive us (Matthew 6:15). It is okay for us to experience anger (Ephesians 4:26) but we must not allow our anger to turn into sin. When we get lost in our anger and hold a grudge, our anger becomes sin. Even I have been guilty of holding a grudge myself.
As I have explained in a previous post, my mother’s health had recently taken a downward spiral. There is nothing anyone can do for her except be there for her and pray on her behalf. During our initial time of waiting, our family had a lot of time on our hands.
Our emotions were high while we waited in the waiting room, and eventually we begin to argue. My flesh said I would never talk to certain people again and I even voiced this fleshy response. I left the hospital believing that I would never speak to them again. My husband and I had been debating whether or not we were going to attend his family reunion scheduled for that weekend. After the argument with my family, we decided that we were going to attend his family reunion.
This was perfect for me! It gave me a chance to have a break emotionally and physically from my family. During the reunion, I watched the television evangelist and the Lord begin to speak to me. When you are Christian, the Lord will move on your heart to do the right thing. Before the trip was over, my spirit reminded me, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
I knew that there was no way I could remove them from my life and remain in proper standing with God. I knew that the Lord would not forgive me unless I truly forgave them. It took me about a week to calm down, but I forgave them and I asked them for forgiveness.
Challenge: When we want to be healed in a certain area, we must go in the opposite direction of our fleshly desire. Today, if you are angry with someone try being nice to them. I know you may not want to be kind to them, but just continue to do good and in time your flesh will come in line with the Will of God.
{ 0 comments… add one now }