Forgiveness

"Forgiveness...Is more than saying sorry..."

I've been ruined. Anyone else hear that whack song from Just Friends when they hear the word, forgiveness?? No? Just me? Okay...so anyways...

This past Wednesday, one of the girls on my team invited the rest of us to her church's ladies Bible study. The message was on forgiveness and due to previous circumstances, we all felt like this would be a good one to attend. (No, we didn't need to forgive each other - we all are very close friends.) Besides, there is always someone who is going to hurt us and who doesn't need some encouragement on forgiveness? And to top it off, we decided going out for margs and a girls night was the best way to spend some time together before the new school year started. I love my team.

The Bible study started out with the pastor's wife and the music leader singing a funny parody of Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence." The re-written lyrics were about a husband and wife fighting and trying to say the magic 8 words..."I was wrong, will you please forgive me." So. funny. The speaker for the night was an elderly pastor, whose wife of 56 years, was also in the audience. Pastor Nesbit had a very hard childhood, which he shared with us. He was one of 11 children that grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father. His story was terrible, but he has learned to forgive. Here are some of the points that I took away from the message ~

• What is the purpose of your life? To know God through Jesus and become like Jesus.
• What does God use to motivate you to that goal? God uses all things. (Romans 8:28)
• What does God give you to help you towards that goal? GRACE
• justifying grace - just as if I had never sinned
• sanctifying grace - God giving you the desire and the power to respond like Jesus no matter what happens.

• If you don't know how to deal with hurt, it will turn into bitterness.
• What happens to you is never your problem - how you respond is your problem.
• Forgiveness is not a feeling, it's a choice. 
• When Jesus told Peter to forgive 70x7 times. 
• Someone may not hurt you 490 times, but every time you think of that one hurt you can chose to forgive them.
•  Hurt people, hurt people.

These were the points that stuck out to me. Good reminders!