"I have
shot Christians at their baptism. I have done a lot of things that I am ashamed
to admit. I try to do a lot of good things, but I am just not sure whether they
outweigh the bad." Mohammed, affectionately known by my family as Uncle
Mogli, grew up in rural Egypt. Having suffered under the stigma of being a
member of the only family in town who had been abandoned by their father, Mogli
was easily lured into an Islamic terrorist group. Here he enjoyed the respect
and camaraderie he had had longed for. But these glory days were short lived,
as Mogli ended up being arrested and sent to prison, which gave him ample time
to re-evaluate his life. Truly regretting his terrorist actions, Mohammed fled
the country to start over. But the past would not let go of him. Sitting in our
living room with my husband, J., Mogli began pouring out his heart. "How
can I ever do enough good to still make it to heaven?" he lamented.
"You
never will, and you don’t have to," J. explained. "Jesus did it
instead of you. When He died on the cross, He took the punishment for all you
have done. When you accept what Christ has done for you, God looks at you as if
you had lived a perfect life. The Bible says, 'He remembers your sin no more'
(Heb. 8:12). Through Christ we have forgiveness. You can receive His
forgiveness today by confessing your sins and accepting that Jesus has paid the
price for you. You can come before the Father without shame, knowing that when
you confessed your sins, they were taken away. Whenever he looks on us He sees
the righteousness of Christ.”
"I love that Jesus!" Mohammed shouted.
I love that
Jesus, too!
· Read 1 John 1:8-9. What is God
revealing to you?
Would you
like to know the Father's forgiveness? You can receive it today by praying,
"Father, I know that I can never be good enough. I am a sinner and deserve
Your wrath. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place. I accept His
sacrifice for me, setting me free from the debt I owe and clothing me with His
righteousness. Please be the Lord of my life."
· Tell your small group leader or a
friend if you have made this commitment.
Ideally the
blessing of forgiveness and every other blessing would come both from our earthly
father and from our Father in heaven, but some of us will never receive the desired
blessing from our father. This is one of the deepest wounds a child can suffer.
It is natural to feel anger and resentment for what should have been, but a
heart that is hard toward an earthly father makes it nearly impossible to
receive a blessing from God the Father. Forgiveness is the spiritual atmosphere
He wants you to live in. Stewing in resentment means remaining in the
paralyzing grip of shame and regret. "The choice to remain in
unforgiveness is a choice by which we are separating ourselves from the
merciful love of the Father. In doing so, we are choosing to remain
orphans." (Abba's Heart by Neal
Lozano, Baker Publishing Group, 2010, pg. 171)
· Why is God asking you to forgive in
Matthew 6:14-15?
Forgiveness
is an act of the will, not a feeling, trusting in God to change our hearts.
Continue to forgive until you are sincerely able to ask God to bless your
father. It is possible. I know, because God is doing this in me.
· Be specific when you speak out
forgiveness. Rather than saying, "I forgive my father," say, "I
forgive my father for his harshness" …or "I forgive my father for
abandoning me," etc. This helps you release and forgive each offense. It
might be helpful to do this in writing below:
Having taken
this step of forgiveness does not necessitate that you put yourself in a
situation where further abuse is possible. Maintaining boundaries is important
to prevent further abuse. Forgiving our
Mothers and Fathers by Fields and Hubbard provides much helpful advice.
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