Just Something About Me
I struggle with forgiveness. I like to hold a grudge. This has been something so deeply rooted in me that it was "just something about me". A character trait, if you will. More like a character weight.
How does one go about changing this? I would pray and ask God to help me with my unforgiveness. I prayed for my heart to be softened. Time and time again something would come up and so would my accusations or blame, resulting in a lack of forgiveness.
Then one day during the children's lessons we were looking up verses that instruct us in the importance of controlling our tempers and we looked up Proverbs 19:11- A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. I thought nothing of this verse at the time.
That same night I found myself being wrongly accused by another individual. This person had jumped to conclusions and unjustly scolded me. I was so put out and offended at the time that I let the incidence pass without communication. However, I did not forget. The next day I was going over all that had occurred the night before and was working myself up. Wondering how to confront this person. What to say, when to say it and how to deliver the rebuke they so rightly deserved. It was then that Proverbs 19:11 popped into my mind. Ok, it was then that God placed that verse at the forefront of my thoughts. A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Wow! It's as if the good Lord bopped me on the head and said, does it really matter? Is this an offense that can be overlooked? Of coarse it was. It was certainly nothing that I would want to be the cause of a rift in the relationship. Of all the times I had asked for a more forgiving heart, not knowing how to acheive the goal. And all the time God just waited until the perfect moment to begin a work in me.
Today I am beginning my journey to be a more forgiving person. I am looking forward to the day that forgiveness will be so deeply rooted in my heart that it will be "just something about me".
How does one go about changing this? I would pray and ask God to help me with my unforgiveness. I prayed for my heart to be softened. Time and time again something would come up and so would my accusations or blame, resulting in a lack of forgiveness.
Then one day during the children's lessons we were looking up verses that instruct us in the importance of controlling our tempers and we looked up Proverbs 19:11- A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. I thought nothing of this verse at the time.
That same night I found myself being wrongly accused by another individual. This person had jumped to conclusions and unjustly scolded me. I was so put out and offended at the time that I let the incidence pass without communication. However, I did not forget. The next day I was going over all that had occurred the night before and was working myself up. Wondering how to confront this person. What to say, when to say it and how to deliver the rebuke they so rightly deserved. It was then that Proverbs 19:11 popped into my mind. Ok, it was then that God placed that verse at the forefront of my thoughts. A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Wow! It's as if the good Lord bopped me on the head and said, does it really matter? Is this an offense that can be overlooked? Of coarse it was. It was certainly nothing that I would want to be the cause of a rift in the relationship. Of all the times I had asked for a more forgiving heart, not knowing how to acheive the goal. And all the time God just waited until the perfect moment to begin a work in me.
Today I am beginning my journey to be a more forgiving person. I am looking forward to the day that forgiveness will be so deeply rooted in my heart that it will be "just something about me".
This is something that I struggle with as well! I am definitely going to start memorizing that vers! What a wonderful heart verse, thanks bunches!
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