+The "F" Word is Spiritual
- Assoc. Pastor Keith T. Jones
- Apr 7, 2011
When I was a kid I would get very excited about the spring, it represented the beginning, newness, and freshness. I remember growing up in Florida seeing the natural vegetation begin to blossom. I remember being excited about Spring Practice for football and getting ready for a new season. I also remember Easter. Easter was a fun time for me as a child; Easter egg hunts, going to church in a new suit looking like a little lawyer, the Easter pageant at church and of course the big Easter Dinner in the Fellowship Hall. As a kid I always noticed every year the sermon on Easter was always the same topic; the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For an extremely long time the only thing that I took away from that sermon and Easter was, Jesus died for our sins and somehow we owed him a debt of gratitude and we can express our appreciation for this act of heroism by committing to serve him. It wasn’t until later on in life that something clicked between my ears and I started to understand that the death of Jesus Christ was about “Forgiveness”. On the cross our sins were forgiven and we as humanity didn’t deserve it. Jesus Christ who was God manifested in the flesh chose to carry our sins to the cross, he chose to be beat and tortured, shed his blood and die on a cross so that our sins could be “Forgiven” . What a magnificent display of LOVE.
Now that I am older, married and raising my own family and walking in my calling as a Pastor. That word “Forgiveness”, that “F” word, has to be woven into my spiritual DNA. Forgiveness is a subject that comes up quite a bit in marriage. Offenses are common in marriage, and the offender usually wants to be forgiven. But the offended is usually reluctant to forgive, particularly if the offender hasn’t learned anything from the ordeal. So why is forgiveness spiritual? Well, in Matthew chapter 6 verse 14 the bible says it best; “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others” MSG. In other words, since we know that we all are without sin our ability to connect with God can be hindered by our refusal or inability to forgive our spouse or others when there is an offense.
Here are some tips to help us forgive our spouse:
- Make a decision to forgive your spouse - …Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave. Col 3:13 MSG
- When images of the betrayal/offense flash in your mind, try to think on something that is calming. – Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, no things to curse. Phil 4:8 MSG
- Don’t’ throw an error or mistake back in your spouse’s face at a later date.
- Remember that forgiveness doesn’t mean you condone the hurtful behavior
- Don’t seek revenge or retribution. Instead, pray for your spouse.
Unlike C-Lo Green, who some may argue is a great song writer, what if we chose to employ another “F” word in our marriage and show that same overwhelming, unconditional LOVE as Jesus Christ did when he chose to die on the cross? “I Forgive You!” Is there anything more spiritual?
