Living Water Church

What do you think is the most beautiful word in the English language?  Some might say love or friendship; sadly others might say money or success.  To me, the most beautiful word in all of language is the word forgiveness.  Without forgiveness love and friendship couldn’t exist.  Without forgiveness, we would live in the depths of guilt and condemnation.

Ken and I got mad at each other this week.  (I know, shocker… you find it hard to believe.)  We said things to each other that we would take back if we could.  (How quickly I forgot what I said in a recent sermon that a harsh word spoken is not easily forgotten by the person it is spoken to.)  However, in spite of our shortcomings, because of the redeeming grace of the Father, we forgave each other.

Ken and I confessed our issues to each other, and we looked each other in the eye, and said, “Will you forgive me?”  Then the other one said, out loud, with direct eye contact, “I forgive you.”  The words are simple but the question and response are completely humbling.  And the result is powerful—beyond words really.  There is amazing power in forgiveness.  There is healing, hope, and restoration.   Choose to forgive someone today.  Say the words, “I forgive you.”  “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

“This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24.

As our church draws our study of Philippians to a close, one of the themes of the letter is the command to rejoice.  The concept of rejoicing or joy appears 16 times in just four chapters.  Paul dedicated his life to following Christ, but in so doing he faced poverty, beatings, and imprisonment.  In his letter to the Ephesians, he wrote that he was writing while living in chains.  Can you even imagine…living in chains?  But in spite of all this, Paul chose to rejoice.  He learned to be content.  How?

Wouldn’t it be easy if the answer was just a simple formula like A+B = contentment.  Sadly, it is not so.  As I pondered the question, I came to the conclusion that Paul did not live in denial.  He didn’t live in some mental la-la land where he refused to admit to his problems.  Rather, he openly acknowledged the chains, the poverty, the pain.  But at the same time, he chose to focus his mind and his heart on the promises of God.  Promises like:  “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.”  Phil. 4:19.

Paul had an assurance about him, a hope, that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with Him.  And with this confident assurance, Paul was able to choose to rejoice.  The Psalmist wrote, “I will rejoice and be glad…” Sometimes rejoicing is an act of our will.  Choose to rejoice today!