A man who was telling his friend about an argument he’d had with his wife commented, “Oh, how I hate it! Every time we have an argument; she gets historical!” The friend responded, “You mean hysterical!” “NO,” he insisted, “I mean historical! Every time we argue she drags up everything from my past and holds it against me!” Forgiveness is God’s invention. Life is filled with conflict, pain, injury, and insults, but forgiveness erases the board and gives us peace and healing. God is pretty smart. He knew that humans needed this medicine. It is true: forgiveness breaks down walls, turns enemies into friends, and causes pain to transition into amazing joy. Forgiveness has abundant power. It can restore all that we have lost. Where does forgiveness begin? In our heart! Then it moves sweetly and compassionately toward the one who hurt us. We release them from our vengeance file. Is there anyone you need to forgive? Is there anyone you need to seek forgiveness from? This is how it works: when I forgive you I give up the right to hurt you back. When I forgive you I set myself free from the prison that I have placed myself in. When I forgive you, vengeance turns to victory and hate turns to health. That’s right! Health! “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). God knows that when we forgive those who hurt us and pray for God to have His will in their lives we are healed spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It is sad but true, myriads of people are chronically sick because they hold bitterness in their heart against someone. They feel like they deserve to feel this way. I believe many do not know that their affliction is due to the feelings they are harboring. God’s Word declares that when we release the hate, our chemistry returns to normal and we are healed. Prospero, when finally given a chance to punish those who had removed him of his rightful place as king states, “Let us not burden our remembrance with a heaviness that’s gone” (William Shakespeare, The Tempest). Forgiveness starts when we can hear the person’s name without feeling anger. This does not mean letting go of justice, because a murderer must pay for his crime and a thief must make restitution. Justice is the pursuit of fairness, but hate is the desire to pay back. When we forgive we are able to see much more clearly. We do not ignore the hurt, but we are able to see beyond it. We discover the humanity of the one who hurt us. We see that all people are a product of fallibility, just like me. Ann Lamott writes, “I cherish resentment and bitterness because I want to hurt the rat that caused my pain. But after resentment and bitterness have festered I find out that the rat is me, after all. Don’t forgive and your anger will become your burden. Don’t forgive and all the joy is choked out of you…it will kill you.” Choose forgiveness. For more info you can visit us at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com One dark night outside a small town a fire started inside the local chemical plant. Before long it exploded into flames and an alarm went out to fire departments for miles around. After fighting the fire for over an hour, the chemical company president approached the fire chief and said, “All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved!! I will give $50,000 to the engine company that brings them out safely!” As soon as the chief heard this he ordered the firemen to strengthen their attack on the blaze. After two more hours of attacking the fire the president of the company offered $100,000 to the engine company that could bring out the company’s secret files. In the distance a lone siren was heard and another fire truck came into sight. It was the local volunteer fire company composed entirely of men over sixty-five years of age. To everyone’s surprise, the little fire engine raced through the chemical plant gates and drove straight into the middle of the inferno. From a distance the other firemen watched as the old timers hopped off their rig and began battling the fire with an effort no one had ever seen before. After an hour of intense fighting, the volunteer company extinguished the fire and saved the secret formulas. With joy, the chemical president announced that he would double the reward to $200,000 then walked over to thank each of the old timers personally. After thanking each of them individually, the president asked the group what they intended to do with the reward money. Without hesitation, the fire-truck driver raised his hand then looked him right in the eyes and said, “The first thing we’re going to do is get the brakes on this truck fixed!!” It is amazing what we can accomplish when we are motivated. When our life is in danger we can run through thorn nettles stark naked not feeling a thing. If a lot of money is on the line we can leap over tall buildings with a single bound. There is power in motivation. I read where a certain hunting dog was being ridiculed by the other dogs because the rabbit he was chasing got away. The dog explained, “You must remember that the rabbit was running for his life while I was only running for sport.” Am I wrong, but it seems to me that many people lack the proper motivation these days? Where are the self-starters that don’t have to be told to get out of bed and get going? A valuable key to rising to the top is to give more than you receive. This act alone will attract the attention of your boss, because your boss is ambitious and looking for motivated people to help him succeed. People who are motivated to give more energy to their work than to their check are as rare as diamonds. Employers seek for them. It is almost a guarantee that these rare ones will be the first to get promoted. When you see a person at the top, know this: he was motivated! For more info you can visit us at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com |
Pastor J.C. Myers, III
Pastor J.C. founded Joy Christian Ministries in 1992. He was Sr. Pastor at Joy Christian Ministries in West Sacramento, California from 1992-2016. He was succeeded by his 2nd son, Pastor Brandon Myers who had been under his father's ministry and teaching for 39 years. Archives
February 2017
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