The affects of Forgiveness

Yes... I know I write on forgiveness - often. I think it's because it is such an integral and important attitude, standard in our lives. Without it (being forgiven AND not forgiving others) we carry a great deal of baggage around. And I am not suggesting we be cavalier about forgiveness... that's nearly as bad. But have you ever thought about the affects on you, others in terns of the 'what next', how do we react, think. How does this change who we are and how we go about this?

Do you believe that when you seek forgiveness that 'everything' will simply go away and we are back to 'normal'/what was before we did/said something? It doesn't you know. You are still responsible for the effects and ramifications. The difference is really that we respond to what we did either as forgiven or not. Having been in both, I much recommend the former. One of the questions is - based on this experience does this change how we go about being 'you'? Should it?

If we're going to 'reap' what we sowed... what difference does it make? On us - significantly! As we 'clean up our 'mess' we can do it from an entirely different attitude. And wallowing in blame or shame is never the new. If it's the old, then rethink! If it's a case of 'swallowing your pride'... is it really? Or is it righting something that we can actually affect? Separating our emotion from our action can be incredibly difficult... and this too is a learning.

At a quieter moment we can look (hopefully) more objectively at why what happened, how, and the behavior. At the moment other emotions take affected, not the least of which is self protection. But now, later, we can look at this and decide how we might have acted differently, what the underlying motive(s) were, the reactions, etc. If we are to grow then it's imperative that we judge ourselves.

   "For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and

    recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed

   [by the divine judgment]. But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord,

   we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned

   [to eternal punishment along] with the world." [1 Corinthians 11:30-32] 

And self-judgment should not be seen as attempting to escape the consequences of our words and behaviors - we are responsible for our actions. But I believe we don't get into a spiral of self protection which can be deadly. Being disciplined and chastened by the Lord is not to be despised because it is meant for our growth. Though it may seem painful (and don't hang onto 'not fair'):

   "My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His

    correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be

    weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof, 

    For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in

    whom he delights." [Proverbs 3:11-12]