Forgiveness...

I have been tasked with teaching a Sunday School class this week. I haven't taught a Sunday School class in like a dozen years and then it was 4 year olds. This time it is College and Career....they might actually be listening! So, equipped with my "special talents" that got me this job...yes, only a few of you will get that....I opened my borrowed book to see what important knowledge I am suppose to impart. It is forgiveness. No problem...at least that is what I thought...

So, I am reading this lesson and it lays out how God forgives. You know, I really hadn't sat down to ponder that one in a while. The lesson discusses how we, as humans, decide how WE forgive and then assign that same level of forgiving "power" to God. I can tell you, there was a light went on above my head when I read that. I do exactly that...and have struggled with it for a long time. God's simple concept of love and forgiveness became tangled up in the mess that is my head and I couldn't allow Him to forgive me (of course He had no trouble doing the forgiving...all the mess was on my end) for certain things because it didn't fit into MY "forgiveness plan". Some things were OK to forgive because they were on the "small scale" in my head. Other things had ranked higher (and I am talking about for years here folks) and I had decided that they had to stay locked away because they were just too bad. Sounds silly...doesn't it. Wonder how many Christians are doing the exact same thing. Obviously enough that someone wrote this Sunday School lesson!

The lesson lays out that Adam and Eve sinned so bad that they pretty much ruined everything for all humans and animals to follow. WOW! That's a big one. Did God forgive them? Yes. Did some less than great things happen to them...well, yes. Before they had free reign over paradise and after their sin it was time to work and experience some pain...OK, a lot of pain. God still loved them the same as before because when He forgave them, He forgot about it. That is the sticker, isn't it...forgetting about it. Maybe some of you are not like me and you allow God to forgive you and you move on. Good for you. Frankly, I needed this lesson I am about to teach far more than probably most that I will be teaching it to. Isn't it odd how God worked that one out?

Another thing...while I am on a roll...we, as Christians, seem to have a really easy time handing out judgement to others and a hard time forgiving others. Let me just say that I am overwhelmingly thankful that I serve a God that does not share those traits. May I work to become more like Him...