How Would You Feel?
If you had a child, spouse, or friend who had done wrong and asked you for forgiveness, and you had given it to them, but they kept coming back asking over and over again for forgiveness, how would you feel?
If you were to make a promise to someone about doing something special or going somewhere special at a particular time, and it would require them to be dressed and ready for it, and you showed up and found them unprepared, how would you feel?
If you are determined to spend the rest of your life with that special someone because you sincerely love them and are often telling them and doing things to demonstrate that love, and they struggle with believing that you love them, how would you feel?
What if someone you love came to you with a need they couldn't possibly handle on their own, and you took care of it for them, and then later found them bragging about how they met the need on their own? How would that make you feel?
The truth is, we are not usually fond of someone not accepting what we freely offer to them, or them failing to take us at our word, or appreciating it when we go out of our way to help, only to find they talk as if we had nothing to do with it at all.
Jesus deals with this daily on a billion levels. He has done everything needed to make the promises of God, yes and amen in Him, yet so often we struggle to accept and believe it and prepare as someone expecting it. Then there's the reality of having received a promise and then behaving as though it was something we did that brought about the result, as if to take credit for the outcome to ourselves.
In Luke 17:11-17, Jesus was passing through Samaria and Galilee, and there ten leprous men cried out for Him to show them mercy, and He told them to show themselves to the priests, and as they went on their way, they were cleansed, but only one turned back to give Him thanks for what had been done. Jesus then asked that man, "Were there not ten of you? Where are the other nine?"
There can be no credit properly given where no thanks are expressed.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Whenever we believe we were the cause of something extraordinary happening, we take the credit. If we believe that something we said or did was the reason for it happening, then we are taking the credit. Instead, it would be better to magnify the Father and the Lord Jesus for their goodness, faithfulness, willingness, and mercy that it happened.
I did not forgive myself to be cleansed from my sin; He forgave me at the cross.
I did not do anything to become a new creation as though I could perform such a supernatural feat. He made a new creation by His own power from a place of love in His heart towards me.
Anytime I fail to believe in His forgiveness, or to act on His promises, or doubt His great love for me, or question His willingness and ability to meet my needs as He has promised to do, I am not treating Him according to His worth because I am being temporarily blinded to it by being too caught up in myself. Jesus paid it all, did it all, and completed the mission He was given. We now stand in the victory He won on our behalf. Gratitude can often be a high act of faith on our part, and we know how faith pleases Him. It's a good day to be grateful.
