Day #29

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." Eph 6:7

A verse revisited in a rather different context.

Question : how much of a grip do preconceptions have in our lives today?

We look at something or someone, we automatically start assigning stereotypical attributes to them; we start categorizing and separating them; we begin putting boxes around them; labeling them like insects in a Biology project; we start comparing.

Why does it happen? Should it be happening at all?

And then there's conception based on past experience. Someone shows up 5 minutes late for a prearranged meet up, we immediately remember them as 'not punctual'. Someone, out of sheer forgetfulness, forgets to return a loaned item, we label them as 'ungrateful'.

Years of friendship, trust, any relationship at all, shattered in one swift blow, sometimes caused by the tiniest and most insignificant of riffs.

Just because they've never done wrong before, does not mean they aren't allowed mistakes, does it?

Forgive and forget. Which is the easier?

I would say forgiving is the the okay one, the one which is easier to get it over and done with.

"I forgive you, sure. Just don't do it again, otherwise I will not forgive you the next time." How is that forgiving and forgetting? Forgiveness with a condition? Is that truly forgiving?

Whenever someone does us wrong, we tend to act fine with forgiving them, but often do not make an active point to forget it. What happens the next time they make the same mistake? we suddenly 'remember' their previous faults, remember it happened before, and all the ugly details surface once again.

Now imagine God doing that to us. Us sinful creatures, drawn inexplicably back into our own ways like moths to a flame. Everytime we sin, we ask for His forgiveness. And He graciously forgives us. And we sin again. And again. And yet again. What if God refused to forgive us the second time just because 'I have forgiven you once already, and what good has that done?' and the third time? And the time after that?

Yet our Father forgives us every. single. time. He never remembers our mistakes, but does not forget the cries of our heart, our faith, and our worship and adoration.

Think about it.

Prayer : Dear Lord, I am lost. And sorry. And confused. And a whole lot of other feelings all at the same time. The world is a big and busy place; teach me not to judge without first judging myself, and even then judge not out of spite, but out of compassion. Removed the tinted lenses I am seeing the world with, that I may treat all of Your creation like You have treated us - with grace and love. I really need your help. I cannot do this on my own. Help me.


Amen.