God has mega attributes. It will take us all of eternity to get to know Him and see His attributes manifested. Yet, His most shining attribute toward humanity is His generosity of forgiveness. When we think about this month, we will be thinking about Easter and how God sent Jesus to die that we may receive forgiveness for our sins. God is a forgiving God. God’s original design is for us to reflect or mirror His image perfectly. We are created in His image. (Genesis 1:26) There is no greater reflection or mirroring of Him than when we forgive others. In the above passage of scripture, Matthew 18:22, Jesus is answering Peters question. Matthew 18:21, Then came Peter to Him, and said, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” “Till seven times?” Peter thought he was being magnanimous (very generous of overlooking an injury or insult) when he said this, because two to three times was all you had to forgive according to the Rabbis. Simon Peter was willing to forgive seven times. However, Peter’s generosity was parsimonious (frugal to the point of being stingy) in comparison to the way of Jesus. It is our destiny to become like Him. If we are unwilling to forgive those who have sinned against us, we forfeit our destiny. I am sure all of us have been wronged by another, and if we say we have not, just live a little longer this side of eternity and you will have opportunity. It is a reality of life. We are imperfect creatures living amongst imperfect creatures. Even after salvation, we are a piece of art being sculptured into sanctification or perfection. None of us have arrived that are still here on planet earth. We have been offended, and most likely we have offended. I find it interesting regarding a story I read about a silversmith and his work. Someone was watching the old silversmith as he was refining a piece of gold. The silversmith placed the metal in the fire. The metal took on a different state of density, and impurities were being purged out of the precious metal. The onlooker being curious asked how you know when it is ready. How long do you hold it in the fire without completely destroying it? The silversmith replied “when I can see my reflection in the metal.” Many people do not trust God the Master Silversmith. Becoming more like Him does not come without a price. It is costly. He paid a price, His life. We too must pay a price, our life. Salvation is free, but your destiny, will cost you everything. Our destiny is to reflect Him. This will cost us. Loving like Jesus is not something that happens automatically. It is not something easy or natural. It is learned through the trials of life. We too must die. We must die to keeping a ledger of those who have wronged us. We can not be forgiven by God for our sins if we do not forgive others. (Mark 11:25-26) Yet, it is one of the most rampant struggles among Christians today. And it is one of the leading causes of the root of many infirmities that people are afflicted with. Gastro-intestinal disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, autoimmune disorders, appearance of premature aging. Now, I am not advocating that all of this is the result of un-forgiveness, yet it has been documented by health professionals that bitterness, resentment and un-forgiveness left unchecked develops into physical and mental disorders. The premature aging factor alone should put a halt to un-forgiveness in our 21st century society of mass fountain of youth devotion! Not to mention the pain of infirmities in ones body and the torment of a mind that is being troubled due to a lack of peace. Bitterness is like a cancer. It takes root so deeply that it can’t be quickly extracted. You can begin by nurturing a grudge, and if you feed it, the grudge grows into a powerful resentment. By then it has a life of its own. Ultimately it is no longer something you own, but something that owns you. It is a reality that we all will have an opportunity to be wronged and offended, and if we must forgive to be forgiven by God, and to fulfill our destiny, forgiveness is no option. God is willing and able to give us a new heart. Cry out to God for help. Review God’s forgiveness to you. Pray the most powerful prayer recorded, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” After all that’s the identifying mark of the children of God. (Magnanimity means greatness of mind; that elevation or dignity of soul, which encounters danger and trouble with tranquility and firmness, which raises the possessor above revenge, and makes him delight in acts of benevolence. Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary.) MIRROR MAGNANIMITY. Be most generous in forgiving. If we want to determine a list of our accomplishments, we must put at the top of the list, what is the quality of love in me? That is what God uses to measure our lives. LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

Debbie Fondren                 

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