12/23/21 QUIT BLAMING OTHER

12/23/21 QUIT BLAMING OTHER

We sometimes see a show or read a story that tells about someone breaking a family heirloom, a precious treasure, and then hiding the pieces, as if it never happened. The guilty person pretends it did not happen or they disavow any knowledge or guilt when the event is discovered.

Often there are folks who suffer the loss of precious relationships, knowing full well why the brokenness has taken place. Still, the guilty party either ignores their own part in the brokenness, or they trounce over the feelings of the injured loved one(s), or they cavalierly proceed in their own self centeredness, giving no indication that they even care about the person(s) they are hurting.

Willingness to forgive does not remove the hurt and does not restore the relationship. No matter how loving, forgiving, gracious a person is, broken relationships and broken hearts are not mended only by the injured person. Those who have been hurt must have a forgiving and loving heart, but healing and mending requires the violator to recognize, admit and seek forgiveness.

The failure to face one's own personal meanness and guilt adds to the division, adds to the suffering, whether it lasts for a long time or a short time.
To the selfish person, the hurt is covered over by other acts of self satisfaction.
To the injured person, the pain is constant and may last a lifetime {which could be over at any time).

Self centeredness robs the violator, the targeted victim and many others who are innocent victims. Most of all, it robs God. Robbing God not only includes holding back financial, temporal support, it includes holding back love, compassion, kindness, personal sacrifice. A great present, gift, that we can give God (Who has given us the greatest Gift) is a broken and contrite spirit; a willingness to heal the hearts and lives we are breaking. Giving ourselves fully to God is accompanied with giving ourselves to others.

God (Who offended no one), gave His Son, and Christ (Who had no guilt) gave His life, not for a momentary appearance of unity, but for a lifetime and an eternity of love, peace, joy. How much more should we give everything, in pursuit of oneness with others in Christ? The Gift of Christ is God reaching out to lost men. In turn, we must receive His Gift of love, light and life. Then we too must reach out to others.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 3:16
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.