Grace Is Greater Than Your Bitterness

Second. I wonder if both Jesus and Stephen both prayed that God would forgive their murderers, instead of just offering forgiveness themselves because what they need is God forgiveness not their forgiveness.

Third. I wonder if Jesus, and especially Stephen, prayed God would forgive them because in that moment they didn’t have forgiveness to give.

When we live in grace, releasing doesn’t mean giving up, it means giving it to God.

When we live in grace, releasing doesn’t mean giving up, it means giving it to God!!

When I say release it I am not saying let it go to some imaginary place to be absorbed into infinity. It’s not that you randomly or wherever release it.

NO YOU RELEASE IT TO GOD.

You decide to let Him carry the weight of what was done to you.

You must trust Him to deal with the other person.

Prayer is what makes forgiveness possible—what makes the impossible possible.

Maybe that should be our first step in forgiveness. Look up to God and tell Him to forgive them.

Yep we first pray to God and ask Him to do what you haven’t been able to do.

I’m going to share a story That Kyle Idleman gave.

We had been married for almost thirteen years when his company relocated us to Baltimore, MD. I gave up my family, friends, career, and church home of more than twenty years. . . . I knew when I arrived in Baltimore that something felt different. . . .

Five months after our move I learned he had been using online pornography and that the problem went back months earlier and had become a serious addiction. I immediately prayed God would give me the words to say to him without allowing my anger and hurt in this betrayal to take hold, but my husband’s response to me was callous and indifferent. I would learn in the months to follow that is a typical response for a Sexual Anorexic Sex Addict. The problem was me, because he didn’t have a problem. I sought out counseling and we attended a Weekend to Remember marriage conference, but his heart was hardened. Six months later he left me and filed for divorce. The harder I prayed, the more God would reveal my husband’s brokenness to me. The more I could understand his brokenness, the easier it was to forgive him. When I cried out, “I gave up everything for him and he doesn’t care about me at all,” God whispered, I know exactly how you feel. My husband wasn’t just leaving me; he was running away from God. I was told along the way that his salvation should be more important to me than saving our marriage, so I started to pray that way. Several months into our separation I learned of another betrayal and lie, so I called to confront him. I prayed that God would lead me in this conversation and that my words would honor God above all else. Rather than confront him I found myself forgiving him for what he

was doing to my life I continue to pray that God will pursue my ex-husband and the day will come when he truly puts Jesus on the throne of his heart. I am free of bitterness and anger by the grace of God.

[Screen 8]

You may be thinking this woman’s testimony isn’t overly dramatic. In fact, parts of it may seem familiar, if not from your own life then perhaps the life of someone you know. And the ending wasn’t especially inspiring. They didn’t get back together. He didn’t repent of his sin or make things right with God. In many ways her circumstances didn’t change. If anything the hurt that was done to her not only continued, but also intensified.