What do you do with the Mad that you feel? Intro Video
This week we will confront, head on, the biggest challenge to our efforts at being a good neighbor-
It’s easy for us to imagine what a “good neighbor” looks like, and even easier perhaps to picture what constitutes a “bad neighbor”. As we strive to be good neighbors to the people God places in our lives, what do we do when we are treated badly in return? Today: How do we follow Jesus’ example of forgiveness, long-suffering and overcoming evil with good?
Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil
So what do you do with the mad inside?
The big word answer, and the one that is going to make you hate me if you have bad neighbors, is
Regardless of who your neighbor is or how bad a human being you think they are, you’re called to
I’ll Just Ignore Them!
We may think the answer is to ignore them, pretend they aren’t there, and the issue doesn’t exist. But that only masks the problem, it doesn’t solve it.
To ignore it and force a smile and say everything is fine does nothing to address the issue. God doesn’t call us to ignore the issue, but to forgive the issue.
Jay Pathak says, “This way of responding or talking (to simply excuse the wrong) falls way short of the high standard that Jesus sets for forgiveness. To forgive someone goes far beyond just excusing their behavior and moving on.
C.S. Lewis, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you”
The Christian needs to be in a place where they are aware of how much he has been forgiven before he can really forgive his neighbor.
Matthew 18:32-35 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
What forgiveness is and isn’t
First, it doesn’t mean that everything will be fixed or that it will be received.
Romans 12:16 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all
Second, forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same.
Just because we forgive doesn’t mean we have to be best friends. Reconciliation is the hard work of how we go forward together, forgiveness is an attitude of the heart.
We have hearts of forgiveness because we remember that we have been forgiven. WE remember that forgiveness was given to us when we didn’t deserve it. Since Jesus paid the price for us, we have been forgiven our debts, so we forgive our debtors.
We aren’t called just to do the right thing but to allow Jesus to change our heart in the midst of difficult circumstances. This is hard but it is the only way to live a free life and to continue to love deeply and freely.