Incredible Forgiveness

Incredible Forgiveness 

So guys. Get ready! I was once again just writing out a few thoughts and once again I decided my thoughts were a lot longer then I originally intended them to be.

"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

I just finished reading "Unbroken." It is truly one of the most real and incredible stories I have ever read. The only words I can use to describe it as are incredible and inspiring. And the most incredible part of the story is what God was able to do to the life of a man who was ruining his life with hate and plans for revenge. In an ironic sort of way, he was broken. Louie Zamperini had survived being a crazy teenager, an Olympic athlete, a bombardier in WWII, a castaway, a POW.... But the bitterness of what had happened to him stuck with him. He tried to drink away the memories and started to plan a sort of revenge on those who had mistreated him when he was a POW…. I found the chapters about his life after the war to be rather painful to read… It was sad. But the most beautiful part of the story was basically at the end.

Louie Zamperini became a Christian. He was able to stop his horrible habits of drinking. He was able to forgive for the most part the Japanese officers and guards. And he was not able to forgive and let go by himself. It took God. That was the best and the most incredible part of Louie Zamperini’s story.

I had no idea about some of the atrocities which went on in Japanese POW camps. And atrocities is what they were… But isn’t it inspiring and comforting to know that through God, a man who had been horribly and brutally mistreated was able to forgive those who had wronged him. Isn’t that incredible?

But you know what is more incredible? (Yes, I know I keep using that word but it is just…that- INCREDIBLE). God was able to forgive us all our sins…. Every one of them. WOW.

Sometimes I struggle with being able to forgive. But you know what? We have a God who can help us to forgive. We just need to go to Him and lay it at His feet and ask Him to help us to deal with bitterness and forgiveness…. And He can. He wants us to be filled with joy. But you cannot be joyful and bitter and unforgiving at the same time. And if we are having a rough day or week or month, there is some comfort which God leaves us in James.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience….” - James 1:2-3

So if there is something you are struggling with… be it bitterness, forgiveness, lacking of peace, feeling of emptiness, or fear, why not lay it at God’s feet?