Make Amends by Forgiving and Forgetting

When we did something wrong to someone did we do it intentionally or did we do it out of ignorance? Sometimes we aim to harm people and some of the reasons we do this is for personal gain or that we don't like the individual, or because we like to stir things up between others. Gossip is a sure way to hurt others and sometimes it backfires on us. I'm sure if you thought about it you could come up with more reasons.

Well, guess what? We need to think about it and think deeply about it. Just when you think it couldn't get any harder, this walk with the Lord is about to. Making a confession was hard enough, but now it's time to make a list of the people you harmed. You know, the ones you have resentments towards, the ones you talked about behind their backs, etc.,etc. Make a list of these people whether they know what you did to them or not, even the ones that are deceased. Also your employer or company and if you have a business, your customers. You will know the wrongs you did by your conscience. Ask Jesus to help you, He will show you. We need to be willing to make amends to all the people we had harmed. Pride again reigns here.

The wrongs we did, we did out of pride. One example is our workplace, we think that they owe us. So we take advantage of our workplace whenever we can or need to. I'm sure if you think about it, you will begin to recall alot of times you took advantage of your employers. You may think that as long as nobody sees it or knows it, you got away with it. This is so untrue because it is recorded in your conscience, and it will be exposed now or later. This goes for all your wrongs too. Romans 14:12, 'It is to God, therefore, that each of us must give an account of himself.' This goes for all your wrongs. I'm sure that as you were reading this, your mind was opening up to you things you did wrong to others. We need to get rid of these things. We need to be completely cleansed. Making a list of wrongs we did to others and also a list of wrongs others did to us, makes us aware and more knowledgeable of what to do to avoid situations that cause resentments to form, and not just resentments, but things that would disrupt our lives as well as others.

Take for instance when someone hurts your pride (which is basically what they're doing). You tend to have all kinds of bad thoughts about them and sometimes to the point where you will try to get even with them. Well, what do you think you are doing to others when you are the one hurting their pride? You become the stumbling block in their life. Romans 14:13 'Far from passing judgement on each other, therefore, you should make up your mind never to be the cause of your brother tripping or falling.' This is such an important scripture. We need to be so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to see the things that have kept us walking in darkness. Not only will you be able to repave the road that was full of potholes, but you won't cause these potholes in the roads others are traveling as well. This is where you will learn to love your brothers and sisters, instead of hating them. So make a list, both of the things you did wrong to others and a list of things others did wrong to you.

Now that you have made your lists, it's time to make amends. First, you have to understand that sometimes it's not good to open up old wounds. We don't want to harm others again, but this doesn't mean that we're off the hook from making amends. There are ways of making amends for all situations. It's a matter of how you approach it. You could just go to the person(s) and apologize for the things you did wrong to them without going into detail for fear it might get the person riled up. The main thing is that it has to come from the heart in a sincere and remorseful way. It doesn't matter if the person doesn't want to forgive you. Pray for them, one day they may have to do what you are doing now.

No matter what someone does or how they act towards you, pray for them immediately, this will keep you from getting a resentment towards them, we don't need any potholes in our road. This is what being humble is. Romans 12:14-21, 'Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor. Do not allow yourself to become self-satisfied. Never repay evil with evil but let everyone see that you are only interested in the highest ideals. Do all you can to live at peace with everyone. Never try to get revenge; leave that, my friends, to God's anger. As scripture says: vengeance is mine - I will pay them back, the Lord promises. But there is more: If your enemy is hungry, you should give him food, and if he is thirsty, let him drink. Thus you heap red - hot coals on his head. Resist evil and conquer it with good.' This is love at its finest for your brothers and sisters, and it will keep the waters in your soul calm and peaceful.

Forgiveness needs to be given as much as it needs to be received. Jesus showed us forgiveness that's beyond description. What a beautiful act of love when He said, 'Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.' Luke 23:34. After all they just did to Him, He forgave them. Some of us get angry at the littlest things people do to us. It's up to us to make amends with others. There's a good chance that we can remove that burden of resentment that others could be carrying around that we caused or helped to cause. It doesn't necessarilly have to be our fault, but we were involved in it. If you have stolen whether it be things from work, even time you were paid for, you could make a donation in their name, or work extra time without pay. There are many ways to make amends. Ask Jesus to help, He's always there for us and willing to show us the way. Bless His Heart and Soul.

As for the ones that are deceased, pray and confess your wrongs to them and the Lord. Tell them you forgive them for what they've done to you. So before you act or speak, think about what may arise. You don't want to cause conflicts in your life or be someones stumbling block. Sometimes, it's just best to let it go. Let them be miserable if that's what they choose. Pray for them and have compassion. This is what God wants, for us to be loving towards our brothers and sisters. This is what being Christ - like is about. Judge and you will be judged. Don't let things bother you, it's not worth it. Our flesh is corupt enough, we don't need to add to it. Pray hard to change and pray hard for others, so they may see the light. May God Bless You Dearly