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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: RESTORATION (12/03/20)
The local church needs restoration among its members as well as with the Lord Jesus. It is not so much that we need to return to God as much as we need to give as well as to receive forgiveness from one another. We definitely have the need to return to God; however, we need to forgive one another as well.

If one person in the church is not willing to forgive others, this will affect the entire local church body. One member may be harboring a grudge against another member for something they did against them. This offense could have occurred many years ago.

The person who feels hurt by someone else’s actions should go to the Lord and tell Him exactly how he or she feels. They ought to rely on the Holy Spirit to get them past all of these negative emotions. The Lord will help them to see the problem in a different way than how they are currently observing it.

I knew a lady at the church who was deeply hurt by another member. This other member had told numerous stories about this lady to many other church members. She did not bother to check and determine whether any of these stories were true, she just repeated them to anyone who would listen. As it turned out, most of these tales were not true.

The person who had spread the lies was not sorry for what she had done. She made excuses and did not take even a little responsibility for her actions. The person who had been wronged in this situation asked the Lord to help her to forgive. It did not go away as soon as she had hoped it would.

However, after some time had passed she realized she felt differently about this situation. She felt much more relaxed around this person, and was able to spend time with them without becoming angry or resentful. After a while, she realized that God had forgiven her for things much worse than what her supposed enemy had done to her.

God showed her things about herself she had never seen before. She saw herself as a sinner saved by grace and in need of forgiveness just as much as the woman she had been ready to condemn.

This woman became much more forgiving toward others in the church as well. She was ready to accept anyone she came in contact with who had accepted God’s forgiveness and was ready to move on and learn from their shortcomings and failings.

The Holy Spirit is ready to help anyone who asks for help. He wants to help you give God the glory in everything, even when it does not look as though anything good can come out of it. Let God do what He wants to do and it will all turn out the way He planned.
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This article has been read 208 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Barbara Culler 
12/12/20
The church is filled with people who need forgiveness. I am one of them!
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
12/16/20
This has some great advice. Holding onto grudges and not forgiving hurts the person holding onto it way more than the person who inflicted the injury. The coolest thing about a relationship with Jesus is he's willing to take our burdens as many times as is needed. He understands when we grab that baggage back into our hearts and waits patiently with open arms ready to carry them once more. Your article does a great job of showing that. You did a nice job of writing on topic while delivering a great message.