VBSFAWTG&G 2023 Day 4
FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK, THERE WILL BE THIS INTRO FOR ANYONE JOINING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME….IF YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE SERIES, SCROLL ON DOWN, FRIENDS, FOR DAY 4
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Welcome to the 2023 VBSFAWTG&G.
If you are new to the Journey, every summer I revisit my love for Vacation Bible School along with my aversion to the obligatory craft portion, and provide this week of Vacation Bible School For Adults Without the Glue and Glitter.
This year’s series flows from a page in my beloved Valley of Vision prayer book, page 209 and is part of a prayer for The Family.
The portion that generated this year’s VBSFAWTG&G is:
Help me to hate and forsake every false way,
to be attentive to my condition and character,
to bridle my tongue,
to keep my heart with all diligence,
to watch and pray against temptation ,
to mortify sin,
to be concerned for the salvation of others.
The Valley of Vision, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975 collected by Arthur Bennett, page 209
I had made a note in the margins many years ago with a list of my “temptations”; the things that draw me away from a deeper and purer faith. The things that occupy me and ruin my condition and character, cause my tongue and heart to sin, interfere with my prayers and eclipse my concern for the salvation of others.
As it turns out, there are five and that is exactly the number of days we have for VBS. So we will be tackling one each day, hopefully outlining what it looks like in real time, some Scriptures to speak into the temptation and some steps to practice fighting it.
I would guess I am not alone in these five temptations. The succumbing to them can manifest in a variety of sinful and selfish and damage-to-self and to others ways, but the root issues are common to all people I believe.
The five temptations are:
Discouragement
Unbelief
Rejection
Unforgiveness
Bitterness
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Here we are on Thursday of VBSFAWTG&G and if you are accustomed to old school Vacation Bible School as an adult or a child, you know that Thursday is a little harder to drag out of bed and get the kiddos in the car. The added hours to a summer schedule have started to take a toll and everyone will be wanting a nap by the afternoon on this fourth day.
So if you showed up, thank you!
I hope I make it worth your time <3
Today we are on the fourth temptation on my list – the temptation to withhold forgiveness.
Of course anyone who is a follower of Christ knows the basics.
We forgive because we are forgiven and because we are commanded to do so. He set the example on the Cross with the ultimate umbrella of forgiveness over those who crucified Him by asking God to forgive them for they knew not what they were doing.
However, when the rubber meets the road on the Journey and I or someone I love is wounded, betrayed, abused, abandoned, or any other sin inflicted by another is incurred…I find that forgiveness can be a long process.
From the initial pain and anger, there is a lot of questioning with God about what happened, my role in the process, what could have been done differently.
There are tears and rants and anguish depending on the severity of the offense. And always a direction of movement in the heart and spirit towards being at least willing to ask for help to forgive.
Often, in my experience, the battle is lessened drastically when the offender has offered sincere and genuine acceptance of the wrong and expressed sorrow and apologizes and shows a desire for reconciliation.
In that case, unforgiveness is not a temptation and while it may take a while to rebuild trust, there is little temptation that I will struggle with unforgiveness.
No. That kind of situation is a different situation altogether from when I am tempted to withhold forgiveness.
I struggle with it when no wrong is acknowledged or if the offender is not even aware of what he or she has done. The “forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing” example is harder to adopt for my human flesh.
And yet, with the example set and the command given, the temptation of carrying unforgiveness is going to be a deal for me for as long as it takes to reach the place of true forgiveness.
Here are some red flags that I harbor it in my heart:
<3 I recount the story of the offense to myself and to others on a regular basis or from time to time
<3 When the offender experiences something good in his or her life, I am not filled with joy, happiness or even a good natured smile for it
<3 While I may feel I have forgiven the person in my heart, when I see him or her in person and it all rushes to the forefront of my heart and mind and I am feeling like a fresh wound and the anger flares inside
<3 In a relationship that is seemingly restored runs into a new snag, I pull up the memory of the old wound with fresh pain and want to add it to the current insult or injury
Now let me state again the phrase we have said all week…the temptation is not the sin.
To withhold forgiveness is a sin, but when it presents itself, unless I take the bait; I am only being tempted.
This is huge on this one.
Go back to the red flags above and read them, not as factual sin but as a temptation to sin.
All of those things are feelings that bubble up – a temptation to rehearse whatever infraction occurred against me or my loved one and once again demand that retribution be made.
Because that is what unforgivness is waiting for. Waiting for whatever is owed by the offender to be paid in full. And folks, that was only done once, perfectly, in Christ on the Cross.
So in the face of those times when unforgiveness surfaces or resurfaces here are some ways I have found to fight it.
<3 When I realize I am harboring a place of unforgiveness towards someone, I make a point to pray for them. I pray God’s best blessings over them and over those they love. I also pray if they NEED to be convicted of the offense, the Holy Spirit would do so and that they would respond, but whether they do or whether they don’t, I forgive them and they owe me nothing.
<3 I ask for God to help me forgive and to remove the repeating of the offense from the play list of my mind. I ask for Him to help me see that one with His eyes and to show me what He wanted me to learn in the process of pain.
<3 I remind myself of the things that Christ forgave me for and what I am capable of without His love, grace and mercy.
<3 If at all possible, I do something for the person or send them some kind of encouragement or seek to see something good about them.
I have a beautiful and long quote in on of my Bibles about what forgiveness is and what it isn’t that I have gone to numerous times over the years. In it the author, Tim Sanford, has a powerful list and I would be happy to share with anyone who is interested.
He writes that the word for forgiveness in the picture language of Hebrew looks like this: To burn, to carry away. To bear or endure. To pardon from penalty. To suffer. To lift off the weight of burden.
In Greek, it means: To forsake, to lay aside, to put away, to yield up, to sustain damage, to send away from me.
He says that forgiveness is to lift off the weight of debt for the offender and for yourself, to absorb or suffer the damage. It is a process. It takes time to both heal and forgive.
I have found a simple phrase like the one I wrote below to be most helpful when I sense the unforgiveness rearing up yet again:
I acknowledge the hurt and pain and the temptation to not forgive this one. But I also acknowledge that I have hurt and caused pain to others. So this one owes me nothing. As Jesus paid the debt for my sin, He has paid the debt for this offense. Help this one to be reconciled to you and help me to rest in You as I further heal and forgive. Help those I have injured and offended to forgive me.
Laura Reimer <3
Rather lengthy one today so here is a simple and quick snack or dessert that is sure to be a hit.
It doesn’t have a title and I borrowed the idea from a friend so I will call it:
Cindie’s Fruit Dish
Put a collection of berries you like – we like strawberry slices, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries – in a dish.
Drizzle honey over the top and sprinkle with a small amount of cinnamon.
You can add fresh mint leaves chopped if you have some handy.
Serve and enjoy. Nice with some cheese slices for an afternoon snack.
Keeps in fridge too <3