Are You Ready to Forgive?

*This is my article for the February 2012 President's Page in the Sabbath Recorder.

Butyou are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to angerand abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. (Nehemiah 9:17b, ESV)

     When I read this verse, I think of a parent watching a child and knowing they are going to make a mistake but letting them make it anyway. Then I see the parent use that mistake not as an opportunity to punish their child but as a teaching moment to correct them in love and to show them that there is no expectation of perfection on the parent's part but rather a transmission of grace and mercy.

     God is ready to forgive us when we disobey Him and fall short of His calling for us and our churches. He is gracious and merciful in the way He corrects us and places us back into His community. He is aware that sinners sin and is slow to get angry with them but abounding in love, which bides the anger.

     Unfortunately, as imperfect people, we sometimes do not model the readiness of our God to forgive. We are not READY to go forward with our calling from God because we are trapped with the grudges of the past.

     Have you thought about what grudges you are not ready to forgive (the ones that come burning to mind when you are reminded of a particular event or person)? As a follower of our Lord Jesus, have you modeled the grace and mercy He has displayed to those who have sinned against you? (If you haven't forgiven, then it will be hard.) Are you slow to anger when mistakes are made? Is your love steadfast for His people or is it conditional and held hostage by what you want to have happen?

     Thankfully, God does not forsake us when we make mistakes. He lovingly corrects us and brings us back into a right relationship through the work of God the Holy Spirit and His holy people, the church. Because He uses us to build His Kingdom, from the inside out, this is why it is important for the church to model the forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love of our Savior.

     ARE YOUREADY to ask for forgiveness from God and from those you have sinned against? (Confess and Repent) ARE YOU READY to forgive those who are indebted or have transgressed against you? If you have done these two things, ARE YOU READY to show His holy people (the church) grace, mercy, and love? In modeling this forgiveness, ARE YOU READY to be the church to each other inside the body and the world outside the body?

     It is getting close to that time to start thinking about your plans for the summer. Our annual Conference program this year is lining up to be very exciting. We will have seven messages from some great speakers in the evening flowing from our Conference theme, ARE YOU READY?, and challenging our churches to get ready for what God will do through them. There will be five Bible study sessions taking us through the book of 1 Thessalonians. Of course, there will also be some meal meetings, fellowship times, a few banquets, singing, prayer, and ice cream.

     There is still time to offer any input into our yearly meeting. Please feel free to contact me through phone (304-629-9823), email, Twitter, or Facebook.

     On behalf of myself, our denominational executives, our boards and agencies, and our Conference host committee, we want to invite you to join the ARE YOU READY? conversation at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV from July 29-August 4, 2012.