Delete Daily

When I come to write one of these articles and find my computer is still displaying something I have written before, I have two choices: either to save it if it is worth keeping and file it away in a “folder” for later reference, or if it isn’t worth keeping to delete it and replace it with something that is worthwhile.

Likewise, when we finish our day we often find that we have been surrounded by so much turmoil that our “computer brain” is full of mistakes that have depressed us, things that have frustrated us (like my new computer) and people that have annoyed us, and that can form into resentment, after all they should not have said that, or done that, should they? then there was the gossip we heard or entered into, and something we did that was just plain selfish. In that situation the thing we must not do is press our “save” key, even though it is tempting to do so (talking of “tempting” who do you think is tempting you to “save” those things in your mind?)

Certainly not God because Paul had all this sort of thing in mind, no doubt, when he said “Be angry and sin not; don’t let the sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26). In other words, it is normal enough for us to get upset at times but we must “delete” those thoughts and certainly not carry them over into tomorrow. Jesus statement in Matthew 6:34 confirms that idea, where He says: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”.  So we must ask God, in Jesus name, to delete all those thoughts or they will become strongholds of unforgiven sin, that will “clog”our memory bank and undermine us.

Linked up to this is the “Lord’s Prayer”: the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray so He gave them the “outline” of a prayer that most of us know, and have often repeated, if we are Christians. It goes like this: “Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread” (So far so good); but just look at the next verse: “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us….” Now that shows how very important it is to forgive others because in that prayer we are asking for forgiveness for ourselves that is conditional on whether or not we are prepared to forgive others.

From my school days I remember our Head Master (who taught me English Literature) quoting some well renowned writer as saying: “It is a Prince’s part to pardon”. I would like to “name drop” by telling you who that writer was, so that you

would think me well educated but you see I went to Cobar Public School, and that photo is of Cobar’s main street in the days when I was a student there; and the school was no more advanced than that street; so full credit to me that I can remember the quote, let alone remember the writer’s name.

But what did the writer mean when he, or she, said those words? Well, for example, if you were caught taking drugs into Indonesia you may well be condemned to death. However, the President could grant you a pardon if he wished; and so it is in many countries. Therefore, we see that pardoning someone (forgiving them) is not a sign of weakness but (as that writer implied), is a sign of strength and authority, and for us to not pardon or forgive someone is a sin by which we sign our own “death warrant”, (see Matthew 18: 35).

It doesn’t matter if you go to church weekly, say prayers ten times daily and help old people to cross the road. None of that pulls any weight with God if you have not forgiven others for the things they have done. No! I’m not being unreasonable, in Matthew 6:15 Jesus said that if we don’t forgive others God won’t forgive us. It is as simple as that. I heard a lady say “I just cannot forgive my mother for what she did”. Well according to the Lord’s prayer and Matthew 18: 23 to 35, if she doesn’t change her attitude, she will have eternity in Hell to regret that un-forgiveness and she may not be the only unforgiving person there, because this is a mistake we can all easily make if we are not careful.

It cost Jesus his earthly life to arrange our forgiveness, whilst it merely costs us a loss of pride to forgive others. But think of what we gain! (or lose if we don’t)

Best wishes, as you come to terms with that and “delete” before night fall. Tom.

Isn’t Christianity challenging and exciting?