Day 19 - My roommate is a punk.

Jesus teaches us about forgiving others - Luke 17:1-10

So I really like what this study has to say for this day:

"When someone sins against you, Jesus says, even if that person is a repeat offender, you must forgive him or her. Why? Because we are all repeat offenders, and God continues to forgive us. Therefore, we must do the same.

Forgiving others has nothing to do with earning merit with God. It has everything to do with continuing the pattern God sets for us. As Jesus has taught and proclaimed the kingdom of God, whatever else we may know about life in the kingdom, we know this: the very atmosphere is one of continual grace and forgiveness, freely received and given."

Questioning and Contemplating:

-Often our own struggle with certain sins yields impatience with others struggling with the same sin. What is it you find hardest to give grace to? Receive grace for?

I find it hardest to give grace to people who are really self-centered, who talk about themselves all the time, complain a lot, and don't have regard for other people's feelings, thoughts, or interests. I really hope that's not a reflection on me, but there's a good chance it is. I know I can be characterized by complaining often, which is something I've felt convicted of, as well as spending far more time thinking and talking and being interested in myself than I should.
I think what I find it hardest to receive grace for is failure and doubt. When I find myself stressed or struggling to trust God's provision, I beat myself up about it. I know that God will provide, but sometimes my head takes over my heart and tries to be reasonable in areas where only faith will do. And I get frustrated with myself and rather than taking it to God and admitting I'm struggling, I tell myself I shouldn't be feeling that way, I know God will provide, and try to trust in my own strength, rather than giving my inability to trust to Him and allowing God to change my heart and make me utterly dependent upon Him. That was an especially big struggle this past week.

-Causing others to sin seems to be an even greater offense than the sin itself. Why?

Maybe because we can take accountability for our own sin. If we sin, we suffer the repercussions, we are the ones who must confess and repent, but if we cause someone else to sin, then they must be punished for it too. It's like if I choose to smoke, then I'm knowingly putting myself at risk. But if I choose to smoke around someone else, then I'm putting them at risk as well. And if I get my little sister addicted to cigarettes too, then she's also at risk and harming everyone she smokes around. It's a chain effect.

-In what ways does Satan cause you to stumble and sin? What are some ways you may have caused others to sin and need to be asked for forgiveness?

Satan feeds my pride, making things about me instead of about God. Even when I'm "doing good" with God, it becomes about me and how good my walk with God is, instead of how awesome His grace in my life is, how wonderful His love and provision and forgiveness are. Satan tells me I'm not good enough. He tells me I'm not wanted, that no one needs me, that I'm failing God and then tries to make me do it in my own strength (pride again!) instead of leaning on Jesus. And when I'm tempted to gossip, Satan whispers in my ear that it's okay to talk about that person, complain about that incident, because I need to talk about it, gotta get it off my chest - and then I draw whoever I"m talking to into it as well.

-What does this passage communicate to us about Jesus?

That He does not tolerate sin, but also that He eternally forgives us. Also that faith is required to forgive and be forgiven, and that faith only comes from Him. He is a good God, but He is also just and straightforward - sinning is not okay. Causing others to sin is not okay. And we must forgive others their sin, just as He has forgiven us. No one is better than the other, we can't think we're better because we've been forgiven and redeemed and thus are "too high and mighty" to forgive others. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we are all on the same level of being lost, helpless, and drowning in sin and only God can save us and forgive us.