The Art of Forgiveness

My Dear Child,

As long as you live on this earth, there will be offenses made against you, and offenses you make against others. For this reason, it is vital that you become proficient in the art of forgiveness; How you give it, and how you receive it.

In so many ways forgiveness is a gift, both to the one doing the forgiving, and to the one being forgiven. If it is a gift, however, it is among the most difficult to give, and even to receive. And this is why; 'Forgive' is nearly synonymous to 'pardon.' Both words mean "to release from the penalty of an offense." Note that I did not say "to release from guilt of an offense," but rather the penalty of an offense. As Humans, we desire justice; a penalty for an offense. To forgive, to pardon, to omit the penalty of an offense is contrary to our nature.

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul writes; "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you." Think about that last part, "...as God in Christ forgave you." The Bible teaches us that God forgives the sinner (you and me) and omits the penalty of the our sin. He does this "in Christ" by allowing the penalty to shift from us to His Son.

How then do we give the gift of forgiveness? We allow the penalty of an offense against us to be paid by Christ's death on the cross, just as God our Father did for our offenses against Him.

I've explained to you how it works, but I must tell you also how it may feel. Sometimes, because it is in our nature to crave justice, and to want someone who offends us to be punished, we sometimes feel cheated out of that justice when we forgive. This is why I say forgiveness is a gift we must learn to give, undeserved though it may be.

When you find it hard to give the gift of forgiveness, it may be time to practice receiving forgiveness. What do I mean? When we stop and remember the gift of forgiveness which we have received from God, and in fact continue to receive from Him each day for our daily transgressions, we are quickly reminded of the extent to which we desperately need that gift. There is no offense so great that God has refused to forgive you of, and there is no offense so great that you should withhold forgiveness from someone else.

As you practice the art of forgiveness throughout your life, let me encourage you to assume an attitude of forgiveness; Have it ready at hand to give liberally the way that God gives it to you.

And may you experience all of the joy that comes with the giving, and receiving of forgiveness.


With all of my love,
Dad

Let Me Tell You How I Really Feel

My Dear Child,

Now that you are getting older I hope that you can more fully understand the love that I have for you. Ever since you were conceived I have cared for and loved you with all my heart. You are a precious gift, one of a kind, and I cherish every unique quality and feature that makes you, you.

Before I go any further, I feel that there is a need to briefly define this word 'love' that I'm throwing around. When I watch movies or hear some young people talking, I hear the word 'love' used to describe an overwhelming passion or desire brought on by strong emotion and feeling for another, much like when you taste an exquisit dessert, or go on an exciting ride and declare at once that you LOVE IT! We see this all the time; two people meet, they go out, they make each other laugh, they experience a strong sexual attraction, maybe even have sex, and after the first date they are ready to profess their undying "love" for one another. But this isn't love, not truly. It's people saying; "hey, you make ME feel really good and I really like what you do for ME."

Now look at the description of love that Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13. Read it slowly;
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." This love, this permanent, limitless, and unconditional love, is true love. Rather than saying; "I like what you do for me, you make me feel good," it says; "I will do anything for you, no matter how you make me feel."

Jesus said the greatest demonstration of love is for someone to lay down their own life for the life of a friend. I think Paul learned his definition of true love from Jesus, a man who layed down his life for the people he professed to love. He did this everday as he patiently taught them, cared for them, and provided for them. He didn't divorce them when they upset him, or fall out of love when they made him mad. He made an unconditional committment to give his life for theirs, and he followed through all the way to the cross.

So you see my precious child, when I say; "I love you," I am not simply declaring that you make me feel good, it is so much more than that. When I say; "I love you," it means that I have made a committment to lay down my life for yours every single day. I do this gladly simply because you are mine. I gave you life, I gave you your name, and I will love you forever.

-Dad

Welcome to the World

My Dear Child,

Welcome to the world. Welcome to this brief experience of a place tainted with sin, a place where the eternal is invisible, and the distraction of the temporal fills your senses. I wish I could tell you that this is going to be a safe and fun place for you to learn, play, and grow, but unfortunately it is quite the opposite. The world is dangerous, it is scary, it is manipulative, and Satan himself walks around like he owns the place. His goal will be to distract you, to make you suffer, and ultimately to keep you from God.

I know this is confusing so far. You might ask, "well why does it have to be this way, why did God make it so?" Well let me explain, God created a perfect world for us to enjoy in perfect relationship with him, but we chose to rebel against him and our own pride got in the way of the relationship. Now, through Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to once again live in perfect relationship with Him, but we have to go through this place, this temporal world, that we may better know the God who loves us.

The reason I am writing this letter to you is to warn you of the dangers that this world poses. It will tempt you and draw you away from God in every conceivable way. Remember, Satan has been around for a long time, he knows us well and he will certainly exploit our weaknesses. He will use our selfish nature to tempt us to live only for ourselves and to make pleasure and self gratification our highest aim. This is why Jesus tells us that if it is our true desire to follow Him, than we must deny ourselves. This will be the hardest thing to do throughout your life, to say no to self.

Our nature, apart from Christ, is that of self preservation and self comfort. We chiefly want to to do what is best for us. When we live our lives according to our own nature, we are rude to others and we practically ignore God. It is only when we understand our own inadequacies, our own deficiencies, and our own depravity that we begin to look to God for help. Let this world serve to point you back to God.

It is my desire for you dear child, to humble yourself, to recognize your need for the Savior, Christ Jesus, and to embrace Him fully. Do not fall for the traps which Satan will surely set in your path. Do not think that this world is your home. Set your eyes on the Lord, remember His promises, remember His Word, and remember His incredible love for you. He wants to show you a world where you truly are free, a world where you may once again live in perfect relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Resist the Devil and He will flee from you. Look to the things which are unseen, the things which are eternal. Trust the Lord with all your heart and believe that He, because of His great love for you, will direct your path through this dangerous place and lead you to your eternal home. I hope to see you there free from worry, free from doubt, free from pain, tears, and sorrow. I love you with all my heart.

-Dad

Introduction

This is my humble attempt to convey words of wisdom from a father to his children. I have been inspired to write this as I look back over the profound influence that my own fathers counsel has had in my life, and as I prepare to become a father myself.

My goal is to be candid and honest about the struggles that each person faces in life and address those struggles as a loving father might address them with his own children. Ultimately, I hope to demonstrate how God, as our Heavenly Father, guides and encourages us through His Word.