25. So Sue said, “I think I’m good with God!”
Sue’s a woman I’ve talked with several times and then shared Christ. As we talked, Sue said, “I think I’m good.” Hmmm? I thought to myself, you’ve got to do better than that! Over time we talked more, and I found out Sue had even shared Christ with other people. One girl told Sue, that she had walked away from God. Sue told her, “Oh, I feel so sorry for you!” Pretty bold comment, right? Now, I’m confused. Is Sue the real deal or does Sue just think she is the real deal? I found out there was a great deal of drama in Sue’s family when she was growing up. Most of the drama came from her siblings. Sue said she was brutalized by them.
More and more, I see that the message of Jesus can get mixed up in our past. The last time I talked to Sue, she was very tired and about ready to walk away from her job. I told her, that no matter how difficult her situation, she needed to forgive others, including her siblings and especially herself. I’m guessing that won’t happen without a ton of prayer and reflection.
When God forgives us, we get a clean heart, and because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit—we are gently reminded when we fall short. The beautiful Holy Spirit gently puts His arms around us and says, “That is not who you are anymore! Just trust Jesus with your whole heart!” C.S. Lewis said, “I think that if God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” Actually, Jesus gave up everything for us on that Cross. The least we can do is accept His forgiveness. Sue, like each of us, is a work in process. The questions become, “Can she come to Jesus like a little child?” That’s a good question for us as well.
The Lord’s Prayer is helpful in this regard…. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”