Post by cthewig on Apr 24, 2008 5:49:35 GMT -5
Matthew 5
“43 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Matthew 6
“14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
I have reached a place where I believe that I forgive my brother for murdering my father. I have found forgiveness by realizing that I am also a sinner. Who am I to judge my brother? I am not holier than he is. Jesus died for my brother’s sins, as well as, for mine and yours. My brother is just as worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness as I am. If my brother is worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness then he is worthy of mine. I would be a hypocrit to say that I am worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness but my brother is not. Who am I to judge who is worthy and who is not? We are all struggling to live. We are only human. My struggle may be different than your struggle or my brother's struggle or my father's struggles but we all struggle. I just believe that I would be wrong for doing anything that would make my brother's struggle more difficult. My definition of evil is when one person makes another person struggle harder. I don’t want to be evil. I don’t want to propagate the evil of my father’s murder. I want to dispel the evil and pain and suffering that my brother caused.
1 Thessalonians 5
“15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”
1 Peter 3
“8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
I am his sister. Who in the world would love him and show him kindness if not me, his family? I may be the only person on the face of the earth that can love him.
1 Timothy 5
“8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
So I will try to do what I can for my brother. If I am able to write him a note then I will write him a note. If I am able to send him things then I will send him things. If I am able to pick up the phone when he calls then I will pick up the phone. I will do what I can. That is what love is, isn't it? I didn’t want to do anything for my brother up until now. I have been so hurt and angry that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I am finding though that my pain is softening over time so that now I am capable of doing for him as where I couldn’t before. I just don’t want to live with that pain so I am letting it go a little at a time. I find that doing things for my brother helps me to let go of my pain and anger. Loving my brother is therapeutic for me.
“43 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Matthew 6
“14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
I have reached a place where I believe that I forgive my brother for murdering my father. I have found forgiveness by realizing that I am also a sinner. Who am I to judge my brother? I am not holier than he is. Jesus died for my brother’s sins, as well as, for mine and yours. My brother is just as worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness as I am. If my brother is worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness then he is worthy of mine. I would be a hypocrit to say that I am worthy of Jesus’s forgiveness but my brother is not. Who am I to judge who is worthy and who is not? We are all struggling to live. We are only human. My struggle may be different than your struggle or my brother's struggle or my father's struggles but we all struggle. I just believe that I would be wrong for doing anything that would make my brother's struggle more difficult. My definition of evil is when one person makes another person struggle harder. I don’t want to be evil. I don’t want to propagate the evil of my father’s murder. I want to dispel the evil and pain and suffering that my brother caused.
1 Thessalonians 5
“15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”
1 Peter 3
“8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
I am his sister. Who in the world would love him and show him kindness if not me, his family? I may be the only person on the face of the earth that can love him.
1 Timothy 5
“8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
So I will try to do what I can for my brother. If I am able to write him a note then I will write him a note. If I am able to send him things then I will send him things. If I am able to pick up the phone when he calls then I will pick up the phone. I will do what I can. That is what love is, isn't it? I didn’t want to do anything for my brother up until now. I have been so hurt and angry that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I am finding though that my pain is softening over time so that now I am capable of doing for him as where I couldn’t before. I just don’t want to live with that pain so I am letting it go a little at a time. I find that doing things for my brother helps me to let go of my pain and anger. Loving my brother is therapeutic for me.