What is your Happy Place? Where is your favorite place to be? Most people have a place they think of as special. Maybe it is not a place but a time. I would venture to guess your favorite day of the week is Saturday, unless you are in retail work. Close your eyes for a minute and imagine your perfect place. Honestly, my perfect place is at home, relaxing with my husband.
We all know this world is far from perfect. It is hard to believe that it once was without pain, death, or sin. Animals and man were both vegetarian, even the great dinosaur. The lambs played among the lions without any fear, until one day Adam changed everything. (Romans 5:12)
Man’s sin did not catch God by surprise. Since He knows all, He knew Adam was going to mess up. Do you ever wonder why God would create us knowing we were going to sin, and knowing His Son would willingly die for us? God is so amazing. He loved us even before He created us. With His foreknowledge, He had to know all that was going to transpire in the future. Why would He have brought so much pain on Himself?
Now, our love doesn’t compare to God’s, but as parents, don’t we often do the same thing. Many of us plan to have children. Some even go to great lengths and spend lots of money to have the privilege of being parents. We are much more naïve. For some reason, we think our children are going to be these little angels walking around, and they are going to bring us lots of joy.
Those of us who are realistic realize that our children are going to bring us great joy, but they will also mess up and cause us great pain. We will need to forgive them many times, as they will need to forgive us as well. Unfortunately, I know of parents who are not talking to children, children who are not talking to parents, siblings who are not speaking, and the list continues. Forgiveness is not given, nor is it sought. I am so glad my Heavenly Father is not that way. His forgiveness is premeditated. All we have to do is accept it.
Pretend for me that we could tell the future. Suppose you had a child that you dearly loved. He was a good child, and he brought you lots of joy. You have enjoyed this child so much that you want another one. But before the second child was conceived, you had a vision of the future. This second child was going to be rebellious. In fact, he hated your first child. He mocked him and made fun of him. He wanted nothing to do with your first son. Well, one day, your second son is in big trouble and needs someone to bail him out. Your oldest son volunteers, and in the process is murdered. It might be bearable if your second child repented and was sorrowful for causing his brother’s death. But he wasn’t. He didn’t want anything to do with his brother. He wasn’t even grateful for his sacrifice. Would you still want to have this second child? I would have to say, not me. But God did!
God not only created us, but He made a way for us to be redeemed. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. I cannot fathom having that much love and forgiveness. God knew how many times each human being would hurt Him and cause Him pain. He knew He would need to offer His Son for man’s redemption, and His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ would be rejected by many, yet He created us anyway.
God’s forgiveness is insurmountable. Have you heard the saying, “If the perfect can forgive the imperfect, why can’t the imperfect forgive the imperfect?” Why do we have so much trouble forgiving each other? So many people harbor anger and bitterness in their hearts toward one or more people in their lives. In Matthew 5:23-24, the Lord teaches that if there is a problem between you and someone else, you should get that straight before bringing sacrifices to the Lord. God doesn’t want to talk to us until we do everything possible to mend our earthly relationships. In Ephesians 4:32, Paul states, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” We are supposed to forgive others the way God forgives us. The Scripture is very plain. When we have unforgiveness in our hearts, it damages our relationship with God and our relationships with others. Unforgiveness turns into bitterness which becomes a brick wall around our hearts. We must tear down that wall, or we cannot grow in our relationship with God.
If you have not accepted Jesus or if your relationship has been hindered by some sin in your life, realize that God’s forgiveness is sitting on the table in a beautiful box. He has already forgiven you for all of your sins. That happened over 2000 years ago on that cruel cross. Jesus’ death sealed the transaction. But please be advised. You cannot receive the gift until it is asked for. He is offering it to you today. The beautiful box with a blood-stained bow is ready for you to open and receive. Jesus died for you and offered His blood for your forgiveness. If you are lost, ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and be your Savior. If you are a Christian and have unconfessed sin in your life, the gift is on the table for you, too.
This Easter season is the perfect time to accept the gift of forgiveness, and forgive others in your heart, too. Make now your perfect time in a perfect place! Happy Easter!
Mrs. Worthington has five children and twelve grandchildren. She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.