Slapped in the Face

The other day a friend of mine asked if we were still friends. I asked why wouldn't we be. They replied with some nonsensical reason. I got pretty irritated.



You see I've had a lot of friends over the years who didn't see themselves in a positive way. Which I understood, we all have things to work through. However, when someone takes that issue with themselves and turns to me, using it to test my friendship, that's when I get bothered.

I can listen to someone talk about what's up in their head. I can offer advice and prayer... but as soon as one should say something like, "Why are you even my friend when I have this, this, and this?" I about grind my teeth and face the wall.

I absolutely detest when someone challenges my friendship with them over something they've found in themselves. Why? There are a list of reasons, but the biggest is: it is a slap in the face to my friendship.

When someone pulls specifics, it's suggesting that my care for them is conditional; built up on reasons and if they have an issue I'm going to take off. When I'm someone's friend, I can come up with a list of good qualities, but overall, I'm their friend simply because I choose to be. It's not all that complicated.

Now, what was my whole point in this post? After the incident with my friend (up at the top - started this whole thing), I got to thinking... and suddenly I understood.

When we accept Jesus into our life, we repent and accept His forgiveness over our sins.

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB) says, "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.'"

Abba totally wipes clean our slate! I read once about how Jesus literally takes every sin that we've ever committed and, as though it was written down, signs His name - in His blood, in the place of our signature.

But... when we hold onto our past; when we refuse to let go of our mistakes and our sins, we slap Him in the face. Accepting His forgiveness, doesn't mean that you can go on not forgiving yourself. That's saying, "Well You have forgiven me, but -" and it's just like when someone says, "Well you're my friend, but -"

It's putting conditions on things that aren't meant to have conditions. God loves us with an unconditional love; a love that didn't even withhold His only Son (John 3:16).

We love Him back, not perfectly... but we proclaim to give Him all that we are, broken as we are, correct? In order to move on to what God's doing next, we must let go of the things that are over and done with. When He's removed them as far as the east is to the west, so why do we continue to pull them back? It just means fighting condemnation - which is not of God in the first place (Conviction vs. Condemnation), over something He's already forgiven!

Time to let go, let God, and move on to the things He has to come!

Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
-Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)