But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
I still remember years back , I always kept grudges; real grudges, I mean. I did not know how to forgive; neither did I have the willingness to do so. If somebody did me wrong, they were supposed to pay for it!
I was a stranger to God back then - I had never experienced the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in my life. Any talk about God actually had a deaf effect on my ears.
I would tremble in my anger, sometimes to the point of shedding tears.
I was a rascal back then, and I can remember times that I would get so angry because I felt either disrespected or dishonored, to the point that I would contemplate a revenge of some sort!
Now, I didn’t know God back then, so I would always find a way to justify my actions.
But I eventually surrendered to God, and through His Son Jesus Christ, I became Born Again! Hallelujah! The Sanctification process through the Holy Spirit began to take place in my life. Praise to His Holy Name!
If you see me now, you see a totally different person, glory to God. I can now, in genuine humility, forgive others when I am wronged.
I associate with everybody, of whatever station in life, without any problem at all. In fact, It is now very difficult for anybody to make me angry - and if I do become angry, it will be for only a little moment.
But it is not my power that is at work in all this. It’s simply because Jesus Christ touched me. He continues to mould me and discipline me in His Love up to this day.
(Hebrews 12:6) reads: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
And here’s the key: I give Him all the room to do so. I don’t know about you, but I just wouldn’t function without the Holy Spirit!
Here is the lesson: God will mould you only to the extent that you permit Him to - to the extent to which you are flexible in His hand. God cannot and will not mould clay pots from dry clay; no potter I know can. Only wet, ‘mouldable’ clay will do. So remember this - you are the key to what God can do to and for you.
If you are a Christian, the power to forgive is already in you. Victory over anger has already been deposited in you. But the deciding question is this: Are you willing to forgive? Are you willing to let go of the bitterness? Are you willing to neutralize your anger? It’s one thing to be holding a gun and a totally different thing to be willing to fire a shot from the gun, even if the ability to do so is assured!
Is your will subject to God’s will? If it is, just say, “I am willing, my Lord!” and you will activate the abilities already resident in you!
In the end it is entirely a personal decision and a personal step to take. It’s not the Pastor’s, or the teachers and leaders; the decision is entirely yours to make.
Remember: Willingness and surrender, from the depth of the heart, is the key to unlocking the life and character that you long for.
I pray you were blessed as I was!
With Love, Your brother in Christ,
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Billy Montes
(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)