1 John 2
By Pastor Brad
Deal With It!
You have my permission to advance right to today’s passage in 1 John chapter 2 if you choose. However, you will not experience the joy that God brings to you when you decide to “deal with it”.
1 John 2:9-11 “Anyone who claims to live in God’s light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It’s the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God’s light and doesn’t block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn’t know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.”
I’m aware of people leaving a church fellowship because they got their feelings hurt by another person in the congregation. It seems much easier to leave and go somewhere else than to stay and deal with it. That saddens my heart. These things: confronting in love, seeking forgiveness, granting forgiveness, may appear to be too difficult to accomplish. Consider the alternative, bitterness, anger, resentment and hatred.
It is difficult to have to go and apologize and seek forgiveness when you know you have wronged another. But I say to you, it’s more difficult to wake up each morning trying to suppress the leading of the Holy Spirit in dealing with those issues. Instead, we often find ourselves wanting to move on as if nothing is wrong. You may think that its time to change churches…taking those bags with you wherever you go. Realizing that if you chose to ignore it your bags will only get larger and heavier.
When you make things right there is freedom, and the joy of the Lord becomes abundant in your life. Believe me, I know what it feels like to forgive and be forgiven.
Walk in the light and make it right, stay and don’t run. Most importantly, deal with it because it won’t go away!
