Being a Christian is not easy. It is never easy even in a western Christianised society, and I would not be like the Apostle Paul and suggest you imitate me as I imitate Christ, because I am not a good role model. The following Jesus thing is something I fail at from time to time, sometimes spectacularly.

I have no one to blame but myself, I like to blame things on Asperger’s Syndrome, but those odd times when I melt down in public with what appears to the type of tantrum a two-year-old would be proud of but is actually something different, can, mostly, be avoided. I have enough self-control to put the anger to one side until I can go through the anger alone and no one gets hurt.

Added on 22 June 2019: This is mostly not anger, but an autistic meltdown. Trying to control behaviour that is not anger by treating it as anger has been one of my lifelong problems.

Like the Prodigal son who has not turned away once, but many times, I am surprised when the Father welcomes me back again with open arms, and not with an “Oh no, not you again, will you never learn.” Instead, God’s infinite patience welcomes with forgiveness after forgiveness after forgiveness.

I find forgiveness of myself the hardest forgiveness of all.

Forgive us

The Lord’s Prayer — Part 12

Gods nature is to forgive, there’s no division in the Godhead, the will of the Father is the will of the Holy Spirit is the will of Jesus the Son.  When Jesus is asking us to pray for forgiveness he is telling us of something that God longs to do, for us to be penitant if we go wrong, when we go wrong, when we fail to live up to our standards or our promises, is what God requires, and it releases the forgiving power of God, and also the ability to forgive in us.

Forgiving those who hurt us, especially when we are still hurting, does not come naturally, it is not in our human nature. But it is in God’s nature to forgive over and over again, even whilst still hurting. Jesus forgiving whilst undergoing the agony of crucifixion shows us what the nature of God is like, and that nature is to forgive. God is love, and forgiveness is part of love.

Lord, please help us to love those who hurt us so that they may know your forgiveness, and in turn channel your forgiveness to others.

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