Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Blood On The Floor

I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. Maybe it's because I need it more than I'd like to admit or that I struggle with giving it as freely as I have received it, but I also see so many hurting relationships around me that desperately cry out for forgiveness. I am reminded of this quote:
 In order for forgiveness to really happen, something has to die. Whether it's your expectations of a person, or your idea about who you are. There has to be a death for forgiveness to happen...where forgiveness is easy, and love is easy, there's not enough blood on the floor to make sense of that. -Brené Brown
In Christianity the blood on the floor is Jesus' blood, and after we receive His forgiveness for our sin, He says take up your cross and follow me. Apparently forgiving others is going to cost us something too. But any dying we do in forgiving others, serves to crucifies our flesh and reminds us we are already dead and Jesus is our life. The act of forgiving others is no less God's gift to us than the forgiveness He shows to us. Both are drawing us closer to Him and to each other.

Below is a link to a video interview with Brene' Brown that includes the above quote as part of her personal testimony. I think it's worth the time to listen to.

Brene' Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping)
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4 comments:

  1. Ben BrownJanuary 15, 2017 at 4:12 PM

    The insight in this testimony is spot-on. I come across many in the church who think God isn't in something if there's pain or discomfort involved. People say that they are in the will of God because they feel 'peace.' But was Jesus comfortable on the cross? Did He feel peace on the cross? No, it was hard and agonizing. I believe one of the primary ways we mature in Christ is by facing obstacles in His strength and, as she says, die to our own self-interests. Great testimony.

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    1. Loren MauchJanuary 17, 2017 at 9:56 AM

      Thanks for the comment! I found her story very helpful in thinking about suffering as a Christian.

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  2. UnknownJanuary 17, 2017 at 7:16 PM

    As one who struggles in this area thinking Love is all hearts and smiles it's really not. This helps me with a different perspective on love and forgiveness.

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    1. Loren MauchJanuary 17, 2017 at 10:09 PM

      Thanks for sharing! I've been thinking about the relationship between love and forgiveness. Jesus tells us those who realize how much they have been forgiven are the people who will produce the fruit of love. If I know I am a forgiven sinner, then I won't be surprised if the people in my life aren't perfect either and I can learn to love them anyway. The gratefulness for constantly being forgiven is the force behind learning to love others.

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