The Avalanche of Unforgivness!

DANGER! WARNING – KEEP BACK – EXTREME AVALANCHE CONDITIONS!

I can’t help but wonder why people take risks when the warnings are urgent and the consequences are so severe.  Perhaps they are uneducated and therefore oblivious to the impending disaster.  Maybe they just believe it will never happen to them.  Whatever their rationale, the choice to ignore the warning signs can inflict devastating and wide spread consequences.

I live in an area that is a winter playground for many, and it’s now avalanche season. For the third time in two weeks, we have heard news reports of several people dying, and many more injured, when they were struck by an avalanche.

Police, and search and rescue teams, had hoped that with the back-to-back incidents and easy accessibility to weather reports, people would weigh the risk factors, educate themselves, and avoid the consequences.

Avalanches can be surprising, awe-inspiring, beautiful and deadly. They can sweep trains off their tracks, crush buildings, uproot trees and bury people. Some avalanches have even covered entire houses with people still inside.  Most avalanches though reported to strike without warning, are human-caused.

Regardless of the repeated warnings, people are still not getting the message.

I feel for the families who have had to suffer, because of the poor choices made by some thrill-seeking sledders and snowboarders.  So many innocent people could have been spared heartache and pain, if these snow-sports enthusiasts had heeded the initial warnings.  My friend, it is that way with unforgiveness.  The only way we will ever be able to prevent ourselves from being buried alive by unforgivness, is to heed Jesus’ warnings in the first place.

In my last blog, I promised we would begin mapping out the steps to forgiving others.  It has been critical for me to educate myself, so I can avoid the consequences.  Let me ask you, if you knew for certain that you were about to be buried alive by an avalanche, would you even take the first step onto that dangerous slope?

It starts with trust!  If we don’t believe God is for us, we won’t trust that His ways are what is best for us.  This morning, I had a ten minute conversation with my seven year old on “why” we have  certain rules in our home.  In the end, it all boils down to this one thing; we have rules so “we” stay safe.  God has given us moral guidelines for the very same reason.  He never issued a single command that didn’t have our best interests in mind.  When we sin, we are choosing to ignore His warnings.  God will never force us to listen to Him, nor will He prevent us from experiencing the consequences of our choices.

I have wasted far too much time and energy inflicting pain on others, because I was imprisoned by my own unforgiveness.  For this reason, I humbly share with you what Kim and I learned as we wrote Radical Love ~ Forever changed. The first step toward unforgiveness, is becoming offended!

From the book, Radical Love ~ Forever Changed.

Offended = Sin
“When you blame anyone for what they did to you, you are the one who sins!”  Your response may be, “What?  When someone hurts me, especially if it is intentional, they aren’t to be blamed?”  This may be the toughest truth to swallow.  Friend, we so desire you to know – you need to know – there are few things more damaging than for you to be set up to feel the sting of an offense, and then remain there.

We will look at Matthew 24:10 – 13 (NKJV) for proof.

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound , the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end he will be saved.”

What Jesus is saying here is so important.  Keep in mind that the people whom Jesus was talking about were the people in His church, the people who call themselves His followers.  He was talking about Christians, and was speaking of the signs of the end times.

The word offended translates from the Greek word “skandalizo” and means;
1. to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and  fall,
2. to entice to sin,
3. to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and
obey,
4. since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed; to cause
displeasure or make indignant.

The bottom line is that many will be hurt.  What do those hurt people do?  They hurt more people.  They betray one another, they hate one another.  And, they are inside homes and inside our churches.  The word many in this passage refers to a very large amount; a vast amount; the majority!  Who are they that mislead others?  Who are the ones doing the deceiving?  Who are the ones leading many astray?  The offended.  Jesus even called them ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing.’  Do you see the danger?”

Radical Love – Copyright 2009 – Property of For the Sake of ONE Ministries.

As long as we are alive people will be difficult to deal with.  Some people will be bent on intentionally hurting us, some people will hurt us and not even know they have done so. The “absolute” is that the potential to be hurt is unavoidable.  We are often blindsided and hardest hit by those we love and respect the most.  As natural as it seems, becoming offended is the beginning of a spiritual and emotional, but no less tragic, avalanche.  So can we choose not to be offended?  Stick with me for a couple more minutes, ok?

All avalanches have three ingredients: snow, a sloped surface, and a trigger.   Ideal conditions for an avalanche include unstable or uneven ground, where the snow is under tension or stress.  As little as a 10% slope is all that is required for a severe slide to occur.  When someone steps on an area of weak snow, it triggers an avalanche, in an instant, un-suspecting victims are buried alive.

Becoming offended has three ingredients: pride, a weak self-image, and a trigger.  It takes so little, but when we are under tension or stress, we are vulnerable and at great risk.  We will react out of pride or a sense of entitlement, when we lose sight of who we really are.  Our pride can trigger a spiritual avalanche, and before we know it, we are buried alive beneath the weight of bitterness, anger, hurt, hate, fear, resentment.  We may even start seeking revenge.  As U2 sings in their song, Peace on Earth, “And you become a monster so the monster will not break you.”   Because of unforgivenss we are cloning more monsters.  There are times when I have been a monster.  How ‘bout you?

My friend the stakes are so high.  There are the physical manifestations that present in anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer.    These killer diseases are at an all time high.  It’s human-caused – the slide of which has been strong enough to sweep Christ followers off their tracks, crush marriages and uproot families.  Some unforgiveness avalanches have covered entire churches, with people still inside.

How can you tell when you are at risk?

Pride entices us.  The enemy taunts us.  Becoming offended seems like the most natural thing.

When it’s pride, there is a sense of entitlement, and/or self righteousness.  Thoughts come to mind like,  “I do not have to put up with…..,” or, “I’m sick of hearing about…..,” or, “I will not let them get away with……..”   I am learning that it’s my pride talking when my thoughts start with “I.”  These thoughts will be self-centered.

When it’s the enemy trying to derail, he most likely will be spewing words of judgment and/or condemnation.  Thoughts come to mind like, “You can not trust…….,” or “it’s your own fault for……..,”  or, “If you don’t do something about…….”  I am learning that when the enemy is talking, my thoughts usually start with “You.” These thoughts will also be self-centered.

These are triggers that lead us to believe that becoming hurt is natural, but it is a trap!

Condemnation tears people down.  There is no condemnation in Christ.  Two thousand years ago, Jesus warned us of the consequences of unforgiveness.  He urged us to forgive, not out of His anger or judgment against us, but out of love and a desire that none would perish.  When God speaks to us about our issues, He does so in a loving manner, to convict us.  Conviction builds us up.  It inspires us to want to take action, to trust that we can be made better at loving God, others and ourselves.  I am learning that when God speaks to me, my thoughts are focused on what He can do, and are usually others-centered.

Can we choose not to be hurt?  Have you noticed times when you are less affected by the things that others say and do?  I sure have.  Usually when we are at our optimum, we are more willing to let things go.  We will be at our best when we are grounded in the truth of our identity.

Of all things said here it is this I hope you remember  -  you are accepted, forgiven, redeemed, holy, blessed, a beloved child of the Almighty God. If we had a heart knowledge of who we are in Christ, the effects of our identity would be unstoppable in this world.

Here is one action step you could take today:  Turn to the book of Isaiah, chapter 43, and write down everything that God says about you.  Then record the promises God made to you.  Ask Him for faith to help you believe.  If you don’t own a Bible, here is a link to Isaiah 43.

It is much easier to avoid the avalanche in the first place.  However, we cannot go back and undo what has already been done.  I can assure you, God has the greatest search and rescue team.  I know because He rescued me.  If you are still buried beneath an avalanche of unforgiveness Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, wants to rescue you too.  I’m so blessed that we are on this journey together.  Until next time……

Aleichem Shalom

~dl.