Taste & See

You can’t be stuck on what happened to you. What they said, how they minimized you, how they spread lies about you, how they isolated you or how they rejected you for advancement because of your skin color, your nationality or gender.

If you feel anyway bitter toward the person or organization you have not forgiven them, I don’t care what you tell me with your mouth. This is what I want you to see, God doesn’t have any bitterness toward you. If you're harboring bitterness then you haven’t forgiven.

Have you ever prayed the Lord’s Prayer? It is found in Matt 6, go to verse 12, And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. This is what I want you to see the word "as" means in the same way. So this verse is saying forgive us our debts or trespasses in the same way we have forgiven our debtors.

We’re supposed to forgive in the same way God forgave us, so if you keep bringing it up and thinking about it all the time and it’s keeping you awake at night…you haven’t forgiven. Because God doesn’t keep bringing it up.

Blessed are those who show mercy through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion, for they will receive mercy.


BBQ story

You go to a restaurant, they give you a menu. The menu is a written documentation of what they have to offer. Sometimes you salivate just by reading the menu, it looks so good. You can read it and feel good about it. They even have someone there to proclaim the menu to you. They are menu subject matter experts. They say, "well...this is..."

Now, after you have read the menu and they have given you an expert testimony about it you don't get up and leave. You came there to experience the bbq and until you experience the bbq you're not satisfied.

We can tell you how forgiveness will set you free from bitterness and hurt. Just like going to the resturant and reading about and hearing about forgiveness you're not going to be satisified until you actually forgive the wrong done to you. What we want you to see is that you must taste and see how satisifying forgiveness is.

Taste forgiveness

• Mediate on forgiveness
  So that's it something you heard with your ears, but when you are intentional about thinking about forgivness it becomes something you digest in your soul so it can take root and heal you.
  
  Taste forgiveness and see...
  
  The bible says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Hunger & thirst speak of deep and driving passion. This righteousness refers to Jesus Christ. To be "filled" is the satisfaction of our soul's desire.
  
  Guess what forgiveness offers you? When you forgive healing can take place. Your pain and anger are removed. You have to be hungry and thirsty for relief from the misery you're going through.
  

Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed, is the one who seeks protection in HIM. Psalm 34:8

To the leaders and human resource personnel who may be reading this,
Jesus says we have to make peace. You make peace by identifying the truth, exposing the sin, addressing the sin and then constructing a bridge between the parties that are at odds. We make peace by addressing it.

My mother used to say there are four sides to any conflict: your side, their side, the right side and the wrong side. You have to look at all sides.

If you are a peacemaker you are reaching out to two things that look like they can't hook up at all and you're creating something tasty out of it.
Jesus said that peacemakers will be called the sons of God. A lot of people won't like it but your job is not to be a people pleaser. Always do the right thing.