Forgiveness

Hey this is Mike Zwick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned and I hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network, the heart of every man plays a great adventure. Life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates wide roads masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.

So how do we keep from losing heart trying to find a good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for, grab your gear, request band of brothers will serve as the guides and what we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now looking masculine journey. We're very glad to have you with us today. Very glad to be back in studio. It's been a couple weeks we've been out the studio. We've done a couple best of I don't know that we technically have the best of us, but we call that moderately okay yeah it will, it's better than reruns and no amicable best is back back back in our back in studio and it's great that the B of my band of brothers in and also to be with you guys and so thank you for listening Jimmy will tell us a little bit about today's topic that we talk about today's topic is forgiveness, which barely I came up with them in a moment that went right through my elderly brain, but it is a very important topic for us. We pretend that you heard a a Shrek funny Shrek film clip because that's what we were going to do now but that changed about forgiveness, Shrek and donkey forgiven one another and and I and we know they will because their wonderful cartoon characters.

It's a little tougher for the rest of us, but were going to open with the clip coming for endowment forgiveness for this from some of the more so we say legalistic for lack of a better word Christians that think the shack was a travesty that there's plenty of good stuff in there and this first clip is one where the main character Mack said Mac Rawlins, my cat: McKinsey is a father who has lost his daughter in a murder and one of the things that I just caught today when I was re-watching some of that is, he was probably the one that killed his father when he saw a brief clip of him putting strychnine in his father's moves who would beat up on his mother and him when he had been drinking but he was a good churchgoing dad and when he was exposed by his son, the got quite a whipping. And this is their meeting in heaven of sorts, that I will come back about this. This is one well this is a good one to start with because in this one and I don't think we have got a hello and so this goodness with God actually has a male voice, but he is played by both male and female in that other lot folks, but in this clip, it is him being in the position of being told by God.

He needed to forgive the guy that killed his daughter and so good listener that my only I know you do need to leave my son and I want to read the patient so were back to you is that you just get away with. Nobody gets away with anything. Everything there is consequences. But he did was horrible.

I'm not asking you to excuse what he didn't.

I'm asking you to trust me to do which right and to know what's best forgiveness doesn't establish a relationship. It's just about letting go Mac. The pain inside me with joy, gripping your capacity to love because you can't stop because you won't just say it out loud, that's great, Jim and others about today and he also picked this clip ends on the goodness you little bit about what about this clip really spoke your heart is a lot in there is very powerful clip will when I think of forgiveness I think about you going back to your life and you obviously use metadata traumatic experience in his life and he reminds me of traumatic experience that I had.

I didn't lose my daughter from a murder but my first wife took her and I didn't see her for 4 1/2 years and didn't know exactly where she was currently Zoeller and that was part of the reason I stayed in the throes of addiction for about 8 1/2 years and it literally was devour me on the inside and even after I got custody of my daughter is steel aided me that the anger and hatred that I had for the woman who did this and it's been an unpacking process over the past 26 years of learning to let go of a lot of what the God character says it's about letting go of her throat because what you're/what's your whatever you will call it tells you is ravines will fix this, but revenge never fixes anything but the forgiveness that the part of learning to let go and go. I forgive you allows an internal freedom inside is what I've experienced because of had to go in to make amends for those things that have a me up inside and is actually been one of those freaking things that is there I've ever experienced have actually known fact that I used to be a guy who looked at the ground a lot because I couldn't face the world with things I thought I had done, but allowing forgiveness in my life is allow me to look the world in the eye and go on the squares.

I can be today with the world is good at keeping us hostage in this place where we feel like we don't want to forgive which we must come we don't want to estimate not a matter of wanting it's matter what's best for my heart what's best for my life and that we may need to versus want to, but also you and he likes let us think that if we forgive somehow or letting them get off with it right you know when you hear Mack talking here is almost implying the guys telling are basically mentally and get away with this, and the issue wasn't about the other guy is about max heart rate and that one line that you talked about and there was very powerful when I think of forgiveness as being letting go of the throat makes it a little easier to do based on not trying to Yeah it makes it at least more achievable right to I can move towards that next step and that is you asked me why I chose this topic and what I remember most is how in society right now having we got people want to kill each other, whether they're wearing a mask or not, or have their unforgiving of anything that goes on and that's a big part of why I don't watch the news because I don't want go through that and get angry myself and need a forgiving. It happens both on the macro scale with society and in the most intimate settings of our families. There are people that we are bearing grudges against and it's doing us more damage than them a great quote on that is its having wanting revenge is one of the ways of her most is like drinking poison and expecting the other person by the end of the day just pulling yourself prisoner to that that that experience. I remember I think one thing that that's important is God will call you to forgive the one business or call you back in the relationship that those are two different things that you know you love you guys know I my story with my sisters was so cruel to me he still called me to forgive her, although I never spoke to her again before she died. Right. That was not what he called me today he called me to forgive her and the way that he did that is you woke me up a few times.

Another night tell me to pray for in the first Titus, laughed at. It really why would a favor and I mean I was so angry and hurt and all that but he Taught me into the point where I legitimately prayed for her and the freedom that I got from that was amazing the power that she had over me.

A lot of the agreements that I'd made it laid the groundwork that forgiveness laid the groundwork to break agreements and the goat gained ground back right, but none of that can happen until the forgiveness happens is hold you hostage. It's only trapped in that spot and I thought that's what that clip really did well. It kind of explain that I will have heard it said that resentment is the cancer to the soul because it literally eats at you and it does all the things that eclipses this delusion, joy, steals your happiness in any inhibits your ability to love others because you go into a walled protection and you shut yourself down is as we were out listening to the entry for the show when things came to mind was the Lord's prayer in order called and were asked for forgiveness as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And that's the version I learned growing up right, you know, it's a forgiveness based relationship. Yes, there's the forgiveness between us and God and running and you want to talk about that talk about it but there's also the forgiveness of others.

Yeah, and that's one of things that today like Jim just mentioned, Holland technically good on a path of a relationship with anybody for not can be forgiven because we all are hurting each other one way or another, continually there's there's room to stop because take a breath, Inc. about what you gonna say and then move in that relationship a little stronger with some forgiveness and think about who's really behind that and Isaac as a Christian we have a different mindset than the secular world and Brent talk about that you on through this show and in the after-hours and I think we just need to always keep in mind where were at so that we know where others are as well because ice fall down all the time and I want that forgiveness is why when I then and offered up someone else's well I forgive you, thank you Sam get a mask injury.org there is a great great announcement with a boot camp coming up coming up April something through May 2. I think it's April 29 to May 2 I think are the dates set Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday go to mask injury radio.org to register now want to have one week wasn't up to you now and spring and all masculine journeymen camera basic training designed to give men permission to be how God made warriors based on John damages while that heart experience four days purpose for God to come after and perhaps reawaken dreams and desires placed in your masculine heart camp April 29. The second masculine journeymen.org and register today. This is mask and turn him here with my son Eli talk about ways he held his ministry, smiled at him and smiled at him is his information on website there on how to do that to Facebook.com and click the donate button and get a masculine journey.org and find me.org PO Box 559 no deal is rarely no pain. Jim loses losing its Steve Chapman with my wife and I time a couple times at the Cove loved he and his wife Annie's same together. I decided that they were very popular those conventions because people came to see Steven Curtis Chapman Chapman Stephen Annie Chapman, but wonderful copy couple of hilarious great teachers and this song and it goes on to say that Jesus gave him to keep that room and had them open up and after torturing this person that offended at all those years he found the person that was imprisoned was himself and the first time I've heard that I cried as I was angry and in a position where that was. I was the one that was suffering because I wasn't forgiving and had a prayer. I haven't had huge offenses that most people in this rate much lessons were.

I life is not been full of nasty people. But we all encounter every day, but I find it much easier to forgive now realizing that that's what's best for me that question. I didn't have to guess work, which is what I liked it. It is sometimes it is come to me.

It is not really when we get a chance, or that honestly isn't really ever a time that there's not somebody in your life. You probably need to forgive. Starting with yourself. Starting with yourself going to the immediate family and in circles outside of that to work it out to friends to whatever it is keep keep expanding that circle others always opportunity to forgive. So it's not like it's something that happens once in a while her life and something that we need to be practicing pretty regularly and I found myself running in circles all the time. Yeah that can happen that you get out there next saving you make a circle around one area like I forgive them know because really what I'm doing and forgiven myself for what I thought of them is that usually what the problem is more on my side that is theirs but you finally get that dynamic.

Okay, I can move on. Oh, there's another one and then all of a sudden the site were dealing with work and were just we've all been displaced out of our area were sitting somewhere else. Part of it was because a COBIT now are all moot because were remodeling some things and I think part of this is because of Cal because, give us more separation and give us more barrier between us and all this other stuff and me and my cohort organ were getting stuck in a little cove and it's like this just doesn't work week. We need more Eric and we wanted to do something with it and we said we made a proposal without we could get it we not getting it and then I went into selfish mode and was like well if not you get that on his because they sit in the Annex area were at right now and I'm just not going go back down there to act with all this and I'm just it took Jesus a little while to work hard to say this isn't that big a deal since were sitting in. Now this is that big a deal, nobody's out to get you just let it go. I, and that was just, you know Monday when I was dealing with this and it was like okay Gilbert I know that thing and then course dinner something else and then you're something else nicer on you guys, and there's a lot of things you may not work. There's always something from this point, it will give the opportunity to forgive us for a rather certain Danny on ask a quick question about something if you don't mind sharing, forgiveness, inventory of the inventory you mentioned a little bit about because I think it's something even though it came from the Tulsa program you tell us about it.

Something of a good practice for us yet is I got it in 12 step programs trying to rid myself of the habits of alcohol and drugs and but basically it wasn't about drinking and drugging. Somebody was about walking to a process of listing the people you had harmed, and for those of you who would know better be the fourth and fifth step in the major thing list in the big weed hard to write out what it is you resentful about four and in the process of going to them and making a means for your part of the story. And ironically, that's where if you like to call it that the sale forgiveness comes is because all of a sudden you're confronting things that that were eating it bother you that this was part of the thing even though they may have wronged you more than you need him eating get to go there.

You had to stay on your side of the street or is this country boy say yeah your front porch is pondering the front porch think that I take it to the 24 step program know the I think that inventory can work both ways, though writing on it in the in that scenario, your your listing the things that you need forgiveness from I think there's also value in listing the things that you feel like you need to give other people forgiveness of practices of things you can invite God into to God, help me work on this work. I find this forgiveness in the situation because some are easy to forgive the whole donkey Shrek) play their just met each other on the wall in the middle of the swamp. Another there to forgive pretty quickly, but other things take years if not a lifetime to kinda find a way to forgive that guy get in the middle of it. What you find sometimes and what I have found over the years is going to someone else and opened the door and they begin number one didn't realize that even happen.

But then they begin talking to you about male wish I would have done this in opened up in it is over the doors that were eternally locked, so to speak God. He does amazing things. One quick story. I had a girl my list that had been woefully wrong in my diction. She will owe my earliest body will sear because I figured she at least had a 357 white numbing that was that. So I leave a a 12 Z meeting were not going home with stuff to get a Pepsi and guess who the cashier was, and I thought how do I get around this and ducked and dodged in checked out when got my car got about 10 minutes up the road would to Matt miles up the road and I can hear the Holy Spirit saying if you think you are right now the hearing go to sleep the night you got another think of it and go back as otter and went back and it opened up a dialogue so that we were able to live.

Forgiveness happened and you know it was a done deal. I didn't have to worry about or shoot me in the back because she obviously didn't. I think your point. It reminded me of a time with my first wife that guided this company for long time.

If you give a list of the show let you know takes me a long time to really get on board. Sometimes God has to work on me for what I stubbornness I don't know what it is that you not trusting that I it's more that I justify doing it right now. God, that he was call me that to call her and we haven't had much relationship over the other than information into pass back and forth about our kids right you know. Pick up the girls here. Okay, only to then I mean is the littlest information as you could, and he was calling for me to apologize to her and Michael got actually feel more wrong here and I have every justification is like I what it apologize and so one day I called her and I'm praying please don't answer please and she answered, and I said hey I just been here forgot about that. I just need to apologize to you and we talked for a few minutes and let into her giving a heartfelt apology to me right and that that was a point right that sometimes it's you give a little and gain a lot in the midst of a just by being obedient and on our relationship. I mean we don't talk in and out at all really like as we can't memorize and start the same circles anymore that I could call her if I needed to and we can have a conversation and everything would be fine if that's all because of the cycle. Forgiveness and let both of you pointed out in your story, so there is.

How is that 99% of forgiveness needs to go both ways. It's a rare case where one person's totally innocent and the other one is totally wrong.

We got at enough time for this 44 second clip to go and that this is a father, as this is a the quick introduction that have attracted earlier is father was killed by the sign because he was abusing his mother and and and him this is the meeting there in heaven. Everything is fine. The power both people forgiving and the father was dead and in heaven for Mac was visiting briefly but it really is a matter of both of them terribly wrong. The other non-heaven ventures could be much easier.

Forgiving but this whole movie revolves around the forgiveness that Matt needs to give in order to save his marriage keep his children from living in this place of despair. Despond and say they're both another part of the movie that God saying what you have to send one of them the hell is it can be an pointed out all the things the kids are done wrong and he says I can't take me instead which is what Christ did for us you actually see in in in that movie all three elements eating a Mac has to forgive God as he feels that God didn't do a God supposed to do right and we can fall in that category. You know, the forgiveness of father and son up and down that way there's relational forgiveness and society forgiveness of the person killed his inner knowing personally but the person that killed his daughter but also some level so forgiveness because he was a father and watch when the daughter went missing and we just barely touched on the topic clearly etches talk to Harold yet to leave good to go and download the after-hours podcast. You can hear Harold and hear more of this topic wouldn't touch on a lot of different parts of it is a masculine journey.org to download that you can go to voice modify iTunes all the different locations at the get that podcasting prevailed on much all of them masking journey after-hours is what that's called it a be called forgiveness and then go register the boot camp because it's really work out get some amazing stuff he wants to do with it. We can't wait to see you there. We know that God has special things for us, and special things for you. Masculine journey.org boot camp April 29 through May 2.

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