“In Between Normals”: A 30 Day Devotion on the Book of Acts预览

Time to Let Go

Stephen was a godly man, a man full of power and God's grace. (6:8) God was so present with him that his face looked like that of an angel. (6:15) Yet despite his godliness, he was wrongly accused by his opponents.

In response, Stephen launched into a detailed personal defence but to no avail. In the end, he died a martyr's death. "Where was God?" you might ask. "Where was justice? Why didn't God do anything? It was so unfair!" I ask these same questions too. However, I am not asking for Stephen. I am asking for myself. I suspect you have suffered injustice in your life too! The wounds are deep. Some of them still hurt. It's unfair. How can they treat you like that?

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Now, Stephen prayed a similar prayer, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 7:60) How is such a prayer even possible?

You know, we were forced to leave our "old normal." It's not our choice. But we can choose what to bring with us. As we sojourn through the land of "in between normals," we do have a choice. We can choose to let go of the baggage that has us dragging our feet for so long, or we can choose to keep this weight on our backs.

Letting go is never easy. It's never meant to be done instantly. Instead, it takes time to embrace the wounds, feel the pain, and grieve the loss of people and things that rightfully belong to us! They were taken away from us, against our will, and we never agreed to that!

Years ago I was stuck in such a dark time that I was ready to give up. But through a long and painful journey, I finally went to God and said, "God, in you alone I rest my case." And God replied, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9) It took me years to do that. But I am glad I did.

Reflection:

Who is that one person you find hard to forgive? What did they do that makes letting go so difficult? What is the one small step that you can take to help you forgive in the future?