Keys To The Kingdom- Part 3

The third key I want to look at is forgiveness. Pastor Phil talked about this in great depth yesterday at church, but I’d like to highlight some aspects. Just as we are to be quick to forgive – as Christ forgave us… we must also forget. Psalm 103:11-12 says, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Strangely enough, marriage brings out the best and worst of us – our mates know every side of us. That makes the practicality of forgiveness in marriage a reality. But coupled with the ability to forgive is the grace to forget. A good memory of mistakes in marriage is a vice which creates heavy and crippling burdens.

A formula for a happy home can be found in Drescher’s book, Meditations for the Newly Married.

Never both be angry at once.
Never taunt the other with a past mistake.
Never forget the happy hours of early love.
Never meet without a loving welcome.
Never talk AT each other either alone or in a crowd.
Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
Let each one strive oftenest to yield to the wishes of the other.
Let self-denial be the daily aim and practice of each.
Never let the sun go down upon any anger or grievance.
Never allow a reasonable request to have to be made a second time.
Never make a remark in public at the expense of the other. It may seem funny sometimes, but it hurts.
Never sigh for what might have been, but make the bet of what is.
Never find fault unless it is certain that a fault has bee committed, and even then always speak lovingly.
Never part for the day without loving words to think about during the absence. Short words in the morning make a long day.
Never forget that the nearest approach to heaven on earth is where two sould rival each other in unselfishness.
Never let any fault that you have committed go by until you have confessed it and are forgiven.
Never be contented until you know that both of you are walking the straight and narrow road, each helping the other.
-Author unknown.

Forgiving and forgetting go hand in hand and we need to learn them both.