Crippled, But How Did It Happen?

Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it forgoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury. E. H. Chapin

We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer in our Sunday services. It is really a model prayer or a form to follow when we pray, given to us by the Master Teacher, Jesus. To follow this model for prayer requires the strenuous task of rearranging how many of us practice prayer. Personally, as I have studied this prayer model, I have had to restructure much of what I normally think and say in my prayers.

The next portion of the prayer deals with forgiving others. This is difficult because of our own human nature, the philosophy of our culture, and a desire to be the judge rather than allowing God to do that task. I have labored with a matter that happened years ago that hurt me and my family. But to hang on to such a matter is to mistrust God and continue to suffer internally, missing a sense of contentment that leads to deeper happiness.

Psychologists are studying what makes people happy. "Materialism is toxic for happiness," says University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener. Even rich materialists aren’t as happy as those who care less about getting and spending. The article also quoted University of Michigan psychologist Christopher Peterson, who indicated forgiveness is the trait most strongly linked to happiness. Peterson said, "It’s the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by."

This Sunday we want to view the benefits of this part of the prayer. Jesus knew how much we would all need to comprehend this truth to climb over this barrier and experience greater joy.

Dick Crosby, Senior Pastor