Play Volleyball!

In both grade school and high school I played on volleyball teams. This experience was great fun and taught me the skills of the game as well as working with and caring for my fellow team members. In volleyball there are several different skills that need to be learned. A strong serve is always a good start to securing any point. Teamwork is important as one person will set the ball for another person to propel over the net in a manner that the opposing team cannot return.
One rule that is extremely important to follow is that a two handed contact with the ball must be done with the fingertips only. Players cannot hit the ball with an open palm or the shot will be disqualified. Using only the fingertips one may make a very brief contact with the ball to set it into position for another teammate to hit. This contact with the ball by one’s fingertips must be extremely brief or a call of holding will come from the game officials. A springing motion of the fingers at the time of contact propels the ball into the air. It is a learned skill that generally comes after several calls of holding by the coach while training a novice player.
What I did not realize at the time of learning this fun sport was that I was also learning a very important spiritual life skill. This same brief, fingertip contact is how we must treat offenses against us. In order to truly forgive we must be willing to quickly release any offense that comes our way. The apostle Paul uses words like readily and freely as he writes to believers concerning forgiveness. “Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].” (Colossians 3:13 AMP) “And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 AMP) We must be ready to freely forgive all offenses.

Truly loving one another is the basis for walking in total forgiveness. When we start to love others with the same love that God has lavished on us, we will be inclined to endure hurt and pain at the hands of others without holding ill feelings toward them. “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (AMP) Growing in love enables us to quickly release offense.  

We find our greatest example of total and complete forgiveness in the words of Jesus Christ. Totally innocent of all sin, He hung on a cross to pay the penalty for sins committed by the rest of us. In a moment of agonizing pain He cried out these words. “And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34a AMP) We see this attitude not only in the all-consuming love of Jesus Christ. The young believer, Stephen, also expressed this sentiment as he was being martyred for sharing of the love of Christ. “And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit! And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].” (Acts 7:59-60 AMP) Just as Stephen followed the example of Jesus, we can choose to do the same.

 King Solomon wrote these words. “Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11 AMP) When encountering offenses and hurts of all kinds we can overlook them by encouraging ourselves to “Play Volleyball” and quickly push away any feelings of unforgiveness. King David chose to encourage himself in hard times by the power of God. “David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6 AMP)  By finding strength in the Lord we can choose to not hold on to offenses, but to quickly release them with forgiveness.

 Has anyone hurt you? Choose good sense today. Encourage your spirit to allow that springing, fingertip motion to quickly release any offense and forgive as the Father has forgiven you.