Sometimes when I don't have a personal experience to share on Heart Rays, I create one and make it my story. That's how I find inspiration for blogging. Again, I risk my life for the purpose of writing . . .
Making Restitution
I specifically prayed for strength to write about this topic because it is a heavy matter of the heart. Restitution is a very sensitive issue. And yes, very important to be considered at this time.
Some people will say restitution is not necessary. Don't listen to them. The light is in Luke 19:8-9, the story of the tax collector named Zacchaeus.
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
. . . Salvation has come. . . that means restitution is the confirmation of salvation.
We were all born as sinners, grew into sin to a particular level before we become born again. Since nobody is sinless and pure before salvation, everybody has one or two restitution to do.
Restitution is confession to men. It is restoring things wrongly acquired in past life of sin, returning what was wrongly taken or borrowed in the past; revealing lies, faked, falsified, fraudulent information and documents of past; reconciling with people we offended by apologizing and people who offended us by forgiving them; lastly, it is also repaying debts we owed in the past which we refused to pay or forgot to pay. So you can see that every one of us has at least one or two issue on restitution.
I created an experience on Twitter. Guess what? It went viral. I actually didn't see that coming. All thanks to those who retweeted the tweets. The story is not exactly so, but it is related to an entry in my private diary. I twisted the story a little for this very purpose of illustrating how difficult restitution can be.
Imagine if you had to do this:
Can you handle that? Can you handle the heat that comes from being a light?
Wearing the shoes of someone who have to make a restitution takes what I have coined 3Gs - God, Grace and Guts.
God - You need God to help you with wisdom to go about it. Believe me, you can't do it on your own. It takes God to get you there.
Grace - You need grace to take you through the trials and the pains it might bring.
Guts - You need the guts to fight for your total freedom. You really have to get a million guts because you might be misunderstood, condemned and hated by the person(s) you offended. (It will not be easy)
Grace - You need grace to take you through the trials and the pains it might bring.
Guts - You need the guts to fight for your total freedom. You really have to get a million guts because you might be misunderstood, condemned and hated by the person(s) you offended. (It will not be easy)
You saw it too. There's no way you'd have read those tweets and not express your emotions. Restitution triggers anger, scorn . . . and even hatred.
I had a taste of what it feels like to be hated by the world . . .
However, nothing beats the experience you get after doing what you have to do. The peace and joy in your heart will be priceless!
Let's live in conscience void of offense before God and men. Let's do all we can not to give room for any accusations from those watching us. Let's be totally free from sin.
Remember it's the season of New Beginnings. And for us to enjoy this season, we must totally put an end to certain things in our lives. Those things that stop us from walking in the Light of God. Those things that serve as stumbling blocks to getting to the next level. Those things that take us away from the path of righteousness.
Is there anything you have to settle with God about your past? Is there anyone you are bearing grudge against? Is there anyone you have to apologize to or to forgive?
Restitution is settling the matters of your past. It is a stepping stone to having a new beginning. It is freeing yourself to live in the now. No matter how difficult it will be to come out in the open, it must be done. You only need to trust God to give you the strength to make a restitution. You can if you want to.
To remain in the prison of your past and be loved by the world OR to unlock yourself from life's prison and be hated by the world. Which would you rather choose?
Happy New Week!
Stay pure.
