Should we forgive Jodi Arias?

I haven’t posted in a while, but a small glimpse of the Jodi Arias final deliberations got me fired up.


This man, reporter maybe, I don’t know who he was, why he was interviewed, but he told the victims of her crime to hate her the rest of her life, and don’t worry about forgiveness because it’s overrated.

I guess that’s sadly the conclusion that those without Christ would come to.

Who wants to live a life filled with hate? Doesn’t that trap you into the crime perpetually? Is that what you want to get your identity from? Forgiveness brings freedom and healing.

But do we have to forgive even the most cruel crimes?

We can and should hate evil. And that means we want justice when someone has done a crime.

But for Christians, unforgiveness is not an option.

The truth is that we all have committed the worst of crimes by rebelling against God and trying to steal His Glory as our own. We have set ourselves to be our own god, and we constantly turn to things created to be our other gods, our idols, worshiping the creation over the Creator. Our hearts are wicked and sinful and only full of evil.

But God.

Even though we rebelled against Him, and deserve to die condemned to hell righteously, God made a way for our salvation. That way was to sacrifice His own Son, and have His Son die on a cross to take the penalty for our sin. Then, He rose His Son from the grave, and demonstrated His power over life and death through the crucifixion and resurrection. This was the only way God could forgive our sins, through the shed blood of His perfect Son.

God showed His children grace and forgiveness, and He calls all who follow Him to offer that forgiveness to others. Not because they deserve forgiveness, but because God showed us forgiveness and allows us the opportunity to share that with others, and draw them closer to God.

Should we hate the crime and horrible way Jodi killed her boyfriend? Yes!

Should we hate Jodi?

Certainly that would be the easy thing to do, but if you are a follower of Christ, you are not left with that option.

“but God shows shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

Sometimes Things Get Worse Before They Get Better

I’m feeling a restless need to process truth that I know at the moment instead of in taking truth.  (That is to say, I feel like writing instead of reading.  I always have solid books to read, but when I can’t focus on them, sometimes it means my brain is busy figuring out what to do with what I’ve read, what I already know, what I’ve experienced, etc. Even through processing by writing though I am in taking truth so maybe that’s not the best analogy.  For now it will do.) 

God is using painful circumstances to humble me. 

The greatest circumstance I would submit to this point would be my current unemployment.  Ever since I lost my job in 2009 it has been a struggle for me to find work.  I had some bad experiences with a temp agency.  I found a tutoring position that ended within a month because it lost funding.  I auditioned to work at a catering business, but even though I was going as fast as I could, I was just too slow in making the product. 

I worked for a summer camp.  I worked at Chipotle.  I worked at a local bakery for one of the craziest bosses in the world.  Really I was too slow at both Chipotle and the bakery.  I suppose me and the food industry do not mix. 

I worked and still work for Easter Seals UCP.  And I have enjoyed working there, but just have never broke into full time employment there, instead trying to juggle multiple clients. 

Ahhh, there was a brief time of relief for me when I got my job at UMAR.  I was able to work 30 hours a week with my CAP program participant, and it was so fun!  And a huge stress relief.  I worked with her from late July 2012 until November 2012.  Then she left the house, and left me without a job. 

Although, I have been able to fill in at the UMAR house some days.  If I was able to be a residential counselor I would, but the meds I take at night really knock me out and I fear I would not be much help if there was an emergency in the middle of the night.  And that actually would happen.  This is just to say, I cannot take the RC position with UMAR because I would be responsible for the program participants overnight.  Not all group homes have the same structure with their RC schedules, and I’ve applied to many different group homes. 

I really thought I was a competitive candidate to be a teacher’s assistant in an EC classroom, because of my experience with individuals with special needs.  But, I’ve only had one interview for one of those positions.  I’m hoping to be considered for next school year as well.  I’d love to be a TA for any class.  Pursuing that though has been a dead end thus far. 

I’ve recently started filling in for clients at Maxim, but that’s all it has been, fill in. 

So… it’s been rough, looking for jobs, applying for jobs.  I’m convinced that you really have to network and know someone to get a job.  All of these random jobs I’ve applied for online, I never hear back from. 

For me, a graduate from one of the top schools in the country, a person who thinks herself somewhat intelligent and certainly capable of being trained to do many jobs with excellence, well… to not have anyone knocking on my door asking me to work with them, it’s been frustrating.  And embarrassing.  I don’t think people who have never gone through this really understand it.  Thankfully people have backed off as far as asking me tons of questions about my job search. 

It’s hard though, to keep trusting in God to provide when it seems like He’s keeping jobs from you! 

I’m thankful to have friends praying for me, especially for my heart to not become bitter.  I think that if I was not a Christian, it would be very bitter, and that is very sad. 

Thank goodness Christ is constantly working to redeem and restore my life. 

Anyhow, I’m reflecting on this seemingly fruitless, or almost fruitless, time of my life, because I’ve been thinking about how in the Bible, oftentimes circumstances get much worse, almost hopeless, before they get better.  And it’s a perspective that’s giving me hope. 

I’m reading in Exodus right now, how God used Moses to bring His children out of Egypt to the promised land.  And some of the horrible things that happened before God’s children left Egypt.  Like all the baby boys being killed because of Pharaoh’s command.  Like how every time Moses went to Pharaoh to tell him to let the Israelites go, Pharaoh would harden his heart and make the work of the slaves even harder, not providing straw for the bricks, still demanding the same number of bricks.  Every plague I’m sure the Israelites thought, surely now Pharaoh will let us go, but every time he hardened his heart and would not let them go.  It was not until the death of the firstborn son of all of Egypt that Pharaoh broke and screamed for the Israelites  to leave because they were a stench to Him. 

The point is, things got worse, much much worse, before they ever got better. 

God was completely in control.  He knew that Pharaoh would harden his heart.  He knew how many plagues would happen, and used each plague to destroy the reputation of the idols of Egypt.  He knew that things would get harder and more severe for His people.  But his deliverance showed His glory uniquely to Egypt and all the surrounding nations, that they would see the mighty hand of God and tremble. 

Of course we can look to the death and resurrection to see that when Christ was crucified, there was a very dark Saturday before the resurrection on Sunday.  Although it must have seemed like the universe was out of control when Christ was on the cross, God was most in control, securing the salvation of His bride through the death of His son. 

This is God calling me to a greater trust in Him.  I do not know if I will find a job tomorrow or a year from tomorrow.  Things seem bleak now but they could be worse.  But even if I never find another job, the resurrection of Christ has guaranteed a better day for me, when I will be in His very presence, and thus secured a greater hope and anticipation for that day to come soon.  This side of heaven may seem fruitless, purposeless, frustrating, dark, but as dark as it may get, as bad as circumstances could become here on earth, things will get better. 

I was wrong - God is humbling me

About humility that is. 

If humility is simply a question of putting others before yourself, then yes anyone can practice humility, however flawed that attempt may be. 

This I argued frustratingly in Bible Fellowship one time, because it's a bit gray, of course Christians can be humble, but can't non Christians also display characteristics of God because they are made in his image?  They could demonstrate the gifts of God without recognizing where those gifts come from, right?

But I recently have been reading Humility, True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney, and he gives a different definition to humility. 

Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness. 

Wow. 

There leaves no room for a non-Christian to be capable of true humility, because a non-Christian could not even understand that juxtaposition. 

So I would like to formally admit I was wrong to try to defend non-Christians as being able to demonstrate humility, thus humbling myself and my pride in the process.

I only pray that God will continue to keep me humble throughout my life, graciously showing me errors, flaws, and sins, patiently waiting for me to conclude rightly that I must ascribe all glory for anything good in my life to Him, drawing me closer to His love through the cross and His power through the resurrection. 

I have been using a prayer that J.D. Greear shared in his book Gospel: Recovering the Power that made Christianity Revolutionary.  It helps me remember many truths about my salvation, God's greatness, my responsibilities as a Christian, His love and compasssion and power.  I'll share it here because it might be of some encouragement to you as well. 

"In Christ, there is nothing I can do that will make you love me more, and nothing I have done that makes you love me less.
Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.
As you have been to me, so I will be to others. 
As I pray, I'll measure your compassion by the cross, and your power by the resurrection."

This recollection of encouraging truths has influenced me in a positive manner, especially in developing my prayer life.  May it be an encouragement to you as well, and help us all remember our faith is a gift of God, keeping us humble in light of His grace.