“AS LONG AS YOU PULL THE ROPE, THE BELL WILL RING”

by, Sister Mimmie

 A young lady once asked a priest what she should do to really forgive? He said that he couldn’t answer her according to the injustice and hurt she experiences, but he learnt something from ringing the church bell. As long as he pulls the rope, the bell rings. The more forceful he pulls the rope the louder the bell rings. When he lets go of the rope, the bell still rings but eventually it silences, because “as long as you pull the rope the bell rings.” (Paraphrased)

 The apostle Paul, used to be Saul - a great sinner.  He persecuted the Christians believing he was doing his God of tradition, a favour. When Jesus encountered him and his blind eyes were opened he knew Jesus as his God of relationship. His past sins could have haunted him, because he also killed people, but with Jesus, having set him free from guilt and regrets, he decided to walk in that freedom of forgiveness (1 John 1:9)

So how did Paul manage not to dwell on his past? Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: BUT ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING those things which are behind and REACHING FORWARD to those things which are ahead….the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul made a choice, and took action, to forget his past. When you forget something you really don’t remember it – it does however come back from time to time, BUT forgetting is being able not to talk about it. So to forget we need to STOP “pulling the rope” by talking (especially to yourself) about past sin, past hurts, feelings of inferiority, blaming, etc. As soon as we talk about it we’re back into all the hurt and pain again.

 God once told me to destroy 6 years’ diaries, I didn’t want to because there were also such beautiful entries made – however the Lord insisted that I destroy ALLl! Then I compromised with God, and decided to only destroy the parts where I recorded my hurts and bad experiences. Needless to say that when I started selecting and read the hurtful entries, IT ALL manifested again in anger, hurt, feelings of rejection, self-pity, etc. God knows best – and confirmed His command with Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8

“Yet indeed I also count ALL THINGS loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” When I destroyed them all – how free I was! So free that I don’t even want to think about it anymore; yet alone talk about it. Sure the enemy reminds me of it, but I DO not give in to the temptation of nurturing those thoughts. We have to DO something. Replace such thoughts with that which is according to  Philippians 4:8 “ Finally, brethren, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy – MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS”.

Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”Definitely a Scripture that we should firstly practice in our family relationships and from there to ripple out to all relationships across cultures.

Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”  You and I have the choice to dwell on our past going nowhere, or to stretch ourselves for what lies ahead, choosing to forget and to forgive others, by example, as God does:

Isaiah 43:25: ”I, even I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake: And I will not remember your sins.”  What lovingkindness, what grace, what mercy!. Blot out the burdens, for your own sake, and be set free - don’t remember it anymore. God’s forgiveness of us when we turn to Him, enables us to do the same and be set free knowing my worth of who I am in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east IS FROM THE WEST, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

May God help you to let go of the rope so the voices of the hurtful past, may die down and be silenced.