I’ve asked God for forgiveness for several “big” sins throughout my life. Afterward, I felt His grace upon me, yet continued to beat myself up over the sin. I couldn’t forgive myself for the thing that God forgave me for. I had trouble letting go of the shame. This is problematic on several levels: It …
Whenever we have communion our Pastor says something to the effect that if your heart isn’t in the right place at that moment, if you’re holding onto negative feelings such as anger, jealousy, or resentment, pray about it, fix it, but don’t take communion when you’re wrestling with those feelings. When I came across today’s …
Whenever there is friction between us and another person, the best thing to do is open the lines of communication. Often our anger and resentment stems from unresolved issues, but have we tried to resolve them? Any type of negative emotion tends to magnify over time if there’s no attempt to talk it out. Thankfully, …
Do you watch The Chosen? If so, I’m sure you’ll remember the scene from Season One inspired by Luke 5:1-11. I think about it a lot, actually. It’s not that Jesus almost sank their boat with fish, although that’s miraculous, it’s Simon Peter’s response, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” …
Apparently, Paul wrote a stern letter to the Corinthians at some point that was not 1 or 2 Corinthians. It must have been very harsh for Paul to say, “I do not regret it; though I did regret it” (2 Corinthians 7:8). He then rejoiced when Titus returned with news of the Corinthians’ repentance in …
I just watched a short video interview of a young woman from Christian Aid Ministries. She said that they, (the group, family, and friends of those kidnapped in Haiti) forgive the captors. I would have had trouble understanding that if it weren’t for the stories I read just last night in “When Faith is Forbidden. …
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”Romans 12:19 ESV Please join me this week in praying for those who have been hurt by the words or actions of a loved one. Pray that they look to the …
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven …
I am blessed to be participating in a book launch. That means I’m reading the book, interacting with the author, and promoting it on social media. There are several wonderful nuggets of information and inspiration within the book, but this quote really resonated with me: “Most hurt feelings are the result of unmet expectations.” Kendra …
Sometimes the people who hurt me the most are those closest to me. Maybe that’s true for most adults. While we’re in school, or even within a work environment, bullies and mean, horrible people may make our lives miserable. I feel like they are easier to deal with (or get over) than loved ones who …
