**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
How will your bio read? What will it say about your life? What will it say about your identity, your character and your call(s)?
Maybe you feel like there is a lot of editing that needs to be done from previous chapters. Maybe you are excited, looking forward to the chapters ahead. Maybe you're nervous about the chapters ahead because they require you to trust the great Author more than ever.
God is the great Author of our stories and we get to participate in writing them as well. It is beautiful to watch the mystery of how this works.
If you feel like there is a lot of editing to do ... lean into grace, into forgiveness and receive healing. If you are anxious about the chapters to come ... release them to God, rest in His great love.
Wherever you are, enjoy the present chapter, actively contributing to your story and ultimately God's great story.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Monday, October 7, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Clean Community
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
Community is messy. It's full of mistakes, hurts, forgiveness, reconciliation. Rich community includes ups/downs, rights/wrongs. It includes what it is to be human, and for Christians, humans trying to follow Christ.
Clean Community … what an oxymoron! I do not think such a thing exists!
I love community but hate the messiness of it. Stepping on toes, hurting someone, being hurt, misunderstandings, weariness, false expectations, disappointments, etc. So community is anything but clean and it is utterly messy.
In this beautiful mess is life, a rich life, a life lived with others and with God. There is opportunity for reconciliation and redemption. Community is not clean but often it is so worth it. In exchange for the messes we get meaning, depth and authentic relationships. In exchange for messes we receive grace and we offer grace.
May you embrace the messiness of community today.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Community is messy. It's full of mistakes, hurts, forgiveness, reconciliation. Rich community includes ups/downs, rights/wrongs. It includes what it is to be human, and for Christians, humans trying to follow Christ.
Clean Community … what an oxymoron! I do not think such a thing exists!
I love community but hate the messiness of it. Stepping on toes, hurting someone, being hurt, misunderstandings, weariness, false expectations, disappointments, etc. So community is anything but clean and it is utterly messy.
In this beautiful mess is life, a rich life, a life lived with others and with God. There is opportunity for reconciliation and redemption. Community is not clean but often it is so worth it. In exchange for the messes we get meaning, depth and authentic relationships. In exchange for messes we receive grace and we offer grace.
May you embrace the messiness of community today.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Healing and Forgiveness
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
I never realized that feeling hurt would lead me to confession which would in turn lead me to receiving forgiveness from God.
A few months ago I saw someone I knew and instantly felt hurt. I did not know what because I could not think of exactly what he had done so I decided to talk to Jesus about it.
The following day while on a run, I talked to Jesus. In my prayer I asked God to help me figure out why I was hurting – had this person done something or was I playing a victim?
In prayer God revealed my heart – I was blaming this person for an expectation I had of God. I was using him as a scapegoat when in reality I was upset with God. I was upset with God because something didn’t go my way, and God did not do anything to help it go my way. It was all about me – my way!
This led to confession, which led to receiving God’s forgiveness, which led to healing. The hurt was no longer there towards this man or towards God.
Recently, this was part of a prayer of confession at my church. It connected the dots and maybe it will connect some dots for you and God will heal your pain as He forgives your sin.
“Hear the cries of our hearts, O God, and heal our pain as you forgive our sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
**Sit quietly again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
I never realized that feeling hurt would lead me to confession which would in turn lead me to receiving forgiveness from God.
A few months ago I saw someone I knew and instantly felt hurt. I did not know what because I could not think of exactly what he had done so I decided to talk to Jesus about it.
The following day while on a run, I talked to Jesus. In my prayer I asked God to help me figure out why I was hurting – had this person done something or was I playing a victim?
In prayer God revealed my heart – I was blaming this person for an expectation I had of God. I was using him as a scapegoat when in reality I was upset with God. I was upset with God because something didn’t go my way, and God did not do anything to help it go my way. It was all about me – my way!
This led to confession, which led to receiving God’s forgiveness, which led to healing. The hurt was no longer there towards this man or towards God.
Recently, this was part of a prayer of confession at my church. It connected the dots and maybe it will connect some dots for you and God will heal your pain as He forgives your sin.
“Hear the cries of our hearts, O God, and heal our pain as you forgive our sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
**Sit quietly again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Return to Relationship
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
God continues to call me into deeper relationship. He calls me into deeper relationship with him and with others. He calls me into deeper relationship with those whom I have hurt and have hurt me.
After forgiveness and reconciliation sometimes (not always) God calls us back into relationship. He calls us back into relationship and is not satisfied with just reconciliation.
Our relationship with God was broken, He provided the forgiveness and forgiver and now we get to be back in relationship with him. God’s story is not just about reconciliation but it is also about relationship.
How will you enter into deeper relationship with God? Is God calling you to return to relationship with another?
(Note: returning to relationship sometimes is not possible and could be dangerous … use wisdom, discernment, prayer and godly counsel)
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
God continues to call me into deeper relationship. He calls me into deeper relationship with him and with others. He calls me into deeper relationship with those whom I have hurt and have hurt me.
After forgiveness and reconciliation sometimes (not always) God calls us back into relationship. He calls us back into relationship and is not satisfied with just reconciliation.
Our relationship with God was broken, He provided the forgiveness and forgiver and now we get to be back in relationship with him. God’s story is not just about reconciliation but it is also about relationship.
How will you enter into deeper relationship with God? Is God calling you to return to relationship with another?
(Note: returning to relationship sometimes is not possible and could be dangerous … use wisdom, discernment, prayer and godly counsel)
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Live at Peace ... with Yourself
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18
The call to live at peace is a grand one, a command which we cannot fulfill
alone. A transformed heart and mind pursues peace. In Romans 12 God calls us to live at peace and the call to live at peace involves living at peace
with those around us as well as living at peace with ourselves.
Living at peace internally involves forgiveness and one of those persons is myself and yourself. Do I forgive myself? Do you forgive yourself?
Living at peace internally involves forgiveness and one of those persons is myself and yourself. Do I forgive myself? Do you forgive yourself?
Do I forgive myself for sin or do I continue to beat myself up? Do I forgive
myself for the hurt I have caused another or do I continue to seek penance for
my fault? Do I forgive myself for any sin in which I held back when I should
have stepped forward or do I replay the moment in my head wishing I had stepped
up?
How about you? Do you live in peace or in self-condemnation and shame?
Since there is a high probability that we are not at complete peace within ourselves, where do we begin? How do we sort through intrapersonal peace?
Since there is a high probability that we are not at complete peace within ourselves, where do we begin? How do we sort through intrapersonal peace?
How about this prayer as prayed by the Psalmist:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24
Grace to you as you pursue peace with possibly the most challenging person to
have peace with – yourself.
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Gift of Forgiveness
**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**
Oh to receive the gift of
forgiveness! Forgiveness is a choice, yes and sometimes forgiveness is a gift,
a beautiful gift! Having struggled with prolonged unforgiveness with someone
close to me, I know what it does to a person. Bitterness, anger, and
impenetrable thick walls grow in our hearts and there is little hope for
anything different.
This prolonged unforgiveness was met with the gift of forgiveness. It was
something I asked for. I did not ask for it nobly or humbly but desperately. My
prayer was, “God, I can’t do this, I don’t think I even care if nothing
changes. So, if you want something to change, you’ve gotta do it.” God did want
something to change and He gave me the gift of forgiveness. Utterly
unexplainable other than “God did it.” This is not a formula prayer by any means, just my experience.
Forgiveness is a choice, definitely. Forgiveness also comes in the form of a
gift. Is there prolonged unforgiveness in your life? How have you prayed about
it? Do you even care? No matter how you pray, I encourage you to make it an
honest prayer, no matter what. You never know when forgiveness may come as a
gift.
**Sit in silence again for as long as is available to you.**
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Storing Up Peace
**Before you begin reading, sit
down, breathe normally and be quiet for 1 minute.**
To be at peace is incredibly restful. You can take a deep breath when you are at peace. You can inhale and exhale and your soul feels settled. Being at peace is also a gift as is joy. Storing up peace requires the receiving of peace as well as the cultivation of it. Cultivating peace does not necessarily mean the absence of conflict, difficulty and unknowns. True peace often comes in the midst of conflict, difficulty and unknowns. To cultivate peace we seek and trust God’s perspective, His direction and trust that He is near.
To store up peace we must choose to forgive. Unforgiveness hinders peace and hinders your soul from being at rest. Unforgiveness is like a cancer, infecting everything it touches. Unforgiveness does not give room for peace.
Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe a friend, family member or co-worker? Maybe there is something you need to forgive yourself for?
To begin cultivating and storing peace, begin with forgiveness. This is how God made His peace with us – forgiveness. Do not forget to ask for it as well.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
To be at peace is incredibly restful. You can take a deep breath when you are at peace. You can inhale and exhale and your soul feels settled. Being at peace is also a gift as is joy. Storing up peace requires the receiving of peace as well as the cultivation of it. Cultivating peace does not necessarily mean the absence of conflict, difficulty and unknowns. True peace often comes in the midst of conflict, difficulty and unknowns. To cultivate peace we seek and trust God’s perspective, His direction and trust that He is near.
To store up peace we must choose to forgive. Unforgiveness hinders peace and hinders your soul from being at rest. Unforgiveness is like a cancer, infecting everything it touches. Unforgiveness does not give room for peace.
Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe a friend, family member or co-worker? Maybe there is something you need to forgive yourself for?
To begin cultivating and storing peace, begin with forgiveness. This is how God made His peace with us – forgiveness. Do not forget to ask for it as well.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Blindness of Anger
**Before you begin reading, sit
down, breathe normally and be quiet for 1 minute.**
You've heard it said love makes you blind. So can anger. Anger can make you blind. It can make you blind to hope, to possibilities, to redemption and resurrection. Anger can make you blind to transformation. Anger makes you blind to goodness and to peace. It makes you blind to joy and gentleness. It blinds you to the opportunity to forgive. It blinds you to the opportunity for healing. Anger consumes so that all you see is anger and its close companion, bitterness.
Anger can be a good thing. It can reveal something that is wrong, unhealthy or something that needs to change. Anger can lead to justice and freedom.
Anger can also be blinding. It can blind to that which is good. Does anger play an unhealthy role in your life? If so, how has it blinded you? Spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you if anger has blinded you.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
You've heard it said love makes you blind. So can anger. Anger can make you blind. It can make you blind to hope, to possibilities, to redemption and resurrection. Anger can make you blind to transformation. Anger makes you blind to goodness and to peace. It makes you blind to joy and gentleness. It blinds you to the opportunity to forgive. It blinds you to the opportunity for healing. Anger consumes so that all you see is anger and its close companion, bitterness.
Anger can be a good thing. It can reveal something that is wrong, unhealthy or something that needs to change. Anger can lead to justice and freedom.
Anger can also be blinding. It can blind to that which is good. Does anger play an unhealthy role in your life? If so, how has it blinded you? Spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you if anger has blinded you.
**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**
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