“Certainly praying takes some admissions, that is, recognition of your state as a man. But this admission does not lead to shame, to a feeling of worthlessness or despair, but rather to the discovery that you are a man and God is God.
To pray is to walk in the full light of God. At that moment, conversion occurs, the restoration of the true relationship.
This conversion brings with it the relaxation which lets you breathe again and puts you at rest in the embrace of a forgiving God. The experience results in a calm and simple joy. For then you can say: ‘I don’t know the answer and I can’t do this thing, but I don’t have to know it, and I don’t have to be able to do it.'”
Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
We heard these verses in church Sunday. It was a nice reminder to exude the same kindness and mercy to others that Christ gives to us.
People aren’t always going to say or do things that we like, but it’s important to remember that we’ve done the same – more than a few times. God is still kind to us, so we should do our best to be kind to others.
Reading a Facebook post of a friend of mine has this topic on my mind this morning. It’s about forgiving others.
Friends, forgiveness isn’t something that’s optional…it’s required of us. We’re not given the right to hold a grudge, or hold back forgiveness toward others.
After all no one walking this Earth is perfect, but thankfully we are forgiven when we simply ask for it. And so, we should readily offer the same for others.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told KRLD-FM Tuesday morning that Jerry Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson, has asked Josh Brent to ride with her to the memorial service for her son…two days after he wrecked his car, killing his teammate and friend Jerry Brown, and one day after being released on $500,000 bond after being charged with intoxication manslaughter…
Click the image to play the CNN interview with Stacey Jackson.
“I was upset, but I realized that our youth today are young and stupid, and we were all once that age, and we’ve all done things we’re not proud of,” Jackson said on Monday’s Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN.
“I know Josh Brent, and he’s been part of our family since Jerry went to the University of Illinois. All I can do is to pray for him and his family. I know he is hurting just as much as we are, because (he) and Jerry were like brothers.”
I wanted to share this so that anyone who’s holding a grudge against someone right now might read it and see that whatever it is, you can forgive that person.
If this woman can welcome the man charged with causing her son’s death into her vehicle for her son’s funeral service and pray for him in her darkest hour, you can cancel the debt you feel someone owes you too.
Forgive.
It can seem really hard to do this sometimes, but you can do it. It sets the other person free but perhaps more importantly, it sets YOU free. So, go find that person and talk with him or her. Make that phone call. Send that email. However you choose to do it…do it.
We’re getting ready to celebrate the birth of someone who was sent here to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven and made new. To me, there’s no better time than now to show that same kind of forgiveness toward others in our lives. I hope this story inspires you to do that.
positively second 