“[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:14 (NCV) We all mess up from time to time. We all make mistakes! We don’t have to live with guilt, because the Bible says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV). But we do have to live with our mistakes. The Bible never hides this truth. It is painfully honest about the failures of its heroes. God saved the world from flood through a man named Noah—who then got drunk and naked and ruined it all. Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into freedom—yet his anger kept him out of the Promised Land. King David was a man after God’s heart—but he also had an affair and murdered the woman’s husband so he wouldn’t be discovered. God realizes our frailty. If he only used perfect people, the Bible would be a pretty short book! But God does not leave us alone in our sin. He has a solution for our failures: grace. The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV). In fact, when you look at all those failures in the Bible, you get a clear picture. We can be amazed at how God used those people to accomplish his purposes in big ways. But what is most encouraging is that he used them in spite of their failures and mistakes. Just like those heroes of the Bible, you and I are trophies of God’s grace. Your primary witness to the world around you is not all the great things you do for God. Your most important witness will be how you handle mistakes you’ve made. Do you mope about your failures, or do you revel in the grace of God? People want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs. They want to know a God who can transform the lives of broken people. The amazing part of God’s grace isn’t just his power to forgive. It’s also the strength and renewal he gives us when we choose to start over and trust in him to help us keep going.
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“You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws.”
Psalm 119:73 (TLB) It’s hard to love when you’re tired. That’s right: Your physical condition has a strong impact on your relationships. Having energy makes a big difference! What happens to your relationships when you’re run down? Things that are usually small issues become big problems. You may be crankier, more defensive, or more critical when you’re low on energy. If you’re committed to becoming better at loving others, then you need to develop habits that refresh you physically. The Bible teaches many principles for health, but the three most basic are proper rest, a balanced diet, and regular exercise. Rest. Psalm 127:2 says, “It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night . . . for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest” (TLB). If you are too tired to love your kids, your spouse, or a friend, then your problem is first physical, not spiritual. It’s amazing how much better things look after a good night’s sleep. Balanced diet. The Bible says, “You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws” (Psalm 119:73 TLB). God provides wonderful delights for us to enjoy and savor. We are meant to enjoy food! But he has also given us wisdom to know what and how much is good to put in our body—and what is not. We just need to do it. Regular exercise. “God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God” (1 Corinthians 6:20 TLB). To overcome fatigue, you must commit to regular exercise. Study after study shows that exercise doesn’t deplete your energy. It actually increases your energy. God never meant for you to go through life exhausted. When you’re too tired to love others well, take a good look at how much you’re resting, what you’re eating, and how often you exercise. Then make better—and often more difficult—choices to take care of yourself. You and those you love will only benefit in the long run. “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."
Matthew 5:23-24 (TNLT) What do you think about when you think of forgiveness? Do you think forgiving also has to mean just going on with the relationship as if nothing ever happened? It doesn’t—and, in fact, it shouldn’t. When someone commits a major offense that leads to a break in relationship, forgiveness doesn’t mean resuming the relationship without any changes. In fact, forgiveness and resuming a relationship are two separate things. Forgiving is what the offended person does. But it’s the offender’s job to do what’s necessary to restore and resume the relationship. Simply saying “I’m sorry” is not enough. The Bible teaches three things the offender should do to begin restoring a relationship that’s been broken: Restoring a relationship requires repentance. In other words, you’re truly saddened about what you did. You don’t just say, “I’m sorry.” You say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” You can be sorry that you forgot to run an errand for your spouse or that you accidentally bumped into someone at the grocery store, but bigger offenses require repentance. When you repent, you admit you’re wrong, express true sorrow, and ask for forgiveness. Restoring a relationship requires restitution. Sometimes you have to make some kind of physical restitution. Even when you’re forgiven, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for the consequences of your actions. You may still have to pay a debt to society or to an individual for what was damaged or destroyed by your actions. Restoring a relationship requires rebuilding trust. Rebuilding trust may take a long, long time. When you’ve hurt someone, ideally that person will forgive you immediately. But they don’t have to trust you immediately. Forgiveness is built on grace and is unconditional; trust has to be rebuilt over time. Remember, forgiveness and resuming a relationship aren’t the same thing. Let’s say, for example, you learn that a coworker or loved one has repeatedly told lies about you behind your back. When you learn of the offense, it’s time to forgive. But, to resume the relationship, the offender needs to repent, make restitution, and work to rebuild trust. Have you hurt someone? What do you need to do to begin to restore that relationship today? |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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