After clicking on this site: http://janiverbrown.blogspot.com/ and reading Janiver's Journey I thought what an amazing lady she is. She has such a wonderful attitude and she has been through so much. Her story/testimony gives me so much faith and encouragement. Then I clicked over to http://www.bethaniroam.blogspot.com/ and read about another amazing lady. Again I find such a beautiful attitude even though she has been through so much. I ask myself, does God find in me a good attitude or do I need to make some serious adjustments here concerning my illness? These two Godly women have boosted my faith for my own situation. I have pondered on these two great ladies and all that they have been through all night so much that I have not been able to sleep.
On January 2,2008, Sis Hurst, http://www.iluv2prshim.wordpress.com/ did a post on 10 RULES FOR A BLESSED DAY. (It is worth reading so if you haven't already done so, click on the above link and hop on over and read it.) I thought, Hmmm, I will make this my New Year's Resolution. Easier said than done! There is a situation going on in my life with another individual and I am sure all of you at one time or another have been in a situation where there have been hurts between you and another. This morning when I went to the refrigerator guess what I saw? That's right! The 10 RULES FOR A BLESSED DAY. I had printed this out and posted it on my refer and there it was staring me in the face this morning. My reaction was,"Oh Dear God, I could not even carry out my resolution for one day." For yesterday I did not respond the way the 10 rules said to respond when someone was unkind to me. I did not ask You Lord to bless them. I was so hurt that I did not forgive them. How can I be forgiven if I do not forgive? For your word says: "...forgive, and ye shall be forgiven", Luke 6:37. Did I not just recently do a post on this? What is wrong with me Lord? I did not live by your word for Proverbs 15:1 reads, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."
I must forgive regardless of how many times this hurt is brought my way. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.Matthew 18:21-22. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
My Father, not forgive my sins? I can not bear the thought of the Lord not forgiving me when I mess up. Lord knows I am not perfect and that I fail at times and make mistakes. Who am I to judge and criticize others when they do the same? Psalms 139:23-24; "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
It is a New Year with a New Beginning. I ask you Lord to "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalms 51:7) I must go and make things right to the best of my ability and leave the rest in the hands of God. I am asking for you to help me God, to have the right attitude and to live by the 10 Rules For A Blessed Day AND Your 10 Commandments in 2008 regardless of what comes my way health wise or in any other avenue in my walk with you. For as the quote in the picture above by Charles R. Swindoll reads:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."
6 comments:
It seems as though you and I have been traveling on the same path lately... at least in what God has been dealing with us with. Forgiveness. Ouch. I too have been trying to figure this out. Everytime I think I have let it go... I find out I picked it right back up. This was just what I needed to read when I needed to read it. Thank you for obeying His voice.
I once heard a sermon that basically asserted this on forgiveness: That we must forgive, lest our bitterness, which we hoped would poison those we are bitter toward, would actually poison ourself instead.
How true.
~Jaime
Rochelle, When I think of how Judas betrayed Jesus and yet Jesus called him friend and then as our Lord hung on the cross and cried "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" as they crucified him, well, it makes me so ashamed that I find myself with an unforgiving spirit even if it is just for a moment in time. For am I not suppose to have the Spirit of God dwelling within me? Makes you wonder who is in control at that point of time the flesh or the spirit. Well, I know the answer to that one by my actions. Thank God for a place of repentance. But I need to let the Spirit be in control at all times and not my flesh. Again it is all in my attitude.
Jaime, So true! Bitterness will literally destroy our soul once we let it in. I have seen this happen to others and I do not want to travel down that road. I do not want to live with the ugly poison of bitterness flowing through my veins. I want to be able to sleep at night and have a smile on my face in my waking moments. Forgiveness is a much better avenue to take.
This is such an important post and vital to our salvation. Keep preaching. People need this kind of post.
Sis. Allard, I need this kind of post. I need to be reminded of the importance of forgiveness and how vital it is for my salvation. I am thankful that He still talks to me and that I still hear His voice.
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