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“And forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who have sinned against us.” Matthew 6:7-9 (NCV)
We live in a broken world and none of us are perfect. In fact, we’re all selfish. I think more about me than I think about you. You think more about you than you think about me. And so we hurt each other, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes on purpose. When I hurt you, that causes guilt. When you hurt me, I feel resentment. Those two things can be resolved with forgiveness. The prayer of forgiveness is the only way to get rid of the emotional garbage of guilt and resentment. You will never reach the goals you set in your life if you’re carrying the extra baggage of guilt and resentment. They slow you down. God doesn’t want that for you. He wants you to ask for forgiveness when you hurt others and offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you so you can be freed to move forward. Now let’s say you let go of the guilt, but hold on to the resentment; you accept God’s forgiveness but you don’t forgive anybody else. You’ll still move forward at half the speed because you’re carrying the baggage of resentment. On the other hand, let’s say you let go of the resentment and forgive other people but you don’t forgive yourself. Then you’ll still be carrying the baggage of guilt that will keep you from reaching your goals. You have to let both of them go. How do you do that? Every day you need to give your guilt and resentment to God because new hurts come up every day. Then receive God’s forgiveness and release the resentment you’re holding against those who have hurt you. As James 3:18 says, “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness” (NLT). Every day you are either planting seeds of conflict with the people in your life or seeds of peace. When you plant seeds of peace you reap a harvest of goodness, which means you will reach your goals because God is going to bless your life. |
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Forgiveness.
Our Gospel for January 29. The Calming of a Storm at Sea.
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,so that it was already filling up.Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.They woke him and said to him,“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”He woke up,rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”The wind ceased and there was great calm.Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Pinatigil ni Jesus ang Bagyo.
Marcos 4:35-41
35Sa araw na iyon, nang gumabi na, sinabi ni Jesus sa kaniyang mga alagad: Tumawid tayo sa kabilang ibayo ng dagat. 36Kaya nga, nang napauwi na nila ang napakaraming tao, sumakay sila sa bangka na kinalululanan ni Jesus. Ngunit may kasabay siyang ibang maliliit na bangka. 37At dumating ang malakas na bagyo. Sinasalpok ng mga alon ang bangka na anupa't halos mapuno ito ng tubig. 38Si Jesus ay nasa hulihan at natutulog na may unan. Ginising nila siya at sinabi: Guro, bale wala ba sa iyo na tayo ay mapahamak?
39Pagbangon ni Jesus, kaniyang sinaway ang hangin at sinabi: Pumanatag ka! At sinabi niya sa alon: Pumayapa ka! Tumigil ang hangin at nagkaroon ng lubos na kapayapaan.
40Sinabi niya sa kaniyang mga alagad: Bakit kayo lubhang natakot? Paano nagkagayon na wala kayong pananampalataya?
41Nagkaroon nga sila ng matinding takot at nagsabi sila sa isa't isa. Sino nga ba ito? Maging ang hangin at alon ay sumusunod sa kaniya.