Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY MONDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you’re enjoying the beginning of another workweek (for most). I’m doing well, and have been enjoying the last few weeks of vacation. This weekend we’re having our 1st Annual Pig Roast fund raiser at my Church, Saturday, June 11th starting at 4pm. All is welcomed, so if you don’t have anything planned, please bring the entire family out for fun, food, games, and prizes! Please see our website for http://fairfaxchristian.org/ for further details, and directions. I would love to see you there! Enjoy the remainder of your day, and be blessed family!


Today’s scriptures are about the unconditional love of God. I’ve heard all of my Christian life that God loves me unconditionally, yet there are times when I feel like I’m not worthy of His love. Especially times when I know I’ve fallen short of His commandments, or have made wrong choices and bad decisions. I know that God will forgive me as soon as I ask, but I also know that I will reap what I sow. The devil is very smart and crafty, however he’s no match for a wise Christian, because we know how to put on the full amour of God. At the same time, he’s always going to attempt to place fear, doubt, and guilt into our lives, so that we lose sight of the fact that God does love us unconditionally. There’s nothing we can do or say to stop His love, because it is indeed “unconditional”.


Let’s think of the human body, and how much God put into creating us. How much care, attention to detail and love it had to take to create such complex yet simple creature. Compared to all of His other creations, we are superior, and were made with great precision. He took His time and molded us, and made sure that there are no two that are alike. He loves each individual that much that we’re unique in our own way. That alone should tell us just how much He loves us. The enemy doesn’t want us to know that, so he tries make us feel like we’re unworthy of God’s love, but the fact still remains that Jesus died for all mankind. I don’t care what type of sinner you are, He loves you no matter what. If you go to Him and repent, with a right heart and spirit, then you’re forgiven, no questions asked. There’s nothing that you can do that will separate you from Him for all eternity, once you’ve been saved. Look at where you came from and the type of stock you’re made of—you were created for a reason, because you are special to Him.


We can never base the love of God on the love of mankind—not even your mother can love you as deeply as God does. I know the love of a mother, and my mom would literally die for me, but she still cannot love me the way that God loves me. My mom has a limit to the things she’ll take from me; though her forgiveness runs deep, she is only human, and has a breaking point. God however, does everything for our good, even when He punishes us, or allows us to go through trials and tribulations—they’re all meant to work together for our good, we just have to pay attention and take the wisdom from it. I’m a firm believer that if we truly understood how much God loves us, then we can better love Him. We wouldn’t be so quick to sin against Him, because we’ll understand the sacrifices Jesus made so that we can have life.


Through Jesus we are blessed and highly favored, and we have inherited the Kingdom of God, and we’re truly righteous. You have authority by His Name to rule over all of the evil on this earth; remember through Christ, God has made your enemies your footstool. There aren’t many things that happen in our life that happens without our say; we have choices in everything we do, and those choices make up our life. Yesterday is Gone, tomorrow isn’t promised, all we can do is be better today. I was feeling a bit lost over the last week, and I’d been struggling with focusing on the wrong things, and when I spoke to God, He lead me to read Psalms 37. I absolutely love David’s Psalms because he truly bears his soul. He tells us like it really is, and he’s the first to say, “I’m not perfect but I love God, and God loves me”. If we each take responsibility for the choices we make in life, then we’d have a better relationship with God, because He truly understands what we’re going through, He simply asks us to confess and repent. Remember He was here in the flesh once before. I urge you, if you feel like you’re lost, and that God is just done with you, then think again. He will never be done with you, and will work on you until the day that you die. He loves you! Just love Him with all of your heart, and do the best that you can. When you seek Him, He will show Himself to you. He’s waiting for you. If you don't know Jesus as Lord, please take that first step, and ask Him to come into you life as Lord and Savior. Take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now! My favorite verses today are: The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)


ENJOY! : http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455719&dtype=Scripture

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I love you!


Anytime you’re felling weak, Psalms 37 is a great Psalm to turn to. I found great strength in these words:

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
28 For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about the impact of Love. As most of you know by now, love is my favorite subject. No matter how much the enemy tries beat it out of me, God’s love is much stronger and valiant in my heart. As we grow in our Faith walk, God’s love penetrates our heart. Yet we’re still in the world, so we experience the evil of the world as well, which can often times harden our heart. Throughout our faith walk, each day a part of that hardness melts away, and is replaced with the love of God. It’s likened to a fire that burns the impurities off of a raw God nugget, which makes it a valuable commodity once cleansed of its impurities. As an unsaved man, we couldn’t begin to understand the love of God, because we hadn’t yet experienced it for ourselves. However, when we make the conscious decision to accept Jesus as Lord, His Spirit enters our heart, and sparks the flame.

There’s a huge difference between earthly love, and Godly love. God loves unconditionally; can you understand the concept of that? Can you imagine loving someone so much that you forgive them no matter what they do. Jesus taught us in His Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.” (Matt. 5:38-40) Can you imagine doing this? What would happen if someone slaps you, how much strength would it take for you to not only refrain from slapping them back, but to give them the other cheek? You have to be filled with a lot of love [unconditional love even] to sacrifice yourself, lay aside your pride, and let someone slap you and do nothing. However, I get where Jesus was coming from. He’s instructing us to love each other no matter what. There has to be a reason why someone wants to slap you. They’re obviously very angry and hurt over something that transpired in the past, which may not have anything to do with you. When you turn and give them the other cheek, you’re letting them know that no matter what you do, I’m going to love you anyway, because God loves me.

Of course Jesus wants us to relate this to every aspect of our life, because the cure for hate is love. Love is the only thing that could overcome evil. If we solved every problem, or overcame every struggle with love, we win every time. I notice as my spirit matures love comes naturally. I have the ability to quickly forgive, which helps me heal faster. Jesus warned us: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matt 10:16) With this great amount of love overflowing in me, I’ve quickly learned how to be in tune with my Spirit of discernment, which helps me to make wise decisions. It allows me to see through some people, so I can love them, but love them from a distance. We are still human, and we have our vulnerabilities and weaknesses, which will bring us to breaking points. Worldly people will hate and persecute that which they don’t understand, so it’s by love that we’ll be able to build up a tolerance, and pray for those who spitefully use us, and means us harm. Does that mean that we’re going to hang out with them, and be their BFF? Hardly, but it does mean that we’ll love and forgive them regardless.

I love you, which is why I write daily—I want you to feel what I feel in my heart. I can only love you, because I’m filled with the love of Jesus Christ. Once you’re filled with His love, you’ll be able to recognize true earthly love. Love is at the core of everything that God does for us, and should be in everything that we do for Him. When we’re doing a favor for a friend, taking care of a stranger, being there for our spouse and children, we’re doing it from deep down in our heart, because we love God, and He loves us. I don’t know how many times I’ve been “slapped”, and have had to turn the other cheek, and I can now honestly say that there is no love lost, yet it took some time to get there. I’m so grateful that I’ve reached this point in my life, but it’s still a daily journey. I’m still human, and still get upset and extremely angry sometimes, but I never lose that feeling of love for anyone. It takes a lot of practice and prayer, but it works. It makes your heart lighter, and you’re free to fellowship with God, with no hindrance. When you hate or have an unforgiving heart, you only hurt yourself—bitterness is a way of life that you choose.

If you feel like you’re at a place in life where you’ve never really experienced love, then it’s time to give Jesus a try. Learn about His life, and you’ll learn about what it is to live in love. This will allow you to give and receive it freely as well. The first step to experiencing the love of God first hand is to accept Jesus as Lord. Take a few minutes to take the God Quiz right now. Remember, you can’t live life to the fullest, if you don’t know what you’re living for. My favorite verse today is: Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455622&dtype=Scripture

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio

http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/

I love you!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about living as the light of the world. The “natural man”, also known as an “unbeliever”, is he who doesn’t know or believe in Jesus. Without Christ there is no light inside of you, you’re stuck in the darkness. The way to righteousness has never been a mystery, or some type of complicated puzzle. God has always laid it out for everyone—light overcomes darkness, you reap what you sow, sin equals death, yet repentance resuscitates life. All of these things have been made possible, by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) God is light, and He commands light out of all things, so it’s only natural that His Son would be the light of the world.

We know that this world can be a very dark place, just look around you. Listen to today’s mainstream music, and take a look at our Social Networking websites, or the internet on a whole. These things aren’t censored, anyone could write, or post pictures or videos of, just about anything. Of course, majority of the content posted is negative, and promotes darkness. That’s why it’s up to us, as believers, to spread the light of Christ. When I first signed up for Twitter, I followed a lot of random people, just because I didn’t know how it worked, and login and read the tweets, my Spirit is sometimes heavily grieved. However, I don’t judge, nor do I un-follow those people, but I post something that will bring light, into a very dark place. I thank God for all of you who take the initiative and do that as well. Jesus said “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37), so we have a lot of work to do, the light spreading business is in high demand.

The Apostle Paul warned us: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Eph 6:11-13) The enemy was cast out of Heaven long ago, but he and his demons roam freely amongst the earth, Paul describes them as “rulers of darkness”, and there’s only one way to defeat darkness, which is… yes you guessed it… LIGHT! The great thing about being children of God is that He arms us with weapons to defeat the enemy. As soon as our feet hit the floor in the morning we must put on the Armor of God, which will not only protects us from the attacks of darkness, but will help us overcome and defeat it, by yielding the Word of God, which Paul refers to as our sword. As long as we walk in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation, standing on the Word, our paths will always be lit.

I’m not going to deceive any of you, because even as believers we’ll have our dark moments. The enemy is so jealous of our relationship with God that he works overtime trying to keep us in the dark. However, we know that “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world”, so he will never completely overtake us. As I grow in my faith walk, I’m tempted even more, and when I give into that temptation, and allow that sin to fester, the darkness spreads in me like cancer. I know that something isn’t right, so with the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m able to identify the wrong, and make it right through repentance. The more I grow in my Spirit, the more people notice the light. When we allow Jesus to lead, His light radiates in us. People can’t help but notice it in our eyes when we look at them or in our smile when we greet them. It’s like it’s coming out of our pores. However, in times of darkness, we will fade in with the rest of the world, and fall into the background. It’s important not to allow that to happen.

I want you to try it for yourself—when you awake in the morning, begin your day with God, if you don’t already. Pray, repent for your sins, read a few scriptures of the Bible or your devotional, and listen to your favorite gospel songs, or Christian broadcasts, as you prepare for your day. Once you’re out and about smile at everyone you see, especially those who look down or depressed. Sometimes, even say a warm “hello” or “good morning”, and watch their reaction. You’ll be surprised, most of the time it’s like a mirror, and you’ll be able to see the light that you just gave out, reflected right back on to you. Trust me I do it all the time, even when I don’t particularly feel like it, and that’s when it helps me the most. We’re here to spread Gods marvelous light! If you’re a believer but has strayed off of that path, or fallen into darkness, all isn’t lost. Jesus loves you just as much today as He did yesterday, He’s just waiting on you to repent, and that light will start shining bright again.

If you don’t know Jesus, you are considered a “natural man”, but that’s the way we all start out. Salvation is free to you, by the grace of God. When you accept Jesus as Lord, He promises to bring you out of darkness and into His light; all you have to do is trust Him as your Lord and Savior. If you want more information, please take the God Quiz right now. If you ever need someone to pray with, don’t hesitate to contact me. My favorite verse today is: God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455603&dtype=Scripture

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio

http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/

I love you!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about preparation for your eternal retirement. The fact still remains that we each will physically die, it’s inevitable. In the life of a believer, death means rest, rewards, and eternal bliss. However, while we’re still here on earth, we have work to do, in order to prepare for eternity. You may be wondering what you have to do to be prepared for eternity—one word, “work”. Let’s look at it in a worldly way—from the time you’re able to talk you enter into grade school, then on to middle and high school, and then off to college. In school you work to learn how to do basic things like reading, writing, and arithmetic, and in college you learn a trade in order to make a decent living. Once you’re done with school, you then enter into the workforce. You start a career, and you work hard to climb the ladder of success. You get health and life insurance, as well as start a 401K plan to save for your retirement. Retirement is your time of rest—your reward for working so hard over the last 30 or 40 years. You setup up a nest egg, so you can do all of the things you’ve always wanted to do, once you’re done with the rigorous work you put in most of your life.

Now take this analogy and think of it in a spiritual way. We put in a lot of effort to get prepared for retirement, but we rarely invest in our “eternal retirement”. As children of God, we have a very serious job to do, and it takes consistency, hard work, faith, and lots of love to get through. However, the more we work, the more we’re investing in our eternity. Jesus once said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:2-3) This is such a true statement; we need more workers for the Kingdom of God. There are so many wonderful people in this world, who dedicate their life to the greater good of the Kingdom of God, but for each of them, there are probably one thousand who don’t. There is a church on every corner in America, and most of them are filled capacity on Sunday morning, but 80% of the members don’t do anything to give back to God. They aren’t working to invest in their eternal retirement, nor do they plan too.

We shouldn’t only do good things because we think we’ll lose our salvation, or have a horrible life in Heaven—the “New Jerusalem” is promised to each believer. It’s written: This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me… Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it...” (Rev. 3:7-8, 10-12 NLT) These are the promises of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Hallelujah! Each believer will receive, and keep, their crown of life; however, the amount of jewels that adorn that crown is what will set us apart. Your work does matter, so never stop giving back to God, because He’s already given us so much.

Why do you think Jesus always said, “I am coming back soon”, yet it’s been thousands of years since He took His permanent residence in Heaven? I think that Jesus comes sooner than we think. We each will perish from this life whether it’s during Jesus’ physical return, or through death, and it’s written when we’re absent from the body we’re present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8). So we must always be prepared. Life is short, you look up tomorrow and another year has passed, and you’re quickly approaching retirement. In some way or form Jesus is “coming back to get us”, so we must diligently work to store up our treasures in Heaven. Most importantly, we must do our best to give someone who’s lost the opportunity to receive that incorruptible crown. When a Soul is saved, all of Heaven will rejoice, and your deeds won’t go unnoticed in Heaven or here on earth.

Today is the day that you should start preparing for your “eternal retirement”. Take some time to reflect—talk to God and find out what His will is for your life, and do it. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then you don’t have any type of retirement plan. All you need to do, in order to ensure you place in Heaven, is to confess your belief in Jesus Christ, confess your sins and repent, and then ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. If you’ll need more information, take some time to take the God Quiz right now! My favorite verse today is: There the wicked cease from troubling: and there the weary be at rest. (Job 3:17)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455566&dtype=Scripture

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio

http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!

PS

For archived devotionals, visit my blog at: http://dailydevotionalangelicchef.blogspot.com/

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about bearing one another’s burdens. These scriptures make me think of the word compassion. Jesus was a very compassionate man, and still is today. He currently sits at the right-hand of God, making intercession for us, because He can empathize with the plight of a human being. As believers we’re in a “brotherhood of sorts, which is most often referred to as the body of Christ. We’re responsible for each other, which is why we’re commanded to bear each other’s burdens.

When Jesus enters our life, we’re anointed with His Holy Spirit, and He begins to transform us into a person of Christ. As time goes by and we’re seeking the kingdom of God, we’ll take on the heart of Christ, and gradually become more compassionate. God wants us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, so when my brother hurts I hurt, and when he rejoices I rejoice. Jesus dedicated His life to us, and spent countless hours healing the sick, and preaching the love of God. He believed in giving people the tools necessary to survive in this world. He offers to shoulder our burdens, and helps us along the way, only requiring faith and love in return. He won’t live life for us, but He’ll do His best to makes sure that we know that we’re loved, and He’s always there when we need Him. Everything we ask the Father we ask in His Name, because we belong to Him, and we’re one.

What does being a Christian mean to you? To me, being a Christian means that I’m taking on the heart of Christ, and I am to dedicate my life to God first, and then to my brothers and sisters. I believe that I’ve been chosen to do certain jobs and tasks, but I’m to do them all in the Name of Christ. I understand that I am a representative of Christ, and what I do reflects Him, so I do my best to represent Him well, but I sometimes fall short, as many of us do. That’s okay too, because that’s a part of helping others—never forget that our test become testimonies. I took some time to read the Sermon on the Mount again last night, and I learned so much about what God expects from me as a person. In the story, Jesus was being followed by “multitudes” of people, who had all heard about His powers, and they came to see Him and praise Him for His good works. Jesus saw this as an awesome opportunity to give us some food for the Spirit, something that will change our lives forever. He taught us how to conduct ourselves as children of God, in an otherwise evil world.

The fact is that believers in Christ should love one another. It’s been instilled in our hearts and it’s our duty to act on that love. When we see people in need we help them, in the Name of Jesus. Sometimes the only way we could help is by prayer, but that also works wonders. Some people won’t do for others unless there’s a reward in it for them—I know, because I used to be one of those people. I used to think “I’ll donate this money because I’ll get a tax write-off at the end of the year”. There were also times when I saw someone in need I would calculate how giving what I have would affect me, but I knew that that’s what God wanted me to do. One of my favorite parts of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was when He said: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt. 6:26) The first time I read this a light bulb went off in my head. It reminds me of the first time I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him”. Life is just that simple for believers. When we are serving each other unselfishly, and with a sincere heart, God will make sure that we have everything we’ll ever need.

Love from the living God is a beautiful thing. When His love penetrates your heart, giving freely, having compassion and caring for others comes naturally. We must step outside of ourselves and try to see life through Jesus’ eyes. Love everyone that crosses your path, but shield your heart by recognizing people by their fruit. Bless those who love you, as well as those who hate or use you, because that’s the true meaning of God’s unconditional love.

You are my brothers and sisters and I love you, and only want what’s best for you, so whatever I could do to make your life better, even if it’s just saying a prayer for you, I’m willing. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, I want to start by giving your some valuable information that will change and shape your entire future. Jesus loves you despite anything you’ve done in the past. The wonderful thing about the past is that it is the past, it’s gone and there’s no turning back. Presently, you can go to God and confess the sins of your past, and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, so He could help mold and shape your future. Please take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now! My favorite verses today are: Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 1:3-8)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455546&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about conviction and regret. The word regret is defined: a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc. There are lot’s of people who live with regret, every day of their life, and it’s significantly impacts them. I remember I used to say that I don’t regret anything, because everything that happens in my life is meant to strengthen me, and make me a better person, however, everyone feels some type of regret at some time. We all have goals that we fail to meet, and have made stupid mistakes—that’s a part of life. We sometimes feel remorse or regret when we make mistakes, or stray from the path God laid out for us, because the Holy Spirit convicts us. Convictions are meant to promote repentance, so that we can maintain a level of righteous required to stay in the good graces of the Lord.

The wonderful thing about Jesus Christ is that He came to offer us freedom from sin, and He doesn’t condemn, or write us off, because of mistakes, or even blatant sin. He’s constantly working within us to make us better people in Christ. While on earth, before He was killed, He told His disciples that He would be leaving them. They protested that, because they would’ve experienced great remorse because of losing someone that had grown near and dear to their heart. He explained that this had to be done, for the sake of all mankind. He said: “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:25-27) Jesus died so we wouldn’t have to hold on to regret, and on top of that, God sent the Holy Spirit to help us minimize the things we regret, so embrace that freedom.

Are you holding on to regret right now? I can’t tell you how much that affects your overall life. It’s right up there with unforgiveness—it affects you more in the long run, then the mistake, or person you’re holding a grudge against. Life is too short to live in the past, or to allow a few mistakes to consume you. When we make mistakes, and learn from them, they we worth experiencing; you can call it a lesson learned. However when you make mistakes, or blatantly sin, and don’t learn from them, or refuse to repent, then they will haunt you, until you make things right with God. In most cases the only reason we hold on to regret is because we’ve been convicted, but we failed to confess those sins, and ask for forgiveness.

Another reason we hold on to regret is because we have had some type of disagreement or fallout with a friend or family member, and we hold a grudge, or fail to forgive that person. Jesus said: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17) In life people will hurt you, and you will hurt them, even those who are closest you to—including your parents, spouse, siblings, and children. If we allow these things to follow, and fester within us, without attempting to resolve them, they’ll have a negative impact on our life. Jesus said we should try several times to work things out, but if at the end we can’t, let it go and move on. We’ve done our best. However, if you don’t try to resolve these matters, then you will forever wonder what if, and live with that regret.

To be honest with you, there are a lot of things I’ve regretted in my life, however, I don’t regret them anymore, because I sought God’s reasoning behind them. I asked Him why I had to do these things, or why I still do them, and He always answers. I stay open to the truth, but sometimes the truth hurts (I think that’s another reason why people don’t face their past, and hold on to regrets). In most cases I’m just being convicted, and once I repent, those feelings of emptiness or remorse fades, and my peace if restored. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then you’ll surely live with lots of regret. Take a few moments to get to know Him, start with the God Quiz today. My favorite verse today is: Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. (Psalm 40:12-13)

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