Matthew 18:21-22 NIV, “21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
God’s forgiveness towards us is unlimited. He keeps extending His love, grace and mercy to us. Therefore, He commands us to treat others the same. Of course it is not always easy to forgive, but when we make a decision to forgive, God will help us to do it.
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We often feel someone has gotten away with doing us harm, and we want to avenge ourselves. However, God knows all and sees all, and vengeance belongs to Him only (Romans 12:19). Even though we may not think about it often, there are people we may have mistreated (knowingly or unknowingly) who had to forgive us and some may still be struggling to do so.
We can pray and ask God to work in our hearts and the hearts of others, so that we can all keep learning to walk in forgiveness, even when it is hard. Forgiveness can bring hope to any situation.
Matthew 26:74-75 NKJV, ”74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.“
It is easy to read these verses and think, “How could Peter deny Jesus, the Son of God?” But before I judged Peter, I had to stop and ask myself, “What ways have I denied Jesus?”
I’ve discovered that in my own life there have been times where I was just as guilty as Peter. Denying Jesus can come in various forms, such as moments where we choose not to stand up for His truth or we choose to do our own will instead of His. We have to ask God to help us daily not to fall prey to the ways of the world.
The world is constantly encouraging us to deny Jesus and His truth. But as Jesus reminds us in John 14:6, “I am the way and the Truth and the life.” May we be diligent in our mission to boldly share the truth of Jesus with others, not only with our words but through our actions.
Psalm 9:10 NIV, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
We can keep putting our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ because He will never let us down. His faithfulness will never end. Each day we can continue to seek Him and He will be faithful to reveal Himself to us, teach us, and guide us. The name of the Lord is our strong tower, in Him we are safe (Proverbs18:10). Don’t give up, keep seeking the Lord Jesus Christ.
Everyday we are faced with choices. We choose what to eat, what to think, what to say, what to wear, the list can go on. Then at times, there are even bigger choices, like where should I live or work? When should I retire? Choices that seem like no big deal to some people can be life changing for others. But no matter how small or how big, the choices we make will have some type of impact.
Photo by: Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas of Spain 🇪🇸
We as Christians must remember that our choices must be guided by the truth of God’s Word. We need godly wisdom so that we make choices that will glorify Jesus. It can be tempting to do what’s easy or most comfortable, but we have to keep choosing Jesus in all we say and do. He will empower us. When we are unsure or feel confused, He is only a prayer away. He will show us the way if we ask; then we must obey His instructions.
1 John 4:18 NIV, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
Fear is sometimes a natural response when we feel something is beyond our control. Our minds can run wild imagining the worst possible outcomes. In those moments or days where we experience fear, learning to make prayer our first response can be difficult, but it is necessary. Prayer allows us to cast our fears and worries upon God, and receive His help. It gives God the opportunity to give us guidance and open our eyes to see things from His perspective. Through prayer, He will intervene on our behalf. Knowing that God loves us perfectly will bring peace to our hearts and calm our fears, even in life’s toughest situations. When our hope is Him, we can overcome our fears.
1 John 3:18 NLT, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending a webinar and heard Anne Beiler speak, the founder of Auntie Anne’s, the world’s largest pretzel franchise. As she candidly shared about her faith in Jesus Christ, and how He helped her to grow personally and professionally, I was inspired. She said she always felt so small and insignificant as a person, and had to learn to believe that she is who God says she is.
I have enjoyed Auntie Anne’s pretzels numerous times in the past while at the shopping mall. Most recently while my daughter was visiting from Spain this summer, we had some of these delicious pretzels; however, I had never heard the story behind it all. She brought much hope to those of us who want to lead like Jesus in our daily lives.
Photo by: Eva Elijas Of Estonia 🇪🇪
Some points she made about leadership are below:
Lead by example:
We often hear this, but to actually do it takes perseverance because we sometimes have to go against the grain, and choose the ways of Jesus over the ways of friends, family, or others we are around. (Matthew 19:29)
Invest in others and respect them:
We live in a world where we are encouraged to selfishly put our own needs before the needs of others. But Jesus says to think of others first and love them. Kindness and compassion are needed in our world. (Philippians 2:3-4)
Do not engage in negativity:
This is a reminder to avoid godless chatter and useless arguments. In the world of social media, it’s easy to get caught up in negativity. We must even guard against negativity in our personal lives and in the workplace. It’s not necessary to respond to every negative thing that comes our way. (2 Timothy 2:16)
Trying to be perfect is impossible:
Excellence is possible, but perfection is not. Represent Jesus by striving for excellence, which simply means doing things to the best of your ability. He is our strength. (1 Peter 2:9)
Do not compromise truth:
Be who you are in Jesus Christ, and set a good example of His love to those around you. Make wise choices and act in a way that reflects His glory. Stand for the truth in God’s Word. (John 17:17)
Exodus 19:12 NLT, “Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death.”
Just like He did with the Israelites in this verse, God also sets boundaries in our lives. He knows that certain actions, situations, or people will lead us down the path of destruction. We have to trust God, and believe that He only wants what is best for us. He is all wise and all knowing, and we can not let our own desires, curiosity, or impatience cause us to disobey the Lord.
Photo by: Joël Super of Switzerland 🇨🇭
Something may seem right from our view, but God knows it is not right for us; He can see the big picture, so we must trust His wisdom. Godly well balanced boundaries are good, pray and ask God to help you create and maintain healthy boundaries in your life.
Drawing Closer to Christ 