Forgiven

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” -James 4:3-12

This past year has been very difficult, painful, and stressful. But instead of getting upset, I keep praising, thanking, and loving Him. Each lesson I face I am even more humbled by His powers, because each time I realize how much I need Him.I need His strength to face everyday life.

I need His love to fill my empty heart.

My heart that loves the things of this world that mean nothing. My heart that is greedy. My heart that is jealous. My heart that would be full of hate without His gracious love. My heart thirsts for His unconditional and overwhelming love.

I need His sight to see the beauty of this harsh world.

I need His presence to bring me to my knees to show me the wickedness I committed in this world.

I need His glory to erase my sins so that I may grow into His image.

I need His hands to lead me.

I need His arms to carry me.

I need Him. You need Him. We all need Him.

Let us not be filled of hate, jealousy, and wickedness. Let our lives be filled with joy, love, and passion to know God.

We are blind without Him.

We are dead without Him.

We are wicked without Him.

We are dark souls without Him.

We are lifeless without Him.

We are nothing without Him.

We need to learn what forgiveness is. We say that we forgive one another…yet our hearts are filled with hate because we have not actually forgiven one another. To forgive means to stop feeling anger towards someone who did you wrong and to stop blaming them, but to love them. And let’s be honest, most of us can hold anger towards someone for a long time…Even though we say that we “forgive” them. To actually forgive, we need to understand that NO sin is judged differently from one another. So that means that selfishness is no different from envy. And envy is no different from lust. We have made certain sins ok in this world when in reality they are not. All sins are sins in God’s eyes. So who are we to judge each others sins when we all sin the same to God. Stop judging. Stop hating. Start forgiving. And start loving.