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Grudges are things that often cause great rifts between family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Also, it can tremendously hinder God's work in the church - if there is miscommunication or any type of ill feelings between leaders, church goers / members, teachers, and / or fellow peers. God never said we would be perfect, however, he does want us to humble ourselves and become willing to recognize and correct the wrongs we have done to others in our lives. This devotional is definitely one that all of us need - from the youngest to the oldest, from the newest christian to the most spiritually mature. I must admit, I have done my own evaluation and still have a road ahead of me. Does that mean my devotion to God is any less? No, however, it does mean that I need to allow God to continously work on me and that I must be pro-active in working to make amends. God is a forgiving Father and he wants us to forgive and admit when we have made a mistake. It doesn't mean it's the end of the world, nor does it mean we are bad people. It just means we have work to do and as long as we stay focussed on our Heavenly Father, we can get through it. Sure, it may sting a little and for some it may be the hardest thing to do, but remembering to allow God to have the reigns will help you push forward and in the end, it will only draw you that much closer to God. In the past, I found myself dealing with some very hard issues and difficult feelings because of some things that had been said/ done by those I trusted and thought very highly of. I was so angry and hurt that it really hindered my relationship with that church and unfortunately with my own relationship with God. I struggled for many years to get past the hurt and broken trust. I lost touch with good friends and in the end, cheated myself of some wonderful years I could have been fulfilling God's calling in my life. I allowed myself to get so wrapped up in my emotions that I lost sight of the thing that matters most - my relationship with God. I allowed Satan to rob me of joy. Then a day came when I finally faced my own convictions and got "real" with God. I surrendered my prideful ways and finally quit running from God. That was a decision that I am proud of to this day and although I know there is so much I have left to do, I have now come to the place where I am at peace and know God's purpose in my life. I know what I need to do - how about you? May you find meaning for your life in today's devotion. May God bless and be with you, always. Missy
Twelve Steps for Christian Living
Part 8 Steps 1-7 can be found at http://www.cfdevotionals.org/links/authdave.htm Step 8 - Make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all. Matthew 4:3-5 (NLT) And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. In Step 7, we looked inward at ourselves and asked God to humbly remove our shortcomings. In Step 8, we are going to look outward at those we have harmed and become willing to make amends. Again this is a step of preparation. We become willing to love others as ourselves. Step Eight is a preparatory step, much like Step 4. We need to be able to take a close, hard and honest look at our actions and ourselves. This needs to be done without the great denial part of us telling ourselves that we are perfect and everyone else is at fault. We need to avoid self-justification of our actions. We need to stop saying "Lord, why is everyone against me? Why can't people see things my way? Why can't people be like me?" Instead, we need to say "Lord, help me see how my sinful nature has harmed others, and Lord, make me willing and humble enough to make amends to them all." This is a step that looks at our personal relationships with others and how those damaged relationships prevent us from having a closer relationship with God. Our God is a God that loves relationships. He loves relationships with us and us have good solid relationship with others. Broken relationships usually harbor pain, guilt, resentment and other relationship blocking emotions inside us. These emotions as pains must be cleaned out of our dark moldy basements of our past. So, how do I start with Step 8? Just as with Step 4, a written list of all those people you have harmed is the best way to start. Ask yourself: Who have I harmed? How did I harm them? What was the result of my action toward them? Do you see a pattern of behavior that is damaging to those around you? Make your list and pray, Lord, make me willing to be forgiving of myself, my actions and able to attempt to make amends. Mark 11:22 (NLT) But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. 1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. For me, I do not believe Step Eight can be done without a mentor, sponsor or trusted Christian friend looking over your list, to give you an unbiased opinion of it. This is essential before moving on to Step 9. In addition, we must be very healthy spiritually to do Step 8. These 12 Steps are a lifelong process. Step 8 comes down the road of maturity gained from Steps 1-7. There is absolutely no need to rush through this process. Walk slowly, tread lightly, honoring God along the way. Then He, in turn, will honor your actions. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Point to Ponder: "Sin always blocks our vision of God, so if we want to see God, we must remove it from our lives. Holiness is coupled with peace”staying out of quarrels. A right relationship with God leads to right relationships with fellow believers. Although we will not always feel love toward all believers, we must pursue peace as we become more Christlike. Pursue peace by making things right with someone you've wronged." (Life Application Bible)
Lord, may we be instruments of peace, within our families, our church, our community, our nation, and our world, until true peace comes with the coming of Your Son. Lord create in us a spirit that makes us willing to make amends to others that we have harmed. In His name, amen. [Source: EDevotions, Author: David Massey http://www.cfdevotionals.org/pages/testdave.htm, 2002-11-16 - Twelve Steps for Christian Living, www.cfdevotionals.org]
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