Only two things trip\nme in my Christian walk\u2014really, being totally honest here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve been walking with\nthe Lord for a long time, and I don’t want to brag, but only two things trip me:\npeople and circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know what I\u2019m\ntalkin\u2019 about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you noticed\nthat people usually cause the circumstances?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My sole desire is to\nobey the Lord and please him in everything. And then I cross paths with someone\ndetermined to mess up my day, leaving me to choose how to deal with my anger\nand hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God gave us a plan\nfor overcoming hurt. He called it forgiveness<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know a lot about forgiveness.\nWhen I was growing up, my family hardly ever missed church on Sunday. I heard much\nteaching and preaching about forgiveness. Later I began teaching a Sunday School\nclass, telling others what I knew about forgiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I started\nwriting for the local newspaper, a large audience read my weekly column, often\nfilled with wise words about forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know Jesus said the\nFather will forgive us if we forgive others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve read about that\nconversation between Peter and Jesus. The disciple asked, \u201cLord, how many times\nshall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?\u201d He\nsurely thought that was pretty generous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus wiped that\nsatisfied smile right off Peter\u2019s face. He said, \u201cUntil seventy times seven\u201d\n(Matthew 18:22 KJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That indicates forgiveness is to be unlimited.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thinking about this\none day while nursing an old emotional wound, I couldn\u2019t name one person I\u2019d ever\ntruly forgiven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huge clue:\nremembering the offense still caused pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God began bringing\nto memory a lifetime of offenses, large and small. Many of the people who had wounded\nme were out of sight and out of mind. Occasionally a hurtful incident long\nburied would resurface when the offender passed through my life again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still harbored\nbitterness toward a few people who were already in Heaven!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then I read this,\nfrom the pen of Apostle Paul, who experienced immeasurable pain from\nrelationships: \u201cSo I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man\u201d\n(Acts 24:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means, to keep a\nclean slate with the Lord, I must go to him confessing my wrong thoughts and bad\nbehavior. I hate it every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God gave us plenty of instruction to help us please him in daily relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026take captive every\nthought to make it obedient of Christ\u201d (2 Corinthians 10:5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbove all things have intense and unfailing love for one\nanother for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the\noffenses of others]\u201d (1 Peter 4:8 Amplified).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs\u201d\n(Proverbs 10:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up\nanger\u201d (Proverbs 15:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,\nbut only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs\u2026Get\nrid of all bitterness, rage and anger\u2026Be kind and compassionate to one another,\nforgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you\u201d (see Ephesians 4:24-32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children\nand live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as\na fragrant offering and sacrifice to God\u201d (Ephesians 5:1-2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSubmit to one another out of reverence for Christ\u201d (Ephesians 5:21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026If anyone desires to be my disciple, let him deny himself (disregard, lose sight of and forget himself and his own interests) and take up his cross and follow me (cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also)\u201d (Matthew 16:24 Amplified).<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aren\u2019t these\ninstructions basic criteria for Christ-followers? Wouldn\u2019t they work for all\nrelationships?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I need not allow\npeople and circumstances to trip me in my walk with the Lord. He\u2019s provided a better\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making this my daily\nprayer is a good beginning. \u201cShow me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;\nguide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is\nin you all day long\u201d (Psalm 25:4-5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please tell me how\nthe Lord has intervened and changed a difficult relationship. And I\u2019d\nappreciate your sharing this with your friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 Dianne Barker 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Scriptures from NIV\nunless noted.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Only two things trip me in my Christian walk\u2014really, being totally honest here. I’ve been walking with the Lord for a long time, and I don’t want to brag, but only two things trip me: people and circumstances. You know what I\u2019m talkin\u2019 about. Have you noticed that people usually cause the circumstances? My sole […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,165,278,279,277],"class_list":["post-857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-dianne-barker","tag-forgiveness","tag-pleasing-god","tag-relationships","tag-two-things-that-trip-me-in-my-christian-walk"],"yoast_head":"\n