· Missed a field goal and lost the Playoffs? Have you missed a field goal in life? I heard a person at work one time say that she is hard on others, because she is hard on herself. It's hard to work for those types of people. I've also had bosses tell me that I cannot make mistakes. That is easier said than done. I try not to make costly mistakes. I was not a journalism major in college, but I took a journalism class. I was a top student for editing articles in that class above their majors, and yet I find I make a number of grammar errors. Writing was a top ability in college and in English composition, and here I was a top student in a journalism class, but I still make writing mistakes. NBA and NFL professional sport players make mistakes too.
Life is like the quote, “To error is human to forgive is divine.” There are times in life I have to forgive God, myself and others. Forgiveness is divine, because I don't usually want to forgive someone when they hurt me and wrong me.
It can be a statement of pride in saying that we have accomplished what we have done in life in our own strength and our own will power. I find that it’s very typical if you have overcome certain things in your life to be critical of others who don’t overcome them. If you lose weight and drop 30 lbs., you can become critical of others who are verweight. If you become single and you learn to put your sexual desires down, you become critical of others who don’t do well with sexual lust. If you have learned to give up smoking and drinking, than you have a hard time understanding others who have not given up smoking and drinking. Those are more self-control issues that people become judgmental of others who don't do well in those areas. If you are a person who is always on time, become critical of others who don't arrive on time. Self- control is mentioned several times in the Bible and we should have self-control, but get rid of the judging attitudes. If you have overcome something, there may have been a time that was a problem in your life, or you have some other problem like pride is your problem.
Jesus warned about being hard on others, he said that judgment would come back on us:
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Mark 7:2
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
There are some things in life we don’t have control over. We don't have control over our parents or what town we were born in. Who were our brothers and sisters. If we were adopted then our parents chose us. Many times we don't have control over the school system we attended. I have two daughters that I put in a Christian school for a season so they had control over their school (their choice). Only it was influenced by wanting a change from a more secular environment. We have choices on friendships and events we attend. I did not have control over two miscarriages of children. I did not have control over working for two companies who downsized and cut staff positions. I did not have control over three family members who died of cancer. Two of them were very fast (my mother and my sister). With my father, I was able to pray for his pancreatic cancer and he was given six months to live and after several surgeries he managed to survive for 1-l/2 years, but I saw him become less than a man as far as going down to skin and bones.
We see the example of Nebuchadnezzar an ancient king of Babylon who determined he became king on his own. The Lord let him fall from his throne or become insane for a season, to show him that his kingship was a gift and it was not on his own accord. There is a scripture about how we become rich:
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today Duet. 8:18
What many do not understand is circumstances in life can lead you to the job or even the country you live in. Not to mention if you lose your health, you can lose an ability to produce income.
God made man and yet he knew man was human (frail) or weak and with free will that man was going to fall. When Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray that they not fall into temptation, he said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38).
It says that Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). In God’s plan he already knew man was going to fall before he created man, and he made plans to redeem man. It’s like a married couple who really want to have children and they know the risks in having children. Those children can grow up and not listen to their parents; they can go astray and do bad things because they have a free will. An adult child can spit in their parents' face.
I like a video of this little boy who I saw on Facebook where he tells his mother, “I like you mommie because you give me cookies, but sometimes I don’t like you.” I laugh when my grandson yells and throws a fit (tantrum) with my daughter, because I can’t help but think that is my behavior with God. I see so much of myself with God when I see children's behavior.
I find in life I fail myself and I can fail others. Many times children focus on what we do wrong as a parent rather than the sacrifices you made to help them in life in providing food, shelter, clothing, vacations, entertainment, etc. I believe it’s “selective memory.” People tend to have selective memories in life and many of those memories are negative that they focus on what you did not do for them rather than what you did do right for many years or what you are doing right now. Widows and single divorced parents tell me their children are down on them after they lose their husband and I believe it's because holidays and vacations are not the same without both parents. Income is not the same for a one-parent single mother.
God has patted me on the back several times and told me “It’s going to be okay" since I lost my husband. It does not feel okay. It does not look okay. It feels like the gates of hell are prevailing against me in life. I know a lot of people don’t understand sudden death and it’s not something that I pray you experience. In fact, I pray that you avoid it.
I don’t meet many people who have the ministry of encouragement. People tend to be rather negative. Barnabus in the Bible had that ministry and his name meant encourager. Have you ever had a friend stand up for you? I had a person at work that stood up for me one time. Barnabas' given name was Joses, or Joseph, but the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" or " Son of Exhortation" (Acts 11:24).
I personally want mercy and grace in life because it says that mercy triumphs over judgment. I refinanced my house and I was excited about that after a long six month battle with banks and I was driving back to work and I got stopped on 10th street for speeding in my car. I prayed for grace and favor with the police officer and he let me go with only a verbal warning. That was my third verbal warning in the last l-l/2 years and not getting any traffic tickets.
I want mercy, favor and grace with God and man. I don’t ever want to get what I deserve in life. Grace is God’s unmerited favor.
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13
Life is like the quote, “To error is human to forgive is divine.” There are times in life I have to forgive God, myself and others. Forgiveness is divine, because I don't usually want to forgive someone when they hurt me and wrong me.
It can be a statement of pride in saying that we have accomplished what we have done in life in our own strength and our own will power. I find that it’s very typical if you have overcome certain things in your life to be critical of others who don’t overcome them. If you lose weight and drop 30 lbs., you can become critical of others who are verweight. If you become single and you learn to put your sexual desires down, you become critical of others who don’t do well with sexual lust. If you have learned to give up smoking and drinking, than you have a hard time understanding others who have not given up smoking and drinking. Those are more self-control issues that people become judgmental of others who don't do well in those areas. If you are a person who is always on time, become critical of others who don't arrive on time. Self- control is mentioned several times in the Bible and we should have self-control, but get rid of the judging attitudes. If you have overcome something, there may have been a time that was a problem in your life, or you have some other problem like pride is your problem.
Jesus warned about being hard on others, he said that judgment would come back on us:
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Mark 7:2
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
There are some things in life we don’t have control over. We don't have control over our parents or what town we were born in. Who were our brothers and sisters. If we were adopted then our parents chose us. Many times we don't have control over the school system we attended. I have two daughters that I put in a Christian school for a season so they had control over their school (their choice). Only it was influenced by wanting a change from a more secular environment. We have choices on friendships and events we attend. I did not have control over two miscarriages of children. I did not have control over working for two companies who downsized and cut staff positions. I did not have control over three family members who died of cancer. Two of them were very fast (my mother and my sister). With my father, I was able to pray for his pancreatic cancer and he was given six months to live and after several surgeries he managed to survive for 1-l/2 years, but I saw him become less than a man as far as going down to skin and bones.
We see the example of Nebuchadnezzar an ancient king of Babylon who determined he became king on his own. The Lord let him fall from his throne or become insane for a season, to show him that his kingship was a gift and it was not on his own accord. There is a scripture about how we become rich:
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today Duet. 8:18
What many do not understand is circumstances in life can lead you to the job or even the country you live in. Not to mention if you lose your health, you can lose an ability to produce income.
God made man and yet he knew man was human (frail) or weak and with free will that man was going to fall. When Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray that they not fall into temptation, he said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38).
It says that Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). In God’s plan he already knew man was going to fall before he created man, and he made plans to redeem man. It’s like a married couple who really want to have children and they know the risks in having children. Those children can grow up and not listen to their parents; they can go astray and do bad things because they have a free will. An adult child can spit in their parents' face.
I like a video of this little boy who I saw on Facebook where he tells his mother, “I like you mommie because you give me cookies, but sometimes I don’t like you.” I laugh when my grandson yells and throws a fit (tantrum) with my daughter, because I can’t help but think that is my behavior with God. I see so much of myself with God when I see children's behavior.
I find in life I fail myself and I can fail others. Many times children focus on what we do wrong as a parent rather than the sacrifices you made to help them in life in providing food, shelter, clothing, vacations, entertainment, etc. I believe it’s “selective memory.” People tend to have selective memories in life and many of those memories are negative that they focus on what you did not do for them rather than what you did do right for many years or what you are doing right now. Widows and single divorced parents tell me their children are down on them after they lose their husband and I believe it's because holidays and vacations are not the same without both parents. Income is not the same for a one-parent single mother.
God has patted me on the back several times and told me “It’s going to be okay" since I lost my husband. It does not feel okay. It does not look okay. It feels like the gates of hell are prevailing against me in life. I know a lot of people don’t understand sudden death and it’s not something that I pray you experience. In fact, I pray that you avoid it.
I don’t meet many people who have the ministry of encouragement. People tend to be rather negative. Barnabus in the Bible had that ministry and his name meant encourager. Have you ever had a friend stand up for you? I had a person at work that stood up for me one time. Barnabas' given name was Joses, or Joseph, but the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" or " Son of Exhortation" (Acts 11:24).
I personally want mercy and grace in life because it says that mercy triumphs over judgment. I refinanced my house and I was excited about that after a long six month battle with banks and I was driving back to work and I got stopped on 10th street for speeding in my car. I prayed for grace and favor with the police officer and he let me go with only a verbal warning. That was my third verbal warning in the last l-l/2 years and not getting any traffic tickets.
I want mercy, favor and grace with God and man. I don’t ever want to get what I deserve in life. Grace is God’s unmerited favor.
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13
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