Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Chili Con Carne (a second helping)

I’m a meathead, I can’t live this Christian life under my own power. Yep, I can’t even follow the Golden Rule:


Matthew 7:12
(MSG) Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.


I can’t do it under my power and strength but Jesus can do it in me:

Philippians 4:13
(AMP) I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for everything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

So at the end of the day when I am going over my shortcomings with the Lord one question may come to mind, “Do you forgive those who have despitefully used you or hurt you in anyway?” My answer is yes. I might not love the way people treat me, I might want to run them over with a steam roller, but yes, I can – thru Christ – forgive them. I can replace the bitterness with a real genuine love from my heart.

Luke 10:27
(MSG)
Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.

I love God, there’s no question in my heart about that. And I want others to have the life of forgiveness I have from God. So the best thing I can do for others is to forgive them; to love them as I love myself—I have received the love of God, His forgiveness—so then, I can, and I do pray for my neighbors continually to receive and enjoy that same forgiveness from God I enjoy. I can actually bless those who curse me even after I have cursed them!


References:
Translations are retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/  BibleGateway.com © Copyright 1995-2010 Gospel Communications International

The Message Bible (MSG)—Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995 by Eugene H. Peterson
Amplified Bible (AMP)—Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

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