Thursday, June 27, 2013

A List Worth Keeping

Scriptures encourage us not to keep a list of wrongs against us by others. This is part of what Jesus meant when He answered Peter to forgive his brother who sinned against him not seven times, but seventy times seven. In Matthew 18:22 Jesus tells the parable of the man in debt that was forgiven the debt, but then wanted to extract much from someone that owed him money. If we stop and think all of us have been forgiven more than we can imagine. All of us. What we need to remember is we are not to hold sin against others, because we were forgiven. Don’t keep that list!

One thing that helps me in times like the one Peter described, and life in general, is the one good list I do try to keep. It is the list that has helped me in my hardest times. It is the list of all I have to be thankful for in life. Everybody’s list is different. I try to remember to read some of it from memory out loud every day. As I say these thank yous out loud to God, my heart is refreshed and my spirit renewed. Now THAT is a good list!

Prayer
Father, King of the universe, I thank You for my life. I thank You for what You provide for me to eat and to wear, and a place to lay my head each night. I thank You for the health I have. I thank You for my family. I thank You for the leaders at church who are willing to try every day. I thank You for those I work with that help me through the day. I thank You for those You bring my way that are not so good to me that You might teach them who You are through being around me. Thank You for being God. In Jesus name. Amen.