Showing posts with label admitting guilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label admitting guilt. Show all posts

Daily Devotional for June 17, 2016

James 5:16
Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Timothy just cracks me up sometimes.  He is the world’s worst to tell on himself!  He will have a little “incident” at our house, and we will work through it and say, “It’s over and done.  Let’s move on.”  He might even ask, “Are you going to tell my mom?”  We will tell him that there is no need for anyone else to know about what happened.  And the first thing Timothy will say when he sees his mother is, “I was bad,” or “I had a problem” or some form of a “confession.”

Oh, bless this child and his innocence!  Someday all too soon, he will probably learn to keep his “faults” to himself.  It’s what we do.  We pretend to the world that everything is wonderful…that we don’t make mistakes…that we don’t have struggles with everything from addictions to relationships to physical ailments and illnesses. In the words of the old Gillette Company antiperspirant commercial, we never let them see us sweat!

We are often far too proud to ask for prayer.  This is such a simple request with incredibly powerful results…but we just cannot bring ourselves to do it – not even to our closest friends and relatives.  We barely admit to God that we require help!  We surely don’t want anyone else to know that we are just like everyone else – weak and SINFUL and in need of corporate intercession.

You don’t have to announce your deepest, darkest secrets to the world.  But find someone you love and trust, and let them in just a little.  Admit to this person that you have an area where you need prayer…and allow them to share in your burden – and your petitions.  You will be amazed at the results - and the blessings - as you share your faith and discipleship with another.

So let’s take a page from a 7-year-old’s book today and “tell on ourselves.”  Let’s let others see us sweat, just a little…in order that we can receive the benefits of their prayers and support.  Let’s pray for others and receive THEIR confessions and prayer requests without passing judgment.  And together, let’s begin to heal by the power of Jesus.  Are you ready?


©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for June 20, 2012

Ephesians 4:26-28
Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry - but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.

My daily calendar quote for yesterday was, “The man who can’t dance thinks the band is no good.” I think this probably describes a good number of people who are not taking ownership for their problems or responsibilities. It’s someone else’s fault… or another person’s problem… but certainly no fault of their own. In a way, this is the same thing as stealing. If we allow others to accept responsibility for our problems… debts… mistakes… or even unhappiness, we are making ends meet at their expense.

So when you “borrow” from your friends – a place to stay, food, clothing, money – with no agreement or plan for restitution… you are stealing from them. If the friends allow this, you are letting them to own your problems instead of taking responsibility for them yourself. When you say or do something you shouldn’t and try to pawn it off on another person – or make excuses – you have pretty much stolen that person’s integrity, as in the case of the man who can’t dance. It’s really not the band’s fault… but he doesn’t want to be honest and admit that he has shortcomings. He would rather allow the band to own the deficiencies.

The daily quote for today was, “When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt!” I think this is timely advice. When you are doing what God has called you to do… acting responsibly – even if it means admitting mistakes and making an effort to correct them… keep going. Don’t stop! Don’t get bogged down by anger, frustration, embarrassment, disappointment, or discouragement. Trust God to help you come out on top!

Pastor Joel Osteen paraphrases Philippians 4:13 in this manner… “It's not how you start that counts, it's how you finish. Shake off the past and keep running toward the prize!” Today is the day to stand up and accept responsibility for where we are in life… to do an honest day’s work in all arenas… and to move forward. There is no time for getting angry about the past… no room for the devil to get any pleasure in this! Let’s push on – with God’s help. Let’s ask God to show us how to quit focusing on the band and improve our “dancing!”

©2012 Debbie Robus