Isn’t it amazing that Jesus Christ came into this world to die for our sins? But it seems that in our society today the word “sin” has disappeared from our vocabulary, hasn’t it? Nobody knows what sin is. We think it’s a bad word. People have got enough trouble without making them sinful on top of it! But being aware of our sins is one of the most important lessons we can learn if we want to experience peace. And that’s actually pretty good news, because sin is easily dealt with.
Constructive Speech
How would you describe the way you talk? Are your words positive, constructive, comforting, supportive, and uplifting? Or are the words that come out of your mouth most often cutting, negative, and hurtful?
Freedom from Others
Does your serenity, peace of mind, and joy depend upon a choice another person makes?
Think of your favorite person. They have good points and faults. You don’t have problems with their strengths, but when they won’t do something that’s important to you, you have a choice to make. One of your options is to resent them, become bitter, and/or dwell on the fact that there’s some little thing this person isn’t doing that you want them to do, and it can ruin your relationship.
[Read more…]Choose to Forgive
Have you suffered emotionally and perhaps physically at the hands of others?
Have emotions such as anger, resentment, hate, hostility, bitterness and revenge entered your heart and mind? Have you become filled with an unforgiving spirit?
Marriage Partnership
Are you and your spouse not getting along?
The foundation upon which you build your marriage relationship is a mutually agreeable and mutually binding plan. That’s what makes marriage successful. It’s not a “tingle”; it’s a lifetime commitment. It’s not competition; it’s cooperation.
[Read more…]Building Your Self-Respect
If your goal is to maintain good physical health, you pay attention to some important details:
- Diet
- Sleep
- Exercise
You need knowledge about these areas so you provide time and expend energy to inform yourself of what is involved. Your interest is to act according to your knowledge.
Confront Your Problem
Anger receives a great deal of attention in mental health clinics and counseling centers all over the country. So do guilt feelings. A mother feels guilty because she screams at her children. A young man feels guilty because he no longer adheres to the behavioral standards by which he was reared. Another youth has been involved very intimately with a girl and feels guilty but cannot seem to help himself.
[Read more…]Peace Through Repentance
Are you angry or frustrated because of other people’s behavior, trying to act the way you think a “Christian” should act, hiding your true feelings, agonizing on the inside?
Maybe you’re spending hours talking your problem out with a professional or a trusted friend. They listen, and you feel better because you have talked things through, but you don’t really experience lasting peace. The professional or your friend may be telling you that you just need to readjust your environment to find peace. That may be true, but it’s also true that you need to deal with what is inside of you. What are you holding on to?
The victory message of the Church today is found in the Bible: Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for your sins and to enable you to walk in the Spirit. The question is: How can you free yourself from sin?
Freeing yourself from sin involves repentance, and repentance can be broken down into five practical steps.
The first step is to admit and say to God, “I’m wrong.” King David knew he was wrong when he committed adultery. But until that reality moved from his head to his heart, he didn’t want to repent. Human nature hasn’t changed. Before you can move to the next step, you need to admit your sin to God.
Step two is saying to God, “I’m sorry.” However, it’s important to remember that you aren’t simply telling God you’re sorry in order to make yourself feel better. It’s saying, “I’m sorry God,” and really meaning it. According to 2 Corinthians 7:9-13, “The world’s sorrow brings death, but a Godly sorrow brings life.”
Step three follows: “God, forgive me.” Not, “God forgive me because I feel guilty, and I don’t like that feeling.” That’s not repentance; that’s just wanting to feel better. You need to say from your heart, “God, forgive me for the wrong that I’ve done.”
And you’ll know God’s forgiveness has come when you are able to go on to the fourth step and can say in all sincerity, “God, cleanse me. I’m not just wanting relief from my sin. I want a change of life. I want you to restore fellowship with me as though I’ve done nothing wrong.” Isn’t that what you really want with your Heavenly Father?
That will lead you into step five, where you admit you can’t walk in the Spirit in your own flesh, and you say “God, I don’t have it in and of myself to be a loving individual in this relationship. I’m at the end of my rope, so please empower me.”
Being empowered is asking God to fill you full of His Spirit where you’ll experience a peace that passes all understanding, and the kind of joy that is humanly impossible to attain. God wants to give you the ability to live a Spirit-filled life in the midst of your difficult situations. Are you willing to allow Him to bring you peace?
Take a step . . .
Memorize Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
[This summary is from Dr Brandt’s message The Heart of the Problem.]Share your thoughts about this article to download free resources: Send Comment
The Source of True Peace
Are you experiencing peace in your life? If so, what is the source of your peace?
We often work hard to attain things in this world–money, education, homes, vehicles, and the list goes on. Then once attained, we often ask ourselves, “Is this all there is?
[Read more…]The High Cost of Regressive Behavior
People will resort to all kinds of methods to accomplish their own way. One means of getting your own way is regression. To regress is simply to revert to childish ways of reacting to unpleasant situations.
[Read more…]
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