02 July 2023
Two-Minute Features | 09 July 2023

The Importance of Forgiveness, Part 2 (TMF:2130)

Friday, July 07, 2023
Peace to Live By: The Importance of Forgiveness, Part 2 (TMF:2130) - Daniel Litton
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       We can hold a grudge; for sure we can do that. What does that look like for us? When we hold a grudge, the problem continues to swirl around in our minds, day after day, week after week, month after month. This leads to year after year in some cases. The problem isn’t resolved. It’s a wound that won’t heal. We look down at our arm, and it’s always there. The thing won’t heal up, and it’s bothering us from time to time. It gets really annoying. What we find, over time, is that it simply isn’t worth it. It’s not worth harboring all the animosity in our minds even if we really were wronged. We should examine ourselves to try to see what is really true because sometimes we did wrong too. Nevertheless, it’s like Paul told the Corinthians, that it would be better to just be wronged than to take wrath out against a person, or probably more prevalent, to continue to take wrath out against them in our minds. If we take a close look at others around us, we will notice that some have decided to forgive certain offenses, and it has worked tremendously well for them.

The Importance of Forgiveness, Part 1 (TMF:2129)

Thursday, July 06, 2023
Peace to Live By: The Importance of Forgiveness, Part 1 (TMF:2129) - Daniel Litton
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       If we have been a Christian for any short length of time we should know the importance of forgiveness. Why, the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven us all our sins, so shouldn’t we freely forgive others the wrongs they do against us? Sounds good, doesn’t it? It certainly sounds easy. But is it easy? I think sometimes it is. However, we all know that there are some instances when someone has offended us greatly, and all our minds want to do are send signals to the mouth to speak negatively against the person, to tell others the great wrong that was done against us, and how we are a poor, innocent victim. And sometimes, in fact, we are a poor, innocent victim. Sometimes we aren’t. This is besides the point, however. Jesus wants us to forgive all people all their offenses, even the big ones, as tuff of a pill as that may be swallow. We can hold a grudge; for sure we can do that. What does that look like for us? When we hold a grudge, the problem continues to swirl around in our minds, day after day, week after week, month after month.

Speaking Negatively About Things (TMF:2128)

Wednesday, July 05, 2023
Peace to Live By: Speaking Negatively About Things (TMF:2128) - Daniel Litton
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       Hopefully we’re not that person who continues to speak negatively about this and that, whatever it might be. Some people I notice seem to speak negatively about everything, no matter what the subject matter is. When we have a conflict, a disagreement, or whatever it is, with a brother or a sister, there is only one way for it really to end, one way that is pleasing to God. And you know what that one way is. You guessed it. It’s going to have to end in a peaceful resolution. That’s the only way both parties at the end of the day are going to end up happy. It’s the only way that really works for us. Staying continually in disagreement with someone, holding a grudge, or making the person pay for the wrong they did isn’t going to give us freedom. Usually, it ends up hurting us more than it does the other person. Judging our fellow brother or sister for a wrong done, and refusing even to forgive, only keeps the problem alive. It only makes it so that situation is still outstanding; it hasn’t been resolved.

Lowering to the Humble Spirit, Part 2 (TMF:2127)

Tuesday, July 04, 2023
Peace to Live By: Lowering to the Humble Spirit, Part 2 (TMF:2127) - Daniel Litton
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       It is only when we are honest with ourselves that forward progress can be made. It is only then that God says, he himself says, he will exalt us. And why is this? Following God’s ways naturally exalts us because they are the correct ways, the most fruit ways. We will naturally become successful at whatever change we are making because we are becoming pleasing to God. James is now changing directions here a little bit: “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12, ESV). The first thing that comes to my mind when I read this passage is encouragement. We all need encouragement. That last thing we need is someone, especially a follow believer in Jesus, trying to discourage us by speaking negatively. Yes, negative speaking can be a serious problem for some.

Lowering to the Humble Spirit, Part 1 (TMF:2126)

Monday, July 03, 2023
Peace to Live By: Lowering to the Humble Spirit, Part 1 (TMF:2126) - Daniel Litton
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       Next James tells us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (4:10, ESV). Yes, this is what has to take place—lowering oneself to that humble spirit—if we are going to change from moving in the wrong direction to moving in the right direction. What does it mean to humble ourselves? We could say that to make ourselves humble means to quiet our rebellion, to become respectful of God, to stop being bold in our own ways, to unfriend the world around us—the world’s ways. It is only in this way that we can truly become the person that God wants us to be. Humility has to occur if we want to receive the words God has to say to us. It is only when we are honest with ourselves that forward progress can be made. It is only then that God says, he himself says, he will exalt us. And why is this? Following God’s ways naturally exalts us because they are the correct ways, the most fruit ways.