For: GIVING. It’s so obvious, but it didn’t click until it was unpacked during Bethel’s Deeper Life course. The teacher explained that forgiveness is ultimately for Giving, not a means to an end that primarily benefits me.

I remembered this as I caught myself formulating a ‘holier than thou’ response to slap a friend with when she’d rubbed me the wrong way. I was annoyed at not having been careful in the crafting of my reply, not because of it’s effect on her, but because of how it made me look. Yuck! Funny how we see what we’re made of when it’s harder to love.

I’ve been asking God to keep me on a short leash and to give it a tug (rhymes with ‘hug’ for a reason… :)) when I’m getting off the straight and narrow. He’s sure been quick to answer that one! Father, please answer this one even quicker: “Create in me a pure heart, O God” (Psalms 51:10).

Pride is the utter poverty of soul disguised as riches,
imaginary light where in fact there is darkness. ~ John Climacus