Complacency & Forgiveness

After I went to bed last night, I prayed that my last posting would touch and encourage those mothers who, at times, feel like "Lazy Mazey" to learn from Horton's faithfulness.

Two things came to mind as I was praying - complacency and forgiveness.

Are We Lazy or Complacent?
After my last post, I was thinking that I don't really identify with "Lazy Mazey" in the sense that I wouldn't call myself lazy. In fact I'm quite the opposite. I've got a list of things I want to get done and press on each day to check off as many as I can. I think the bigger issue is complacency. The dictionary defines complacency as "a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements." Myself, I get so caught up in doing or not doing that I forget to examine myself through God's eyes, to rest and just be in God's presence.

I know it's very important to take time each day to surrender and listen to what he wants for my day and my life, but there are some times that it has to be a conscious effort.

There was a time, before my son was born, that it wasn't so conscious. I was completely in love with Jesus and everything I did was out of my love for him. Even when my son was first born, I was completely blown away by God's love for each and everyone of us as individuals. How much love must it take for one to love us so much that he would give up his one and only son. Also, he loves each and every one of us more than we can or will ever love our own children.

Forgiveness
In my last post, I mentioned that God promises to take us up to heaven with him if we only believe that Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose again and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us when we die. During prayer last night, I realized I forgot to mention forgiveness.

Not only does God love us beyond our comprehension and want us believe in him. He wants us to seek him, love him, believe him and ask him to forgive our sins.

When we present our sins to God in prayer, we repent of them, saying God I know that I've been selfish, complacent, prideful, ________, _________, __________. It's when we repent that God's mercy kicks in, covering us in love and peace that surpasses all understanding (Phillipians 4:7). The dictionary definition of mercy is "compassion or forgiveness shown to someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm."

God has the power to punish us, but instead, through mercy, he forgives us our sins and forgets them, casting them "as far as the east is from the west." - Psalm 103:12.

After asking forgiveness, our job, as believers, is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30.

Are you loving Jesus?
Yesterday, our pastor gave a sermon about loving Jesus, that was exactly what I needed to hear. I've felt so brow beaten by Satan's lies and attacks over the last few months, that this one hit me between the eyes. In summary, the point of his message was this - if we love Jesus, everything else will fall in to place. He said we are so busy trying to get everything done or done right, before we love Jesus, that we grow weary and weak. But if we just focus on loving Jesus first, everything else will fall into place. The more we love Jesus the more we become like him. He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us and focus us on the things that God wants us to do in our lives. The Holy Spirit also helps us to pray and praise Jesus, which also deepens our capacity to love Jesus and others. Are you loving Jesus today?

Father, we pray that you would help us to love you completely and thoroughly, with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength. We surrender our lives to you and ask that you guide us by your Holy Spirit to be active in our faith, not only believing in you, but believing you. Help us also to not grow comfortable and complacent, but ever seek your love and guidance following your example of loving and serving others. We thank you for loving us, even when we feel unlovable. Help us to love our children as you do, teaching them your ways and showing them mercy when it doesn't compromise discipline. We love you and praise you! Amen!

God bless you and your family!

Further Reading:
Psalm 103
Philippians 4

Psalm 103:8-14

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust."