As you are getting ready to tackle live's demands, your dearest brother in Christ says the wrong thing at the wrong time and quickly you forget love ever existed in your heart and sudden anger rises inside. A nice response seems to be impossible and before you notice a rude and heart-cutting answer slips out of your mouth topped with an ugly look on yours eyes. You leave the room knowing what you should do but a long conversation with yourself talks yourself into not making mention of this incident and leave it as it is.
Oh how this grieves the Holy Spirit!
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), is a call to humility with many many "I'm sorry(s)" along the way. The strength of humility is in recognizing when we have sinned and quickly run to the Mercy Seat of Christ and the grace we can find in our brother. We are then freed to worship in spirit and in truth and become watchful again to our ability to hurt and sin. Grace empowers us to live above reproach-not perfect. But humble, loving, honest, vulnerable, free and yoked to the meekness of Christ.
Jesus is the glory of the Father and it is our glory to become One with Jesus in His character!
Father, I thank you for your character fleshed out in Your dear Son Jesus. Thank you for this high calling to becomes His Bride, equally yoked. Thank you for your patience in this process of sanctification and for Your very own Spirit who convicts us and helps us. I pray for my myself and brothers and sisters. I pray for your grace to walk the sermon on the mount with confidence even when we fail. Help us love as you love. Bind us together. Amen!