Victory247

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”  Philipians 2:5 (NIV)

I was challenged one time to make a “hate list”. List all the people I don’t like and pray to God to move in my heart. I did it, and after several days I started to look at those people with some compassion. Somehow I found my heart in a forgiving mode (and thinking about massive amount that He has forgiven me makes it a whole lot easier).

Not only did it help my relationships, it also gave me a feeling of peace and freedom. I was actually a little surprised that God moved through my prayers. However, I noticed that the hardest people to forgive were those who I knew didn’t like me.

When I read today’s verse, I thought about that challenge and how Jesus forgave all those people who hated Him, lied about Him, made fun of Him, gossiped about Him, and even beat Him. To have ‘the same attitude of Christ’ would have to be an act of God.

This “hate list” thing can give God a chance to become real to us because there is no way to conjure up this type of forgiveness on our own.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, remind me to allow You to move in my heart with forgiving others. Thank You for the personal growth, inner-peace and freedom that will follow. I can’t do this, You have to. In Jesus Name. Amen.