Retrospect and Remorse
Everyone make mistakes. But there’s a difference between making a mistake and living an irresponsible life. We’re accountable for the lives we live and one day each one of us will give an account of our life to God.
Everyone make mistakes. But there’s a difference between making a mistake and living an irresponsible life. We’re accountable for the lives we live and one day each one of us will give an account of our life to God.
Through this story of the rescue of two trapped whales, Chuck points out how eager we are to help in these situations, but how slow we are to set one another free from our own lists, inhibitions, restrictions, and expectations.
Allowing grace to flow freely means we let others be. You look different? We let you look different. You don’t dress like others? That’s fine, dress like you want to. That’s what grace is all about. Here are some traps we can fall into if we’re not careful.
Comparison can be lethal. What others drive, or wear, or how others look is no one’s business but theirs. Living in harmony means letting others be—and cutting each other some slack.
It’s so easy to focus on the non-essentials. We can become so preoccupied with the details we completely miss the big picture. Relationships become fractured when we only focus on the small stuff.
Because of the weak believer’s human tendency to judge those who don’t embrace his or her customs and convictions and also because of the strong believer’s decision to discount judgments passed by those who find fault in his or her expressions of freedom, conflict emerges and persists. The solution? Put grace into action.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll wraps up this series on grace by concluding that, while God loves unity, he doesn’t demand uniformity. Understand how you can extend grace to others even amid differences.
Though a twin, he was quite the opposite of his younger brother and ultimately became the heartache of the family. Ripped off by his brother and rejected by his family, he couldn’t win, no matter how hard he tried. As we shall soon discover, the Bible pulls no punches. And you may find several places in this story where you can identify with Esau, “the son who couldn’t win.”
A joyful disposition comes from God. When He’s in your life you have a deep sense of happiness.
We all need encouragement. Many people are worn down by worry and anxiety and those who seem like they have it all together are often the ones who need encouragement the most.