“Our readiness to forgive will draw others to ourselves in that we will be known as a safe place to fail.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus (2003-09-04) from his book, Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul (Kindle Location 1741). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

What a great thing to be, a safe place to fail. I have within me the perfectionism of a melancholic. That is where God has been working on me all of my life in my relationships. The success of dealing with it started with me failing and needed His forgiveness. I think it has helped to make me a safe place to fail.

Are you hard on people? Are you quick to be hurt by them and then holding a grudge, never forgiving them? Then you are a very lonely person. Then you are not a safe person to be around because none of us are perfect, we all fail.

Have you ever been forgiven? How did it make you feel toward the person who forgave you? I mean you hurt them and they forgave you. For one it freed them from the act of you hurting them. They were free of the pain and the possible bitterness that they could have had, that they had a right to have but they gave that up by their forgiving you. That freed them from your act and made them a safe place for you and others to fail. So that made you feel safe with them.

Have you ever forgiven someone who hurt you? How did that make you feel even if they didn’t handle it well? Some people have such pride so they won’t acknowledge that they did anything wrong. They are not a safe person to be around. But you are because you weren’t tied to their action or their response. You freed them to be who they were. The truth is because they didn’t acknowledge their actions then they are probably a miserable person to be around. And you probably will be hurt by them again. As I said they are not safe to be around. But you are because you forgave them.

Listen, none of us are perfect. Jesus was and He was killed but He also said when He was dying on the cross, “Father forgiven them for they know not what they did.” He is a safe person to be around because He has forgiven us of the sins that we have done that helped to kill Him. Just acknowledge your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you and He will. You then will be ready to forgive others because you are forgiven and you will then be known as a safe place to fail.

So are you a safe place to fail?

Comments

"Jesus comes in the midst of the torrent."

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, You Are Never Alone (p. 60). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) We all have storms in our lives, don't we? Max says, "No one gets through life scot-free. At one point or another the sky will darken, the winds will rage, and we will find ourselves in a modern-day version of the Galilean gusher." John 6:16–18 (NIV) says, "When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough." Max goes on, "The hearts of the followers began to sink as their boat was certain to do. Their skin was soaked, throats hoarse, eyes wide. They searched the sky for a break in the clouds. They gripped the boat for fear of the waves. They screamed their prayers for help. But they heard nothing. "If only Jesu

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because God is good He will use e

“What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Rick posed this question at the end of his chapter, You Are Not an Accident. In this chapter he deals with the fact that God created you the way you are with a purpose. In other words you are not an accident. I am also reading the Apostle John’s view of Jesus and what He said and did while He was here on earth. In the beginning of Chapter 9 there is a story about a blind man. And the disciples who were with Him asked Him a good question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? ” Have you ever asked the same thing about something in you that you don’t like? Like that characteristic is a curse or something. Society has set a standard that is not a standard of God. Remember, He created you and you are not an accident. Jesus did answer the question about the blind

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog