David Swift

Center yourself on today’s reflection by lighting a candle and reciting this breath prayer:
Inhale – Lift us by awe at the things we see
Exhale – to set our minds on none but thee.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Reflection:
How many times have you asked someone for forgiveness? I know in my life I have made many mistakes; including some over and over and over again. Most of the time forgiveness is quickly given…But, say you do the same thing to the same person without changing your actions, what is that result? I think most of us understand that most people we know would lose patience after a while, leaving little forgiveness left for the most recent transgression. Many relationships are doomed to be broken by this repeating pattern which lacks little to no change.

Imagine now that it wasn’t your boss, partner, child, or parent, but rather God.

As someone who was raised in the church and attended Sunday School, I learned about Jesus, his sacrifice for our sins, and the ultimate forgiveness that God has provided to us by his grace. The only problem with this simple equation is that it is missing a very critical piece; that we are to turn away from that sin.

I have personally battled with the latter part of this message and pridefully sought forgiveness without truly believing that I would turn away from the sin that was consuming me. “Knowing” that God would always forgive, I went about my life doing my own thing and asking for forgiveness when I knew I stepped over the line. By living in this manner, I was failing to see the need for me to change. As I have continued to mature, both in years and my relationship with God, I have focused on making those changes and choosing repentance when I seek forgiveness. While I have not and will not ever achieve perfection, the change in perspective has allowed my relationships to grow and flourish, rather than remain broken.

God sent his son to forgive our sins and through his mercy and grace, we are freed from the weight of our sin. As noted in 2 Peter 3, God is patient and seeks us to come to repentance. Let us make the decision to turn towards God in all that we do.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us to turn towards you and away from the sin that holds us back.  Allow us to fully embrace your grace so that we may go out into the world reflecting your light. We are thankful for your patience and pray that our change in perspective will allow us to continue to mature in our relationship with you. Amen.