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The Benefits of Forgiveness in a World of Grudges

Why forgive? What’s in it for me? These are questions that I’ll be dissecting in this blog through a spiritual and mental health lens. The questions spring up from a common mentality within humans from all backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity, upbringing, or any other classifying factor. So, continue reading to learn of the benefits of forgiveness and if one should forgive others.

A World of Grudges?

Yes, our world is mainly a world of grudges. Our world is not in its prime state and people often struggle with forgiving those who do wrong. We often find ourselves saying things like “Don’t get mad, get even,” or “I’ll show you a piece of me.” And sadly, this is what the world considers as “natural,” or “normal.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Bible drives home the fact that many in this world are blind. And the Bible says that the “god of this world” has blinded them.

This title is just another label for the devil, a being whose wickedness and bitterness blinds the hearts of those who have not yet witnessed the love of Christ.

However, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who made this world and designed your very DNA, is the one who loves you.

John 3:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

He came down in the flesh as Lord Jesus Christ and was led to crucifixion by jealous, hypocritical religious leaders who hated Lord Jesus for healing the sick, loving the scum of the earth, and saving the damned.

Furthermore, your hell met Jesus Christ at the cross so His Heaven could meet you when you allow Him into your life as Lord and Saviour. And after three days in burial, Lord Jesus Christ rose again, victoriously conquering death in your place.

The Benefits of Forgiveness

Accepting Lord Jesus Christ means He forgave your sins, so why not learn from Him how to forgive your debtors.

Colossians 3:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Plus, it’s not like forgiveness is without benefits. Forgiving others does benefit you and that’s the truth.

One might ask, “Well how does forgiving the rascal help me?”

Here’s how…

Forgiveness allows you to preserve relationships that might turn out helpful in the future.

Psalm 133:1 King James Version (KJV)
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Forgiveness pleases God as God is forgiving.

Colossians 3:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Forgiveness grants you the chance to imitate your Heavenly Father.

Ephesians 5:1 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.

Forgiveness relieves you the burden of bearing a grudge, and grudges are an opportunity for the devil to harm you.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 World English Bible (WEB)
10 Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Remember, the benefits of forgiveness I just listed are only a fraction of the many reasons to forgive others. I just listed the ones I could think of at the moment. Nevertheless, I hope that the last reason especially caught your eye.

As the truth is that holding grudges is an opportunity for the devil (Satan) to wreak havoc in your life.

That is why in the above Bible verse, Paul decided to forgive everyone. This doesn’t mean you have to trust people you’ve forgiven which I talk about in this post. But, Paul did not want the devil to take advantage of any unforgiveness.

Motives of the Heart

So, if someone hurt a loved one of yours, or embarrassed you in some way or manner, just let it go. Also, I am not belittling their mistakes or your loss, but, I am recommending forgiveness for your sake.

Again, this does not mean you need to trust the person you’ve forgiven, it just means you need to let go of the grudge you hold against him/her.

And, now, I want you to change the way you think. If you’re forgiving others for your own benefit, that’s good, but, if you’re forgiving others because you understand God’s love for them and you want to share with that lost person the forgiving love of God, that’s admirable.

1 Corinthians 16:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 Let all that you do be done in love.

However, whatever the motive behind your forgiveness, the main thing is that you forgive the person. I was just offering a tidbit of advice if you’re ready for it.

2 Corinthians 3:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Therefore, relieve others of the sins they’ve done unto you and make the decision to forgive others. You don’t need to feel anything out of your forgiveness, you just need to decide to forgive.

Ephesians 4:32 King James Version (KJV)
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

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How to Resist the Temptation of Anger

Self-centered anger is often a temptation. And there are a lot of people out there, well-meaning people, who think it okay to remain angry. But for the sake of your mental health, I believe it is more important to deal with your anger. Anger can be a very dangerous thing with any person and has ruined countless lives throughout history. So, to find out as to how to resist the temptation of anger, continue reading.

Is It Really a Temptation?

Now, anger is a spontaneous emotion, usually. It is something you can’t always control. If someone does something which really upsets you, then, you get angry immediately. And a lot of the time, anger is not a bad thing. I’ll talk about the positive side of anger in the next subsection.

But, what I am mostly talking about in this post is the negative side of anger. This type of anger is when you are upset at an individual and you remain upset for a long time. It’s the type of anger which you label as a grudge. Another type of bad anger is the anger that causes you to do things which God does not like. These things include making derogatory remarks or assaulting the offensive individual.

Romans 14:23 World English Bible (WEB)
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.

And whenever anger leads you to do something which you know God doesn’t like or something which manifests your self-centered behaviour, it is a temptation. The decision to indulge in that temptation or to resist its appeal is up to you. Even more, the decision you make, reveals your priorities. Do you prioritize yourself or God? Whatever you do which is apart from faith, is wrong in God’s eyes. So, clearly, doing something out of anger with evil intentions is as far apart from faith as you can get.

I can tell you right here and now that God prioritized you over His anger. He came in the flesh as a human being, Jesus Christ. And with the authority to call down legions of angels capable of annihilating any trace of human existence, God allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified by people who hated Him. And why is that? It is because His love for you and me is more powerful than anything on the face of this planet! I talk more about it in this post.

That is why I plea to you to accept God’s love, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour where He will enter your life to transform it.

Romans 10:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Godly Anger

Moreover, I will grant you this. The Bible says if someone angers you, don’t act out your anger. And by the end of the day, get a hold of yourself. Ask God to give you the grace to calm down by the end of the day.

Ephesians 4:26 World English Bible (WEB)
26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.”Psalm 4:4 Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,

Make sure you don’t do anything outside of what you know God wants you to do. God does not want you to hurt others or to say mean things. He wants you to love people. But if you can’t love that person at the moment, at least forgive that person. Forgiveness is just a choice where you decide to let go of the debts that person owes your conscience just as God forgave you.

Now, there’s a type of anger which is not sinful. This type of anger is godly anger. It is when you are angry for the sake of others or for the unjust things people do to God’s kingdom.

So, if someone is abusing another person, that will naturally anger you because God loves people. Or if someone is mocking God or harming His creation such as the environment, that should also anger you. However with all these things, make sure it doesn’t cause you to sin in retaliation just as the above Bible verse says.

John 2:13-17 World English Bible (WEB)
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. 15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”Psalm 69:9

So, in the example above, Jesus was full of zealous anger. Jesus Christ grew angry when people were being corrupt and selling things for profit in God’s sacred temple. This type of anger is good, it is not a sin to be angry when angry because of your faith in Christ Jesus. But even with this, God knew what He was doing.

2 Corinthians 5:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In verse 15, it says Jesus made a whip of cords to throw over the tables, this shows that Jesus planned what He was going to do and was doing it with purpose. He did not kill anyone or do anything which is rash. He manifested His righteous anger without sinning as we should do if our righteous anger is incurred.

How to Resist the Temptation of Anger?

In conclusion, how is it that you must resist the temptation of bad anger? It is only through Christ Jesus. When someone offends you, give it straight away to God. Ask Him for the grace to forgive and just don’t act out your anger. Allow God to calm you.

If you know yourself as an angry person in general, then put your selfish anger to death. Remember that when Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and for me, your selfish anger died with Him, too. Now, it is not in you to be an angry person.

Colossians 3:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Surrender yourself alongside your pride, to God, and remember that you are a child of God who He loves. That is your identity. The Bible does not call you an angry child of God, it calls you a beloved child of God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

Therefore, let God’s love and His Holy Spirit transform you. Soak yourself in the Word of God and really get to know Him. If you are tempted to do something out of anger, remember that Jesus Christ loves you and that you should forgive others as He forgave you of all your mistakes.

Luke 23:34 King James Version (KJV)
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

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The Joy of Release Upon The One Who Releases

The Joy of Release

Everyone in this world has been wronged at some point of time. Now, the majority of people struggle with an emotional dungeon within. And the reason being is that many cannot release those who’ve wronged them from their emotional dungeon. But, I am telling you for your sake and for the sake of your mental health, the one who wronged you is not in that dungeon, no matter how much you believe it. The one in that dungeon is actually yourself and as long as you hold unforgiveness, you prolong your jail sentence. So, in this post, I’ll be discussing the joy of release which comes with forgiveness.

Forgiving Those Who Want Forgiveness

In the following passage, Jesus says something about forgiveness…

Luke 17:3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

In this passage, Jesus clearly talks about someone who returns to you and asks you for forgiveness. And when Jesus mentions the number of seven, He uses it to point out something.

Genesis 2:2-3 World English Bible (WEB)
2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done.

If there’s one thing about Jesus, it’s that God doesn’t do coincidences. Everything He says, has something deeper within it. And when Jesus says that if someone wrongs you seven times, you must forgive him/her of everything, He is using seven as an indicator of rest.

When God made all the world, He rested on the seventh day. So, when you forgive someone who’s asking you for forgiveness, you put yourself into a restful position in life. God wants you to forgive because when you forgive, you are releasing not that person, but yourself.

Resting in His forgiveness means to forgive others, too

That’s why there’s such a unique joy of release upon the one who releases. When you release someone from their wrongs, you release yourself and you put yourself in a position to rest.

Forgiving Those Who Don’t Ask for Forgiveness

Now, you may be saying, “Hah hah, Andre, in the verse you gave above, Jesus said you must forgive if they come and repent before you, but He didn’t command us to forgive if they do not ask for forgiveness!”

That’s an interesting point to bring out but you must still remember the allegory of the dungeon. Whether the person you keep in your dungeon of unforgiveness asks to be released or not, that person is actually you! And the reason being is that when you hold unforgiveness, it hurts you.

Matthew 18:19-22 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

In this verse, no one mentions anything about granting forgiveness only to those who ask for it. Jesus just raises the bar a bit higher by saying you must forgive a person even 490 times in one day!

And I believe by the grace of Holy Spirit, God did not attach a need for the wrongdoer to ask for forgiveness in the above verse.

So, the truth is that you are obligated to forgive others not for their sake, but, for your sake. God never designed you to hold a dungeon of unforgiveness within your heart, He designed you to be a forgiving person!

The Joy of Release

So, I plea to you to release everyone and anyone from your unforgiveness because you are not only releasing them, but you are also releasing yourself. If you remain in unforgiveness, only you will suffer, and God cannot make a testimony out of one who holds unforgiveness forever.

Ephesians 4:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

To enjoy the joy of release, you must release the ones you find hard to forgive. You just have to make the decision to forgive, you don’t have to feel it, but you must decide it.

Paul was talking to the Church of Ephesians in the above verse and He said to forgive others as God forgave you. So, when you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour who died on the cross and rose again after three days for your salvation which I talk about more in this post, God has automatically enabled you to forgive others.

Forgiveness is a decision and when you decide to forgive, God loves it. You don’t need to fast or beg God or do anything extreme to forgive, you just need to let go. Because once you’ve let Jesus rule in your heart, He already enables you to forgive, you just need to act upon it.

Therefore, this day, choose to forgive everyone who has wronged you whether they’re sorry or not, and taste the joy of release that comes with it! Walk by trusting in Jesus and decide to forgive, do not walk by your feelings to hold unforgiveness.

2 Corinthians 5:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Luke 23:34 – Jesus forgives

By Andre Wijesekera

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The Uncomfortable Vice of Jealousy

God's grace will set you free from the vice of jealousy!

Have you ever felt the intense spirit of jealousy grip your heart? Jealousy is a common issue which people face in life, however, its implications differ from person to person. It is never comfortable and is not good for one’s mental health, yet, people entertain its spirit within their minds nevertheless. That’s why this post will deal with the vice of jealousy and how to revolve it.

What Type of Jealousy?

Firstly, there are several types of jealousy. The jealousy this post will deal with is the type of jealousy that yearns for the possessions or achievements of others. Now, examples include those who are jealous of others who are rich, own property or things that they don’t, and more.

So, if you are struggling with the vice of jealousy in that your mind always reminds you of how you really wish that you had another person’s yacht, or something like that, it’s time to renew your mind.

Romans 12:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

God wants you to renew your mind so that it synchronizes with His good, well-pleasing, and perfect will. And God wills for you to live in peace of mind. He doesn’t want your mind to wander in constant reflection of how you desire somebody else’s belongings. Jealousy is simply a waste of time and energy.

Moreover, God outlawed the action of jealousy by prohibiting the action of coveting. To covet is almost identical to what jealousy means in that it means to yearn for what someone else has.

Exodus 20:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The Old Testament law proves that God sees coveting as wrong and that’s why you should not act jealously. Jesus never coveted because He knew who He was. He knew that He owned everything in the universe and that He is the King of Kings!

But, how do you resolve that vice of jealousy in your own life?

Dealing with the Uncomfortable Vice of Jealousy

Now, there’s someone famous in the Bible who you must know if you are struggling with jealousy. And that famous somebody from the Bible is the one and only Apostle Paul!

Apostle Paul tried to deal with the issue of coveting and jealousy by himself and through obedience to the law, but here’s what he has to say about it.

Jealousy distracts us from what God gives us!

Romans 7:7-8 World English Bible (WEB)
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21 8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

Paul says in the above verses that the law of the old testament helped him to identify the issue of coveting in his heart. But, it did not and could not provide a solution to change his heart. Instead, the knowledge of what he was doing as wrong only made the issue worse.

So, how did the Apostle Paul find freedom from the urge to be jealous or to covet what others own? Let’s jump further down God’s letter to see what He says about it.

Romans 8:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus overrules the law of sin and of death as Holy Spirit says through Paul. But, to abide under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you must first accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

The Final Blow to the Spirit of Jealousy

Furthermore, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and ask Him to forgive you, everything changes. God takes all your guiltiness along with your past sins (including jealousy) so that Jesus acts as the atoning sacrifice for you.

The law of the Old Covenant demanded that you be removed from God’s holy presence if you broke it in any way. But, now Jesus Christ satisfied that demand when He was crucified for your sins and rose again after three days.

Hebrews 10:19 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

God is so wonderful that if anyone turns to Him no matter how many times they’ve messed up, He will provide grace. Look at Paul if you need an example, he used to destroy churches and kill Christians out of his obsessive hatred of Christians.

Acts 26:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

However, when He asked Jesus for forgiveness, God accepted Him as a son. Jesus will forgive anyone who asks Him to forgive them because God is kind.

1 Timothy 1:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

So, when you become a child of God, God will grace you to overcome the vice of jealousy. As soon as you’re under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you’re saved. Therefore, thank God for what you have and what He’ll continue to give you. Overcome the vice of jealousy by abiding under His Holy Spirit and asking Him to give you the grace to renew your mind.

His Grace is so beautiful!
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Let Go of the Past and Always Look Ahead

White as snow

The fibers of human conscience revolve around past experiences and past memories. These things of the past can weigh people down and cause them to feel guilt. And it is this strong sense of the past which people cannot shake off. But, in this post, whether you’ve been heartless, good, or whatever there is in between, I want you to learn how to let go of the past through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

The Nature of Guilt

Guilt is literally ancient. There’s no doubt about it. People have been feeling guilty for thousands of years. David who lived thousands of years before us can relate to how guilt haunts an individual.

Psalm 51:3 World English Bible (WEB)
3 For I know my transgressions.
    My sin is constantly before me.

David felt guilty as he says that his sin was constantly before him. This meant that he would constantly remember what he did and this was painful to him. To resolve this, he expressed his guilt to God in the psalm and asked Him for forgiveness.

But, he went through very severe consequences for his actions as he was in the Old Covenant which I’ll explain later. Nevertheless, David wrote this psalm after he committed adultery with a woman and murdered her husband to cover up his sin.

I’m pointing this out because you need to know that guilt is a very real issue. And guilt even transcends time as many have experienced it in the past.

Allowing Your Conscience to Let Go of Guilt

Whatever you’ve done in the past, whether you’ve lied, cheated, betrayed, murdered, and the list goes on and on, your conscience records it. Guilt is a thing of the conscience. It is your conscience which torments you with haunting reminders of your history.

Romans 2:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)

The work of the law is apparent and well-displayed in the hearts of people and the conscience is what convicts people of their wrongdoings. That is why you might think that you must suffer for your past sins.

The Old Covenant written on your heart ensured that the soul who sins is the soul that must die. Of course, this way of thinking is logical and makes sense, but, you must remember one thing… love never tries to make sense.

So, God wanted to make the New Covenant where He died in your place so you could attain everlasting life.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

Jesus wants you to give your guilt to Him. Jesus did away with the law of sin and of death by dying of the cross for your sin so that His new law can be administered to your heart. His new law is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and this law ensures that only the blood of Jesus can cleans your conscience of all guilt.

Exodus 24:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

Even in the Old Covenant as is shown with Moses in the above scripture, the New Covenant was foreshadowed. But now, because Jesus already died to restore you, and His blood was shed for your sake, we can let Him sprinkle His blood on our guilt-ridden hearts so that we are set free.

Hebrews 10:22 King James Version (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

It is only up to you to let go of your guilt because Jesus paid the price for your freedom.

To Let Go and Look Ahead

Hebrews 12:2 King James Version (KJV)
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Once you accept Jesus as the Lord your God, just look unto Him. What I mean by looking ahead is to look unto Jesus. When you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, nothing can stop you.

Listen to the voice of His Spirit and He will guide you in the direction of His will. And we know that His will holds nothing but good for your life.

John 10:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Forgive others because Jesus forgave you and understand that your new identity is as a new creation. That means you are constantly renewed as a new creation. So, you don’t need to repeatedly do bad things just because God’s taken away your guilt, but instead, you live by the law of Spirit and of life so that Jesus will empower you to do what is right.

2 Corinthians 5:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

When you are in Christ Jesus and you secure your identity in Him, all of your past failures are forgotten by God. He sees you as a constantly new creation. Therefore, keep your eyes on Jesus, remember His love, let go of your guilt, and embrace Him as your Lord and Saviour.

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The Lord Who Cares for You

The Lord Who Cares for You

If there’s anything you get from this post, please, let it be the knowledge of how much God loves you. I am speaking to people from all walks of life because this knowledge is meant for everyone. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom trying her best to raise children, or a university student diligently studying in the hopes of academic success, you must know one thing. You must know that Jesus is the Lord who cares for you. If you find it hard to believe, let this post minister to your doubt. And for those who already believe in God’s love, let this post renew your mind.

The Nature of God

1 Peter 5:6-7 World English Bible (WEB)
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

Peter talks to the Church in the above verse about relying on the strength of God. Holy Spirit wants us to cast every worry, not on ourselves, but on Him. And the root of that divine desire is the fact that God cares for you. The reason why God wants you to let Him take care of the things which worry you is because He loves you.

The world might say there is no one who cares about you, except yourself and that you have to make your own way through life. However, this is not the truth; the fact of the matter is that God cares about you. He is the Lord who deeply cares for you. Even if the whole world was to hate you, you would not be outside of God’s unconditional love.

Romans 5:8 World English Bible (WEB)
8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God loves you whether you believe it or not. It is in His nature to love you. And it is for this reason that He died for you on the cross. When Jesus who is God in the flesh died on the cross two thousand years ago, He did it with reason. He did it because the perfect justice of God required punishment for our imperfection. Every small lie, vile thought, and evil intention laid on your spiritual record demanded a ferocious fine. And it is impossible for you to enter the presence of God with such a stained record. Someone needed to pay a heavy penalty for your mistakes.

But, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ, the very embodiment of God’s love, paid to the justice of God so that He could endure your hell for your sake. And three days later, He resurrected victoriously conquering death once and for all. Thus, I urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour if you have not already. I talk more about this divine exchange and its benefits in another post, too.

When you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you allow His work on the cross to save you. When you accept Him as your Lord, you allow Him to take full control over your life so He can bless you and guide you.

The King’s Only Weakness

Now, is it blasphemy to say that God holds a single weakness? I consider it not, for there is truth in such a claim. Let me explain.

1 Corinthians 1:24-25 World English Bible (WEB)
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God; 25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Paul writes that Christ is the power and wisdom of God. When you look at what the Messiah was sent to do, you can see how strong and wise He is. The mission was to reveal God’s love to the world. And Jesus accomplished that, He endured terror beyond imagination during the crucifixion process to save you. But, why was He willing to sacrifice Himself for you?

It was because He is the Lord who cares for you. His love for you is His only weakness. This is why Paul writes that the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. You can see God’s love for you as strength or as a weakness. It is a weakness in that it caused Him harm. It is a strength because His love for you saved you.

Either way, the point is that you are the weakness of God. His love is so great, so genuine, so sincere that it led Him to lay down His life for you. Whether you’re good or bad, smart or foolish, He loves you and He leaves it up to you if you want to accept Him.

Divine Promise of the Lord Who Cares for You

Romans 8:38-39 World English Bible (WEB)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is no person or thing which can separate you from the love of Jesus. You may wonder why He loves you so much. But, perhaps He loves you because He created you, He designed you, He made you in His own likeness.

It is like a father who looks into His child’s eyes and realizes an instinctual affection for His child. It’s not as if the baby has done anything good or bad to earn the love of the father; the father’s love is independent of the child’s performance.

Isaiah 49:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Yes, these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you!

God makes a promise that likens His relationship with Israel which represents His covenant people to that of a mother and her nursing child. He points out how even if some mothers may forget their child, He will never forget us. He will always be the Lord who cares for you. His love’s guaranteed.

Therefore, remember how He loves you. If you, for even one second under the influence of situations doubt His love for you, remember what He did on the cross and remind yourself why He did it.