RECOGNIZING OUR IMPERFECTIONS

RECOGNIZING OUR IMPERFECTIONS ONE of the most important things That is most difficult For us to ACCEPT about ourselves Is that we are IMPERFECT PEOPLE You are imperfect I AM imperfect We are all imperfect BUT GOD FORGIVES US “As far as the east Is from the west So far he has put Our transgressions from us” Psalm 103:12 IF God forgives us-and he does And if Scripture tells us To forgive others-and it does It is incumbent upon us- That we LEARN to forgive ourselves Today's scriptural readings EMPHASIZE that God forgives us- BOTH our big-and our small offenses WHY is it so difficult To forgive ourselves? Why do we continue To dredge up our past wrongdoings At least to ourselves? RECOGNIZE your imperfections But FORGIVE yourself anyway GOD DOES “But who can DISCERN their own errors? Forgive my HIDDEN FAULTS” Psalm 19:12 “But with you- There is FORGIVENESS So that we can- With REVERENCE-SERVE YOU” Psalm 130:4 “Do NOT judge- And you will not be judged Do not condemn And you will not be condemned Forgive- And you will BE FORGIVEN” Luke 6:37 GOD forgives you-so- FORGIVE YOURSELF Of your past failures You are not greater Than God You are given forgiveness As MANY times as it is needed I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I have failed I can't tell you HOW LONG it has taken me To BEGIN to get it right WE are IMPERFECT PEOPLE But if our intentions are right God can make our WAYS right “You-Lord- KEEP my lamp burning My God TURNS my darkness into light” Psalm 18:28 “As for God-his way is PERFECT The Lord's WORD IS FLAWLESS He shields ALL-who take refuge in him” Psalm 18:30 OUR PRIDE is surely One of the reasons We don't want to forgive ourselves We know we can't take back The way we already acted We have to LET IT GO We have to ACCEPT That we are less than perfect Forgiveness calls for us To be HUMBLE- For a humble recognition Of our own imperfections And to be MERCIFUL to ourselves- After all God is MERCIFUL to us “The Lord our God Is MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING Even though We have rebelled against him” Daniel 9:9 “Be MERCIFUL- Just as your Father is MERCIFUL” Luke 6:36 Dear Lord-we PRAY HELP us to recognize That we are IMPERFECT And to FORGIVE OURSELVES Just as you yourself ARE FORGIVING AND MERCIFUL To us Robert P. Wallman 2-26-16 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.