Pray 5-8/4

 I have a long way to go before I’m grudge free. Teaching in the classroom and working with students, I learned that forgiveness is needed to survive. Each day is a new day to start anew, even though a student or teacher may be difficult to work with. Each person has a story behind their messiness and we need to be patient and forgiving. I know all that and I’ve seen God work in my effort to be forgiving. But my grudge list has a few that I find hard to let go. I know God can help me handle the next episode of offensive wounds that are hurled my way and I’m trying to say less, pray more. Yet I put up my guard to protect myself from the next episode. The truth is that we are not good people who make mistakes; we are sinful people in need of mercy. Because it requires humility to accept what our hearts are truly like, those same hearts will tend to prefer to be deceived by preachers of self-esteem and self-confidence rather than listen to prophets such as Jeremiah.” - Allistair Begg