"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16
In a rush to prepare breakfast, get the kids ready for school, feed the dogs, make the bed and then layer up in my 23 layers of clothes for my cold morning run yesterday, let's just say I was a little snappy with my daughter. Actually I was worse than that- I was impatient in my actions and unkind in my words as I chided her for being late and unorganized once again. Boy was that ever calling the kettle black I later thought. As conviction and deep sadness overcame me on our ride to school, I apologized to her, making no excuses for my actions, and asked for her forgiveness.
The truth is though, no matter how much you and I desire to follow Christ, we are still flesh. We will say and do hurtful things from time to time. And when we do, it's important to act immediately by doing what God commands in James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." You see, words hurt. Though they leave no outward scars, they can sting for a lifetime.
So today, and every day, may you and I choose our words wisely. Because as Jodi Picoult once said, "Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall."
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us when we are totally unlovable in our actions and speech. Thank you for convicting us when we do and say things that we should not and help us to say the words, "I'm sorry" as often as we should followed by "I love you" just as often. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Words - Hawk Nelson
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