Boiling Point

Have you ever reached boiling point? You’ve been trying so hard to do the

right thing, and in a weak moment, you sin. Your temper bubbles over,

scalding hot. Your good intentions vanish, and you lose it, only later to

be overwhelmed with guilt and failure. All is not lost.

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I’ve had those days when I’ve blurted out angry words. I’ve allowed harmful

thoughts to fester rather than asking God to deal with them. Unforgiveness

has strangled my heart when I’ve allowed others’ hurtful behavior or

comments to control me. Other times, my head has been so preoccupied with

worry that I’ve briefly abandoned God in my self-absorption. If, like me,

you have a tendency to overthink things, these are some of the strategies I

use to help me:

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1. Remember no one is perfect. In Romans 3:23-24, Paul reminds us that we

all fall short of God’s glory, but He doesn’t give up on us. This is a

hopeful message. I have to remember I am an imperfect and flawed human in a

dysfunctional and broken world, just like everyone else. As a result, I

will inevitably mess up and even repeat the same failures several times.

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2. Don’t dwell on past failures. While it’s wise to learn from what I’ve

done wrong, dwelling on all my past failings isn’t what God wants for me.

Instead, He gives me complete forgiveness through Jesus, and He promises to

walk with me on my journey. Because Jesus died and rose again for me, I can

believe in Him and receive His forgiveness.

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3. Most of all, I need to focus on Jesus. And not only after I’ve sinned,

but also when I am tempted (Hebrews 12:1-3). The good news is that

Jesuswho lived among us as a human but is also fully Godknows firsthand

what it’s like to be tempted, and He understands my weaknesses (Hebrews

4:14-16). Jesus never sinned, but He took my sin and promised me that

belief in Him is lifechanging. His Holy Spirit lives inside Christians,

transforming us to be more and more like Jesus. Even though I will sin at

times, He is always there for me when I stumble.

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4. Remember God’s love never changes. Although the stresses of life may

weaken our resolve at times, God’s love never changes. He understands us

deeply and will never stop loving or forgiving us. Isn’t that amazing

news? Cindy Lee

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Do you ever get frustrated with your own imperfections or the ways you

have messed up? Jesus invites us to come to Him and rest in His sure

forgiveness. How could you practice this today?

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If you’ve wronged someone, what could you do to make it right, such as

apologizing?

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Oh, what joy for [the] forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Psalm

32:1 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Romans 3:23-Romans 3:24; 1 John 1:8-1 John 1:10; Psalm 32:1-Psalm 32:5