As I laid down to go to sleep, I prayed: “Lord, forgive me. I had resentment in my heart today. Thank you for helping me recognize it, deal with it, and remove it…”
LESSON ONE
Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).You’ve heard me say it before, but it’s worth repeating: ought means any little thing.
I repeat: any. little. thing.
This is often how our day goes south (or sour, depending on how far you let it go). It’s not usually the BIG things that break us down. It’s every little thing.
Mine started the night before when I got irritated at myself for forgetting something semi-important. Then I allowed more “ought” in my heart because my morning and my plans were not jiving with my husband’s way of doing things. But the real problem is that once you let a little thing (ought) remain in your heart, it grows. And suddenly, it’s not ONE little thing, but EVERY little thing that gets on your nerves, steals your joy, and causes you to act completely un-Christ-like.
It’s little things like:
“They ought to have done [fill-in-the-blank]…” or
“They ought not to have done [such-and-such]…”
Or simply fill in the “They” with an “I” and watch the devil work his condemnation magic. This is why Jesus said, “If you have ought in your heart, forgive.” It’s not worth carrying around.
LESSON TWO
If you forget to deal with your “little “things when they happen, whatever you do, don’t go to bed with them! Your irritations will only fester overnight and show up the next day… and the next day… and the next… until you deal with it.
The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It really is that simple. God just asks that we confess it. In doing so, we are acknowledging our need for Him, our recognition of wrong, and our desire to do right.
And if you feel it’s necessary, you can name every little “ought” –but it’s not required. Simply tell the Lord you realize it and ask Him to forgive you. He’s so faithful to forgive AND cleanse your heart of every. little. thing.
But it starts with you. Pay attention to the little irritations and sins. Don’t harbor them. Release them to God.
I promise, these two lessons will take you far.
