James 3:2: “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.”
Saturday afternoon, I told a friend I’d learned the hard way not to say anything about anybody.
About three or four hours later, I forgot my lesson and told a different friend something about another person. Can you identify with me?
I was upset with myself and scolded myself. Yvonne, you spoke too soon. You didn’t learn the lesson as well as you thought you had. Will you ever learn?
I stumbled all right. In that moment, I knew for sure I wasn’t a perfect person. I wasn’t able to keep my whole body in check. I wanted to but hadn’t succeeded at least not on Saturday evening.
After I confessed my sin to God, I asked for his forgiveness. Then I went to the person to whom I spoke my criticism of another. I acknowledged my wrongdoing. I asked for her forgiveness too, and she readily gave it to me.
With God’s forgiveness and my friend’s forgiveness, I could start over.
What about you? What do you do when you stumble?
Dear God, I stumbled again. Please help me be more like Jesus Christ. Amen.
Application: What will you do this week to keep your whole body in check?
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega April 28, 2014
