He is for you!

Ever noticed that the best teachers discipline their students without making them feel as if they're inherently bad? Less 'You're an idiot, do it again', more 'That wasn't your best. Let's see what we can do to help you do better.' They guide their students, point out their strengths and teach them a better way. God does the same. Proverbs 3:11-12 CEV says, 'Don't turn away or become bitter when the Lord corrects you. The Lord corrects everyone he loves, just as parents correct a child they dearly love.'

Isn't that comforting? Any discipline that comes from God is coming from a place of acceptance and love. We see this throughout the Bible. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba but the Bible doesn't label him only as an adulterer. David knew he meant much more to God - he was his friend. He knew that God wasn't out to 'get him'. And when we forgive others, we're showing something of this to them. We're building them up, encouraging them.

Jesus is the example to follow. When we forgive, it's an act of love like the one he's shown us: we're freeing people from the burden of their sin, showing them they are worth more than their sin and allowing them to move forward into a better life.



So what now? You always have Jesus' unwavering love and support. Nothing can separate you from his love (see Romans 8:38-39) and he is totally for you (see Romans 8:31). Rest in that and live free.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Live...as Christ loved us and gave himself for us.' Ephesians 5:2 NCV
— SOULFOOD —

Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:1-11, Eph 4:7-10