To show love is to share edifying knowledge.
Worry is a chain of thoughts and images, negatively laden and relatively uncontrollable; it represents an attempt to engage in mental problem-solving on an issue whose outcome is uncertain but contains the possibility of one or more negative outcomes to the point of debilitating the ‘worrier’ in a state of anxiety.Definition of Worry adapted from … Continue reading Psychology Meets Scripture on the topic of ‘worry’ #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
How beautiful is it that God meets us even in these ordinary activities and all we need is for our hearts to be open and more aware of His presence.
“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 ESV Choose the ONE thing over the many. At a time where people, especially believers seem to be doing … Continue reading One thing is necessary…
Why ask and why pray to a God who knows the things you have need of before you ask Him?
“Forgiveness does not negate accountability” It is not un-Christian to hold someone or an organisation accountable when they have stepped out of line.
Forgiveness does not excuse the offending behaviour. Forgiveness excuses the offender. The fact that God forgives us of sin, does not make sinning okay. The fact that we forgive someone of their sin towards us, does not make the sin okay.
Hearing ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I messed up’, ‘I feel terrible for what I did’ is like music to our ears. It feels good when someone acknowledges their wrongdoing towards you and oftentimes it makes it much easier to forgive them, right? But what if they never apologise. The reality is that some people will never apologise for their wrongdoing towards you, and waiting on them to apologise before you forgive will cost you your mental freedom. This is why we must LEARN TO FORGIVE, EVEN WITHOUT AN APOLOGY.
The psychology of memory can explain why ‘forgiving and forgetting’ is rarely the case! Our memories are so powerful and a single experience can become entrenched in our long-term memory to the point that it becomes a cue for future expectations.
Remembering an event, a situation, or a person can evoke a shiver of excitement, the heat of anger, or the anguish of grief. Although emotion that is activated by a memory may not be felt as intensely as the actual experience, the recall can be enjoyable or painful nonetheless. Thankfully, the command is to forgive and not necessarily to forget, because let’s face it — it is virtually impossible to forget certain experiences whether good or bad.
This devotional is where ‘psychology meets scripture’ on the topic of forgiveness. Oftentimes, we passively forgive an offender, with a simple ‘I forgive you’, however, the challenge comes when you are reminded of their offence every time you see them. Or when you find it hard to get rid of that negative memory. Sometimes these recurring memories and feelings make you question whether you have really forgiven them or not.