the delete button

I'm telling on myself.


I wasn't loving the other day.


I'm sure I"m in good company. After all, I'm human. But isn't that always the excuse.


I was chatting with a friend the other day. Politics came up and during the exchange I mentioned that I didn't believe that President Obama loved Jesus based on his actions. He claimed that the POTUS does. And we both ended up agreeing that no one man can, nor should be expected to, solve this country's many problems...


Then I began to think. I wasn't loving either, was I?


I judged a person by my extremely limited exposure to him.


That's about as bad as writing a book report on The Hobbit after reading only the inside leaf.


Funny thing, I had just gotten done teaching some young people about how powerful a weapon our tongues are.


That's just like the Enemy. He comes around when I least expect. Darn it. And every time, I say, next time, I'll be ready. The next morning, I wake up and voila! deja vu. All over again.


Can't say I wasn't warned.


 Jesus knows what this is all about.  Satan "retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity" it says in Luke 4 from The Message.


This is refreshing. The Savior of the world, firstborn from the dead, the One Who holds all things together, the head of the church, knows what it's like to be tempted. And so much more. The prophet Isaiah says he is "acquainted with grief." What a relief.


I'm in good hands.


So the definition of love Who died for me is patient with me and loves me (and President Obama...and everyone else for that matter). When I'm not loving, He still is. And gives me multiple chances.


So I confessed my failure to love and I repented. What's next? I press delete and press on. Or at least I try. For some reason, forgiving and forgetting the things I do is difficult. There I go again. Confession. It's cathartic.


My goal for tomorrow? Wake up tomorrow and try to love more like Jesus. The secret to this is allowing Jesus to show me how to love me like Him, and then love others like I love myself. It takes Him to love Him. We were created to be in a loving relationship with Jesus. It's a two way street.


So by the time you read this, I will have been unloving to someone. And you probably have too.


But I challenge myself as I challenge you: try out the delete button. It's a great way to keep yourself unburdened.