"Incidentally"

"They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah." (Psalms 57:6) The customary things to do when you have been wrong about something is to ask for forgiveness, yet it is not always as easy as some people might think; it would appear that having things our own way is more important to us than getting along, even if it makes us feel miserable. When it comes to our fallen nature, this flesh that we are walking and living within, is just as sinful and prone to evil as it ever has been; which is what Paul was showing us in Romans 7:14-15, in that sin still lives in us, and if we allow the flesh to do so, it will have it's own way. Here is something that helps explain how to break the cycle of falling into sin; besides just breaking old habits, which should be at the top of your to-do-list, we need to establish new habits; things like, if you feel like cursing someone, then bless them, or if you think evil towards someone, then pray for them; how about, if you hate someone for whatever reason, then love them unconditionally, that would be one that might actually make a difference. It's not that we don't have it in us, because if we have God's Spirit dwelling within us, then we can and should be able to even love our enemies, let alone love those who are of the family of God. I think that a typical marriage best illustrates how this all works; and if you have ever had one of those typical fights that seem to be the one to end all, then you can probably relate to the difficulty involved in being humble in the midst of the fight; it is almost impossible to not want to have your own way, or to have the last say. But God always has the last say, and we need to remember that with all of our hearts; God will always be right, and He will never be wrong about anything. That said, there is something that we need to remember when it comes to being a child of God, in that we are always taken care of by our Heavenly Father; even if we have left the path that He has put before us, we are never beyond His reach; more importantly, we are never outside the covering of His unending mercy and forgiveness, ever; I don't care what you have done, God is always right there to forgive you; and as for as I can see, the only sin that is not forgiven is the sin of not asking for His forgiveness. Bottom line, forgiveness might be the key to experiencing God's love, because if we have been forgiven, then we must in turn forgive everyone else, no matter what; just as He has forgiven us, no matter what, we in return must forgive one another the same. "Walk humble" is more important than you might think; it might be the only real thing that we are capable of on our own...  "Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth; and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against the mother, the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the street." (Micah 7:1-10)