How much do you love God

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Nita

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Last week our pastor gave a very penetrating one-liner in his sermon. He said: “You love God only to the degree you love the person you like the least.” It sure got me doing an examination of conscience.

A scripture passage that came to my mind were Jesus’ words in Mt. 25:31-46. Can you think of other passages?
 
Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive (insert name of person) who has trespassed against us.

That one smacks me every time.

I need to do more forgiving.
 
‘And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’ - 1 John 4:16
 
FWIW, as issues of anger, etc. often revolve around family, a worthwhile book is Healing Your Family Tree by John Hampsch, CFM.

Forgiveness takes a lot of work.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive (insert name of person) who has trespassed against us.

That one smacks me every time.

I need to do more forgiving.
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I once got the Our Father as a penance for confession. I gave a chuckle and the priest asked me what’s wrong. I told him that of all the prayers he could’ve given me the Our Father with the line about forgiving me my trespasses as I forgive others is the scariest for me to utter. I’m usually easy going, but have been known to hold on to specific hurts for a while. It’s not something I’m proud of and it’s something I’m working on, but it makes that line very powerful.
 
I surely don’t love enough(few do) but I mean I think I can get to purgatory and then I’ll learn

I’m good at some things that show God I love him

But I’m also scrupulous and that tends to lead to a God is a huge dictator that can’t understand me mindset
I try to work on that
I say thanks daily now and that helps

Need to focus more on will and less on feeling
Like feeling God loves you or willing yourself to know He does
 
Little Lady and Rose Scented, I know what you mean about that line in the Our Father. There were actually 2 different short time periods when I would not include that line in the Our Father because I was so upset with a person & having a hard time forgiving. I just couldn’t truthfully say or desire that God forgive me as I was forgiving. I’d have been in big trouble if I’d said it and God honored it. 🙂
 
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otjm said:
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Forgiveness takes a lot of work.
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Yes indeed. It’s easy to say the words; the tough part is truly forgiving in the heart. There have been a couple of times I really had to plead with God to wrestle the bitter upset out of me. Praise God for His help.
 
Appreciate your quote Dan Defender. I do have to rely on His love to help me forgive. As St. Paul says, He loves us even while we are sinners.
 
ineedofmercy
Need to focus more on will and less on feeling
Like feeling God loves you or willing yourself to know He does
Click to expand...
That is something I am learning through the writings of St. John of the Cross. He so stresses the importance of faith; that feelings are fickle, they come and they go. It is faith that carries one thru the dry times when the feelings seem dead.
 
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