Sins of Omission

Forgive me Father, for the many times I have not done what You have placed on my heart to do. There were things that I perceived were right to pursue, but out of inconvenience, discomfort, tradition, distraction, fear, or procrastination I did not pursue them.

There are many times, when we are confronted with a difficult situation that we run from it, preferring not to "rock the boat" or not face criticism from others. Let us act in accordance with God's will for where and when He has placed us.

Lord, thank you for this new day and new opportunities. Thank you for your forgiveness and steadfast love. Continue to be patience with us, and grow us up more today. May we fill our perceived "free time" wisely. Give us Your wisdom to know when to speak up and act, and when to be quiet and trust. Grant us Your pure motives, Your love for others, Your strength, and Your courage to do what we ought. May we feel your continual presence to remind us to omit gossip and slander from our day.

Here are some words to ponder, from Billy Graham's daily devotional book Wisdom for Each Day:

Sadly, we often don't realize how heavy another person's burden is until we walk along a similar path. Most of us are insensitive to the sufferings of others until we experience them ourselves. We become wrapped up in our own circumstances, and overlook the needs of those around us – even members of our own family. But this isn't God's plan. We are to show our love by bearing one another's burdens.

We can't change the past; it may be too late to apologize to someone for our thoughtlessness. But we don't need to carry around a burden of guilt over this. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for every sin you ever committed, including this one. If you confess your sin, He will cleanse you (1 John 1:9).

We can't change the past – but we can change our behavior now. Ask God to help you be a burden-bearer to those around you. Ask Him to show you how and to whom you can be a blessing and an encouragement. Whose burden will you help shoulder today?

Christian Ponder has been a resident of Lake Wales since 2001. He enjoys living in Lake Wales with his wife and two children.