DAY 11
BE SORRY FOR YOUR SIN
James 4:7-10
When we sin, it should sadden us; it should disappoint us; it should cause us to mourn. We cannot mumble, “Excuse me, Lord” and just go on our way. Nor can we take sin lightly as if it were not that serious. To do so is to diminish God’s holiness and presume upon His grace. It is the gravity of sin that makes grace amazing.
How sorry do we have to be? We have to learn a sense of proportion in dealing with our sin. All sins are sin, and all sins are wrong. But not all sins are equal in their results. It is often difficult to quantify how much sorrow we should feel over our sin. Can any of us ever feel enough sorrow? Will we ever know the pain we caused Jesus or our Father in heaven? Will we ever fully understand how much we have grieved another person?
We need to learn this lesson not only in dealing with ourselves but with others as well. We must strive to be gracious to others as God has been to us.
DAY 12
SLAVE OR SERVANT?
Hebrews 3:6
When I was still a teenage girl, I had the opportunity to go to college because someone offered me to work for them as a working student. It was not easy because I had to wash clothes, clean the house, cook food, etc. In other words, I chose to be a slave because I was determined to earn a degree. But as I look back, besides being a slave because of my ambition, I was also a slave to sin.
Now that God has made us His disciples, we are slaves and servants. We are slaves to righteousness (in which we are works in progress and forever battling with God and Jesus) and servants (following the example of Jesus when He washed the feet of His disciples in John 13:15.)
Irene Glinogo
DAY 13
GOD’S STRENGTH
Hebrews 3:6
I am weak but God is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me and I am so thankful. My weakness is so apparent all the time. I should be old enough to know better about everything. But I don’t. I always take false steps in strange directions. I strive to measure up to the world’s expectations.
God’s strength teaches me to turn my hope into true strength. I am weak but I know the One who lifts me above my circumstances is strong.
Betty Belmonte
DAY 14
LOVE: SUPERIOR TO ALL GOOD DEEDS
1 Corinthians 13:3
Love is more important than all the spiritual gifts exercised in the Church body. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice and miracle-working power produce very little and provide less impact if done without or with less love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful.
Although we have different gifts, love is available to everyone. Let us all freely, joyfully and gratefully share with each other the same love we received from God.
Romeo Samson Jr.
DAY 15
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
2 Thessalonians 1:11
Personally, I was convicted about what Jesus did 2000 years ago. He is the Son of God but when He was still on earth, He lived as an ordinary human being.
And now, I am called to be His disciple. In reality, it is not easy to live a true Christian life because it entails a lot of decision-making to choose what we think is best for us as Christians. The important thing is that whenever we decide, we should not forget the example that Jesus set for us during His life here on earth.
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. (2Thess 1:11)
Arcel Nistal
