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Saturday 1 April 2017

"Test Yourself... Jesus Christ Is in You."

"I pray for the desire to pray and meditate on behalf of my community of faith.  May we learn patience, tolernce, compassion, gentleness, and empathy.   May we abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and shame.  May know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God."

2 Corinthians 13:3-5
3since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you. 4For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test!

1) "...proof;" "...powerful in you;" "...crucified in weakness;" "...lives by the power;" "...we live with him by the power of God;" "...examine yourselves;" "...living in the faith;" "...test yourself;" "Jesus Christ is in you;" "...Jesus Christ is in you;" "...examine yourself;"

2) I can't help but notice how approriate this text is given "The Work" I did yesterday.  I am constantly frustrated with how often certain indiduals trigger the worst in me.  They have a knack for drawing out the worst in me and I resent it... and consequently them, so much.  And I trully hate myself when "bated" into pettiess, bitterness and anger.  I lose alll empathy, and compassion.  I get tunnel vision and grind away on what that person did, more often than not, my complaint may be perfectly legitimate, but my dwelling and obscessing on it does more harm than good.  And I can't stand  myself in the process.  Ultimately, I'm triggered by my trigger and the downward spiral begins (continues?).  "For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God."  I'm not fair with myself to expect more than I would expect of anyone else.  I can only continue to examine myself daily and continue to ask to find Christ.

3)  What is the invitation in all this?  To continue to test myself daily, but to also find gentleness, patience, tolerance, compassion and empathy with my own defects of character, in particular, my own triggers.  To trust that Jesus Christ is in me, living by the power of God.

"Holy One, make me mindful of your presence."

Breathprayer: "Test yourself... Jesus Christ is in you."

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