S)"4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"
Romans 2:4 (NASB)
O) The book of Romans is very deep and everything about it kind of runs together. It's actually very hard to pull one verse out and discuss it, without discussing the whole chapter, but I did single out this verse because it makes one thing clear - our Father would rather use positive reinforcement as a means to discipline us, rather than negative reinforcement. But, we can't take that for granted. His goodness to us is to lead us to repentance, but if we are not living the way He's calling us to live, we cannot take His goodness for granted.
A) Put simply, I need to continue to submit my life to the Father's will, choosing His way over my way. I should celebrate His goodness to me, but never take it for granted. I will remain conscious of His patience with me, and the way He tolerates my insufficiency while I strive to maintain in the mold of His Son. I will remain thankful for the riches of His kindness and let it lead me to repentance.
P) Father, thank You for this mercy, which frees me from my debt. Thank You for this grace, which enables me to stand in Your presence, it provides me with life in Jesus. In this grace I found the wife You intended me to have, even though I was foolish and irresponsible. This grace gave me a family, and precious children. Yet, while my mistakes still do me harm and my errors still cause damage, You continue to give me grace, You continue to give me mercy. Let me remain ever-repentant in the errors of my ways. Holy Spirit, continue to reveal to me all the ways I receive mercy and grace, so that I am never taking it for granted, this life I have from the Father. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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