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3/09/26 Saying I’m Sorry

For some of us macho guys, saying “I’m sorry” is very difficult, especially if our parents never told us they were sorry for anything. Let’s face it; we all make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes occur through our ignorance, our upbringing, or our sin.

As a husband and father, your words and actions have a very big impact on your family. Your undoneness may be revealed every time you open your mouth or with every reaction you exhibit regarding the challenges you encounter involving your wife or children. Sometimes that inability to deal with things properly will cause separation. Maybe your children have separated from you in their hearts or your marriage may be far less than you ever thought it would be.

Usually in these situations, we have a tendency to replace love for our children with discipline, or take on hard work instead of communicating with our wives. The hope that things will get better is a whole lot easier than dealing directly with the issues that have caused the situation we’re in. It’s also much easier to blame others for the things they’ve done or for their imperfections, rather than taking responsibility for the heart separation ourselves.

Holy Spirit-led, heartfelt repentance to those, who have separated themselves from you in their hearts, can go a long way toward healing. Honest repentance for your mistakes and completely forgiving others for their mistakes is God’s way of making relationships whole. Your release of any undoneness and all offenses, which have caused the situation you are in, brings a whole new dynamic into play.

In essence, our relationship with Jesus began and remains whole with saying “I’m sorry,” whenever we offend Him. We need His mercy each time we come to Him. Our job is to extend that same mercy to those who have offended us – real or perceived, especially family members. Your expression of sorrow for the times you may have offended others gives them the freedom to heal from your offenses. It opens the doors of communication and allows weapons of self- defense or survival instinct to be laid down. “I’m sorry” - two little words that could change the direction of your family when said for the good of others. Will you say them?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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3/07/26 Take It to Heart

“Are you really learning the lessons I am teaching you? Are they being burned into your heart, or do you just retain them in your mind for reference? You need to make what I teach you your private stock. You need to own them. Feed on them. Practice them at every turn in your life. Apply them in your relationships with others. Don’t waste one moment of My time with you. I will require that you deem Our times together worth your while. I will give you whatever time you need to grow if you consider it of value. If you don’t, I will find someone who will.”

2 Chr. 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Isaiah 42:25 AMP

Therefore He poured out upon [Israel] the fierceness of His anger and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not [the lesson of repentance which the Assyrian conquest was intended to teach]; it burned him, but he did not lay it to heart.

 

Few of us realize how important it is to not waste God’s time. We need to understand that His purpose is to use those who choose to be used in His plans.

I am reminded of the television show “Welcome Back Kotter.” There was a character named Horshack who would jump up and down with his hand raised in the air in the back of the school classroom when he knew the answer. He enthusiastically wanted to be called upon.

As the Lord’s eyes go throughout the earth looking for those who want to serve Him, it would be wonderful for all of us to act that enthusiastically, wanting to be called upon by Him. That zeal would help us learn the lessons we’re being taught and use them wisely for His purposes.

Pick me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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3/07/26 Never Minimize Others

Do you know that your wife and your children have a right to trust you to keep quiet about their failings? Do you know that no one outside of your marriage or your family has a right to know about the areas the Lord is working on in either one of them? As a spiritual covering, your job is to create an atmosphere of love and trust in your marriage and family, so that everyone can be free to fail and grow without the eyes of others scrutinizing their every move or judging them “in Christian love.”

Often the body of Christ goes around expressing “prayer needs” concerning members of their family, exposing their sins for the whole church to discover. Is it any wonder that the struggling child or the unsaved wife has no desire to enter into that atmosphere? Whether you know it or not, whether you intend to or not, you are minimizing their worth in the eyes of others.

While the Lord is working out the refinements necessary to help all members of your family to become Christ-like, you are called upon to give them love and the freedom to fail within the privacy of your family. You’re to build a safety zone for them. In your conversations with them and with others, you’re to maximize opportunities to affirm their worth, pray for them, and never minimize them - especially to others. Give the Lord the freedom to heal them. Make sure that others understand the qualities they have and the wealth they’ve been given by God, no matter what state of growth they may be in. They are valuable in His eyes; your job is to fully understand that value and express it to others when you refer to them. Will you do that?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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3/06/26 Motivated by Love

“Why do you come to Me to be changed? What is your reason for wanting Me to make you like Jesus? Do you know that your heart motive for wanting something, even honorable requests, is very important to Me? In fact, it means everything to Me. Many of My children are doing what appear to be wonderful works, using My Name; and I am nowhere near them because they are nowhere near Me. They may have requested Me to bless what they are doing, and who they are becoming; but their hearts are motivated by the flesh. You need to make sure that everything you do is motivated by love for Me and My purposes. Should you have any other reason, any hidden agenda for your actions, I may use your efforts for My sake and the sake of others, but they will merit you next to nothing. Seek Me with every fiber of your being. Serve Me with an honest heart and live.”

Psalm 51:10 AMP

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering and steadfast spirit within me.

Matthew 16:22-23 NIV

22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23) Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Col. 3:23 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

 

So many of us do the right things for the wrong reasons. I know people who give money to the work of God out of guilt or obligation. Others visit hospitals, attend church four nights a week, and feed the hungry; but have no real love in doing it.

Some people spend countless hours in prayer, yawning through every minute of the time, raise their hands in praise while looking around at what others are wearing; or receive communion because they are hungry and everyone else is doing it.

All of these foolish people might as well burn their money in the back yard or spend their time at a baseball game. God is not looking for good things being done in His Name from a cold heart. The world can do that. He wants those who are His to move in His Spirit and present His heart of love to a dying world.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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3/06/26 Above All Choose Love

This life continually offers us choices. Many of those choices are slam dunks because the options available are simple. Right is always right, and wrong is always wrong. There are many times, however, when choices are not simple. Sometimes weighing all the factors doesn’t lead to making choices clear.

Motivated by love, Jesus made a choice to leave heaven and come to earth. In the garden, He made the choice to do His Father’s will. It was also a choice motivated by love. His whole time on this earth was motivated by the love He had for His Father and for us. We are to walk as He walked if we call ourselves His followers.

As a husband and father, you have been placed in the position of being responsible before God for those you steward. You are presented with many choices that determine the outcome in situations that impact the lives of others. It’s a responsibility of your God-given office and it’s important to Him.

Some choices are easy. When choices that require more than simple decisions are before you, you can never go wrong if you choose love when you make them. You’re to lay down your life as Jesus laid down His life. You’re to live for the best interests of others. If the choice you face is doing something either for your best interest or the best interests of others, follow the life decisions of Jesus. Choose love! Make the choice that is in the best interests of the others involved rather than yours. Jesus did it; so should you at every opportunity. Abba likes that!

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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