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5/24/22 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

5/23/22 Benefits with Responsibilities

“Few of My children choose to fully dedicate themselves to Jesus and the gift that We have given them. They willingly take the benefits of what has been accomplished at the cross, but rarely accept the responsibilities that are associated with them. Examine your heart. Do you care about the things that have eternal value as your priority? Are you conscious about the times and seasons in which you live to the point that you have modified your lifestyle to tell others of the urgency of each day? Have you sacrificed your comfort areas, so that others might find out Who Jesus is? Do you really know Who He is yourself?

"Those questions are only the beginning of what you might ask as you take the time to find your real motives and reasons for the choices you are making. I do notice what takes place in the hearts of those of you who say that you are Mine. I note who is responding to My call to holiness. I welcome your desire to press into intimacy with Me, to gain My heart and understand My desires. It is why you have been called. It is why I have given you breath.”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

II Chr. 16:9a NIV

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

Proverbs 29:21 AMP

He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights of a son afterward.

Amos 3:3 KJV

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

So many foolish things are being done in the Name of Jesus that it’s clear little time is spent to really know what His heart is. Representatives of His Word maneuver people for their own gain. Representatives of His life attempt to maneuver God to pad their comfort areas.

Jesus went to the cross so that we could accept God’s way as our way. It is the highest calling and the most astounding privilege. Whatever gets in the way of our conforming to His plans and to the image of Jesus should be cast aside as the horror that it really is. We represent Him. We will be held accountable for what we do in His Name.

Show me what is real, Lord,

Jim Corbett

5/23/22 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

5/21/22 Did You Follow Through?

“How have you responded when I have called you to do something for Me? Have you done what I asked you to do? Have you followed through with what I placed on your heart, no matter how hard the task might be? You should know that all of my requests are tests, so that you can see if I can trust you. I am asking you to be faithful with small amounts, so that I can trust you with much more.

"Do you see how important it is for Me to have people I can rely upon? As times become more difficult, those who have learned to follow my heart without question will not be distracted by the peril all around them. They will be obedient no matter what. Learn to be obedient to My heart now! Learn to follow through with what you are called to do, no matter how hard it is for you. There is much need! There is much to do! I desire to use you. Learn to live My way now. I will be able to use you in a greater capacity then.”

Matthew 25:14-30 NIV

14) "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.

15) To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

16) The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.

17) So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

18) But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19) "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

20) The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,' he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21) "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22) "The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,' he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23) "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24) "Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,' he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25) So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26) "His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

27) Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28) " ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

29) For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

30) And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

Obedience to the heart of God is very difficult in the beginning. It takes a determination to decide to do things God’s way rather than our own. What is amazing, however, is the fact that the more we respond positively, the easier it gets. In fact, after responding to the Lord with many “yeses,” it becomes a wonderfully fulfilling lifestyle. We eventually cannot fathom living without doing His will and work. It becomes as important as food and water.

Become my food and water, Lord,

Jim Corbett

5/21/22 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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