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I want to grow as a leader, and I want to help others grow. Sharing my thoughts on leadership is intended to help us grow together into all God wants for us. I hope you enjoy my blog.

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Those Who Mourn

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Matt. 5:4.  At first it may sound like a contradiction that those who mourn will be blessed.  But our walk with God is to be a process of continual change.  God is always in the process of changing us.  At the moment that we recognize that we are not what we should be, there is a place of mourning.  That precise moment is a time that we can change, if we will go through the mourning.  When we say, "God, I recognize I need to change in this area of my life, and I am sorry for the way I have been living,  now please change my heart, and help me to live in the way You want me to," we are being changed into His image.  We mourn, and then we are comforted by His grace and love.  We see that He loves us unconditionally, and He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.  Mourning becomes an essential part of our growth, for can we really change, if we are not sorry about our past?  Mourning gives way to change, and change brings comfort.  Those who mourn their sin will be blessed.  Think of Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector, who was ready to make restitution four fold to anyone he had taken from  wrongfully.  Think of the joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.  At the revelation of Jesus we are changed.  Peter cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord," as Jesus revealed Himself through the net breaking with fish in Luke 5.  In the presence of this miracle, Peter saw his own condition, and mourned his sinfulness.  He was being changed, little by little, to become a great man of God, but his change came through mourning, and then being comforted.  He again mourned when he denied Jesus three times.  He went out and wept bitterly.  But Jesus comforted him, and exalted him because of his humility in mourning.  Judas also mourned, but did not repent.  His sorrow brought death.  Godly sorrow is sorrow that brings repentance, and brings us back to God.  There is always forgiveness available, 1 John 1:9.  There is always mercy available.  "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."  Pro. 28:13.  Goodness and mercy follows those who go through the mourning.  The peaceable fruit of righteousness is for those who endure the chastening.  You will be a blessed person, when you mourn, and you will be comforted.

Are you going through the process of mourning today?  

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