I’ve been reading a lot of Dr. Terry Wardle lately. He writes, teaches and speaks about spiritual formation. Here are some things he says that resonate with me…
“God’s Word emphasizes the direct relationship between forgiveness and personal well-being. The importance of forgiveness Jesus taught, cannot be overstated and its practice overdone. It is God’s way with penitent people, and it needs to be our way to. Forgiveness is the doorway to incredible peace. And, conversely, unforgiveness is a guaranteed formula for emotional and spiritual torment.” – From “Draw Near to the Fire – Finding God in the Darkness” – page 130
“We can… view our emotions from the perspective of whether they lead us to engagement with God or move us away from greater dependence on Him. We can listen to what they tell us about our struggles. Emotions are like messengers from the front lines of the battle zone. Our tendency is to kill the messenger. But if we listen carefully, we will learn how to fight the war successfully.
Therefore, don’t assume that resolving your turbulent emotions is the key to meeting God. It is actually within the inner mayhem of life that a stage is built for the intrusive story of His light and hope. God meets you in your weakness, not in your strength. He comforts those who mourn, not those who live above desperation. He reveals himself more often in darkness than in the happy moments of life.”
