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document.write('<h2>3 Ways to Be Free</h2><p><strong><em>by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors/bi');
document.write('o_bjubar.htm"><font color="#000000">Brandon Jubar</font></a></em></strong></p><p>"It\'s not my fault."</p><p>It could b');
document.write('e the motto of millions of people these days -- young and old alike. Everywhere we look there are examples of people not');
document.write(' taking responsibility for their actions -- or inaction.</p><p>A high school girl\'s grades plummet and her parents blam');
document.write('e the school, while the school blames the parents. Or, more seriously: A young man who was raised by foster parents kill');
document.write('s several coworkers and the media blames "the system," while the government blames the media.<br />Parents, society, the');
document.write(' government, rock and roll, the media -- all are used as excuses to explain the wrongful acts of individuals. Sometimes ');
document.write('they are even used to justify the sins.</p><p>Have mercy on me, O God,<br />according to thy steadfast love;<br />accor');
document.write('ding to thy abundant mercy<br />blot out my transgressions.<br />(Psalm 51:1)</p><p>It takes a big person to admit that');
document.write(' he or she is wrong. Yet that is one of the basic steps in living a Christian life. In order to be forgiven of our sins,');
document.write(' it certainly helps if we recognize and accept them!</p><h3>The Freedom of Taking Responsibility</h3><p>It is ironic t');
document.write('hat in modern society, this idea of placing the blame on everyone else does not free us from anything. If I fail a test ');
document.write('and then blame my teacher for not doing an adequate job, does that get rid of the shame I feel inside? Not when I know t');
document.write('hat I did not read and study the way I should have. And when I do this with more serious sins -- keeping everything lock');
document.write('ed up inside, denying it\'s there -- how can I be forgiven? If I deny my sins, I cannot repent.</p><p>On the flip side o');
document.write('f repentance is forgiveness, which is also something we are called to do. As Christians, we should not hold grudges and ');
document.write('make people pay long after they have asked to be forgiven. We must strive to be merciful towards others, which is also n');
document.write('ot an easy task. It takes a big person to forgive someone who has committed a wrong, but that forgiveness can come back ');
document.write('to us multiplied.</p><blockquote>Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but ');
document.write('he who is forgiven little, loves little.<br />(Luke 7:47)</blockquote><p>When you look at the lives of some of our grea');
document.write('t saints, you\'ll find that many of them began as great sinners. Because they recognized the enormity of their sins, they');
document.write(' were profoundly changed when those sins had been forgiven. They truly understood the significance of God\'s love for the');
document.write('m because they knew just how sinful they had been.</p><h3>The Freedom of Forgiveness</h3><p>The same will often hold t');
document.write('rue when we forgive others. If my friend apologizes for talking behind my back and spreading rumors that led to the brea');
document.write('k up of a relationship, then he probably knows how serious the matter is. So if I do as Jesus asks and forgive him, then');
document.write(' he will also see how much I must value his friendship. Knowing that, he will place much more value on our friendship in');
document.write(' the future. Moreover, Jesus tells us we must forgive others, for it is the key to opening to ourselves to the forgivene');
document.write('ss of God.</p><blockquote>For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if y');
document.write('ou do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mt 6:2-3)</blockquote><block');
document.write('quote>And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in ');
document.write('heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mk 11:25)</blockquote><blockquote>And in anger his lord delivered him to the j');
document.write('ailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive y');
document.write('our brother from your heart. (Mt 18:34-35)</blockquote><h3>The Freedom of Love</h3><blockquote>Let all that you do be ');
document.write('done in love.<br />(1 Cor 16:14)</blockquote><p>Sometimes the shortest verses in Scripture have the biggest meaning. "A');
document.write('ll that you do" covers an awful lot of territory! Every action you take, every word you speak, every thought you think -');
document.write('- who is up to that challenge?</p><p>Think about it. How much of what we do every day is done out of selfishness, pride');
document.write(' or vanity? How many of our words are spoken for our own benefit? How much of what we do is done with our own interests ');
document.write('in mind? In a society that virtually worships the individual, how can we even do some of what we do out of love?</p><p>');
document.write('Yet that is what we are called to do as Christians. For God does all things out of love. He does not condemn us, but rat');
document.write('her forgives us whenever we acknowledge our faults and ask Him for help. He is ever merciful with us, just as He expects');
document.write(' us to have mercy on each other.</p><blockquote>Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.<br />(Matthew 5');
document.write(':7)</blockquote><p>He will always pardon us, and the Holy Spirit will provide us with the grace to be big enough to adm');
document.write('it our faults, ask for forgiveness, forgive others in turn, and live our lives out of love for God and each other. Stop ');
document.write('saying "It\'s not my fault." Stop looking for someone else to blame. God will help us -- but it takes a big person to ask');
document.write('. Are you big enough?</p><hr><h3>Life Applications:</h3><p>Think of a time where you took responsibilitiy for somethin');
document.write('g you had done wrong. How did you feel?<br>Think of a time when you forgave someone who did wrong to you. How did you fe');
document.write('el?<br>Think of a time when you did something out of love and respect for someone else. How did you feel?</p><hr><p>Cop');
document.write('yright 2009 <strong><em>by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parishwebmaster.com/services/authors/bio_bjubar.htm"><fon');
document.write('t color="#000000">Brandon Jubar</font></a></em></strong><br><A HREF="http://www.ParishWebmaster.com/" STYLE="TEXT-DECORA');
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