Gratitude, the path to Humility
When we re looking to improve, especially in relationships, there is a mountain of accountability to swallow, it's overwhelming sometimes. How can we find the courage and strength to face it? The prayer with the 5 phrases helped me. It reminded me of what I am in need of forgiveness for and who can help me do it. So the short answer is: prayer. The longer answer is: we ask God to fill us and surround us in His love so we can rely on the perfection of Christ and the strength of God's love. When we stop trying on our own perfection, the realization of our guilt is not so overpowering because we are letting the Saviour bear the load only He can carry.God's perfection is what makes His love so pure. Our love is tainted by blame because we seek, even subconsciously, to excuse our sins and that taints the way we see others, including God. Coming to Him in true contrition and gratitude brings us into real humility, and humility is the threshold to a change of heart.
No Way to God Without Humility
When we want to come to God, we have to go through the porch of humility to knock on the doorway of Christ. We can't even lift the knocker of the door without having gone through humility that brings us to the truth that we are not capable of carrying the burden of our own perfection. Letting go of that belief, letting go of our sins and letting Jesus carry and dissolve them in His perfection and His love and redeeming power, frees our strength to be put into seeking God.Picture yourself coming up to the door carrying on both arms 5-6 gallons of milk -your sins- you can't reach up to the knocker unless you put down the bags. In this case, Jesus is there saying "Cast your burdens on me." He takes the milk and makes cheese, whey, yogurt, butter, whipping cream, and sticks them in your room in God's house.
Casting off Our Burdens Gives us Strength
We cannot even knock on the door of God unless we have let go of the burdens we're carrying. We can say the words, and there is a point to saying them even when you're not sincere yet, but we aren't completely open until we've cast the burdens of our sins, everything and anything that make us reluctant or doubtful towards God and His desire and intention to bless us. Resentment, fear, blame, anger, hatred, etc. are sins becuase a sin is anything that keeps us from connection with God.Jesus took upon himself our sins (all of humanity's) to make forgiveness and redemption possible, to make it possible for us to forgive others and for them to forgive us so we can let go of resentment, fear, anger, blame, etc. and have the courage and strength to knock on the door of Heaven and receive all the blessings God has already prepared for us.
