Have you noticed we live in a world of outrage? Each one of us is tempted by the pull to say we are right and that the other person is wrong. I can easily let my mind fill with frustration. Particularly when it involves things of the church.
Over the past few weeks, I have been making use of a practice the church has used since the 5th century. Praying a simple prayer of centering and meditation. When I am frustrated, when I do not have the answer, when I feel like my rights are being ignored, when I feel wronged and when I feel stressed I pray this prayer over and over:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
It is called “The Jesus Prayer,” and it reminds me that Jesus is my source and my presence in his kingdom is not because of my wisdom or self-righteousness but because of his mercy. And because he has been merciful to me maybe I can be merciful towards others.
Right now, many of us are feeling overwhelmed and without answers. I invite to you pray this prayer with me:
Because of the influence of these people in my life I chose to head to the gym 2-3 days a week. The result is I have lost 20 lbs. While I still have that much more and more to go to be where I want to me, it is a very significant improvement for me. Now I am faced with the same crossroads, only this time my clothes don’t fit because they are too large.