Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Philippians 3:12-15

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

 

You can’t get out of the rut if you’re holding on to guilt. It’s a weight you can’t carry if you expect to run the race God has set before you. Guilt has a place in our lives: it ought to be a warning, like the check engine light on your dashboard. You see the light and you get the car fixed. Guilt is also like those shock paddles the doctor uses to get a heart beating again. You can’t live with that constant shock going through the system. I’ll say it again: you won’t get out of the rut if guilt is continually coursing through your system.

Don’t carry guilt for missing quiet times. This will lead to paralysis, which will lead to a numbing and hardening of the heart. Convictions ought to move us closer to God, not further away. Every Christian makes mistakes. Conviction is the Holy Spirit’s whisper inviting you back to the Cross to find forgiveness in Christ. When you stumble in your faith, commit to “failing forward” and come to God and seek forgiveness in humility. If you slack off in your current devotional plan (we’ll talk more about this later), don’t try to catch up. THIS IS A DEATH SENTENCE. Simply continue to move forward. Rest in God’s grace, FOR IT IS THE ONLY WAY FOR CONTINUAL GROWTH

From of the forgiveness you receive from God, you need to forgive yourself. You also may need to seek forgiveness from others.

If you want to worship God in the way that he intended, you need to right the wrongs you’ve committed to others. So deeply do I wish this wasn’t necessary for the spiritual life! If you’ve offended another person, you need to make amends to remove the stumbling block that’s keeping you in the rut.