These are all so good lately that I just have to share them.  They speak to me so much, I hope that they help someone else out there. Spiritual Stumbles  May 31, 2008  Key Passage: Luke 22:31-38  Topic: Forgiveness; Prayer  "But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32, ESV)    Imagine you've just landed your dream job. You've worked for this all your life; there's never been a time you didn't believe this is what you want to do with your life. You get great pay, great benefits, and on top of that, you genuinely love the work.  And then, one week into the job, you make a bone-headed mistake that anyone else would have avoided. And you think, Maybe this isn't the job for me.  Mistakes are one thing in the workplace but what about in our Christian lives? A mistake at work means disappointing your boss, but disappointing Jesus is much worse, isn't it?   We learn a lot from Jesus in these verses. We learn that Jesus is praying for us. He knows we're still living in these sinful bodies and that Satan will take advantage of that fact. He knows we will make mistakes. But Jesus prays that even though we fail, we won't give up.  Jesus also tells us the way to get back up again; by repenting and turning back to Him. Though Satan tempts us, it's ultimately our choice to sin. That's why we need to repent--to turn away from our wrong choices and confess them to Jesus.   The best part of this verse, though, is the last part. When we make a mistake and sin and then repent, Jesus doesn't put us on some kind of spiritual probation, He sends us right back to work. In fact, we can use our experience to encourage others who may be facing the same situation.  If you've messed up, don't quit. Turn to Jesus and let Him lift you up.   ~~~ Now I know I still sin a lot in my daily life but reading this makes me think mainly of the self-harm stuff I used to do.  How Satan would tempt me with the urges until I would give in (cut, od, etc)...in the last few months I have confessed it to Jesus and handed those urges to him and have barely had to deal with them at all.  I mean I truly gave them to him....I have before in the past but never 100% meant it because I still kind of enjoyed it a bit.  I wasn't 100% ready to give it up at that point.  But in the last few months I have totally 110% given it up.  I don't want that as part of my life and I don't want to enjoy it.  I believe that yes, I still may struggle with it at times, but as long as I continue giving that to God, He'll help me with that.  Now...to work on giving up my other sins...lol.  I'll never be perfect, but that doesn't mean I can't strive to be the best that I can be.