My back is straight. I am going somewhere. I stand upright in front of God and Man. I do what is right whenever I can.
I do have my sins and I take them before my judge. They are my responsibility and I humbly ask for their forgiveness, but as I am still in the flesh they are inescapable. Does the fact that I am in the flesh absolve me of them. No, absolutely not. It is still my responsibility to correct them and, for that strength, I do pray. Regardless, I stand upright–for the first time in many years.
I am upright in my service to God in my daily work. I am upright in my service to man and principalities. I conscientiously love my neighbor as myself. I conscientiously try to do to others as I would have them do to me.
My greatest sins are to others and to the temple of my body. Resentment (anger) toward others and tobacco use are the chief of these. I am pleased to say that through diligent prayer and meditation anger toward others is nearly gone.
Residual anger is now absent. I am still angered at times by persons who currently misuse and mistreat me and my loved ones. I think that is only a natural emotion that results from the offensive acts when they occur. But, when they occur I take them to my judge and ask him to forgive those who commit them and to help me to forgive them as well. When I do so I am blessed to discover that those who have angered me are no less than I am and that, in truth, it is not the person who I resent but their words and actions. Hate the sin, not the sinner.
As for the poisoning of my body through use of tobacco, that is a sin for which I am most culpable. I do not do nearly enough to cease this deadly addiction. It is destructive not only to my body but is a constant barrier between me and God.
My service to God through service to his children fills me with peace. I long to do even greater things in his name. Some day, if God is willing, I will.
I’m going somewhere. My back is straight. No man may ride thereon.
Gryphon
Dr. Spots
A Straight Back
Posted by Gryphon on December 27, 2008
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Memphis,TN., April 3, 1968. I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. )
My back is straight. I am going somewhere. I stand upright in front of God and Man. I do what is right whenever I can.
I do have my sins and I take them before my judge. They are my responsibility and I humbly ask for their forgiveness, but as I am still in the flesh they are inescapable. Does the fact that I am in the flesh absolve me of them. No, absolutely not. It is still my responsibility to correct them and, for that strength, I do pray. Regardless, I stand upright–for the first time in many years.
I am upright in my service to God in my daily work. I am upright in my service to man and principalities. I conscientiously love my neighbor as myself. I conscientiously try to do to others as I would have them do to me.
My greatest sins are to others and to the temple of my body. Resentment (anger) toward others and tobacco use are the chief of these. I am pleased to say that through diligent prayer and meditation anger toward others is nearly gone.
Residual anger is now absent. I am still angered at times by persons who currently misuse and mistreat me and my loved ones. I think that is only a natural emotion that results from the offensive acts when they occur. But, when they occur I take them to my judge and ask him to forgive those who commit them and to help me to forgive them as well. When I do so I am blessed to discover that those who have angered me are no less than I am and that, in truth, it is not the person who I resent but their words and actions. Hate the sin, not the sinner.
As for the poisoning of my body through use of tobacco, that is a sin for which I am most culpable. I do not do nearly enough to cease this deadly addiction. It is destructive not only to my body but is a constant barrier between me and God.
My service to God through service to his children fills me with peace. I long to do even greater things in his name. Some day, if God is willing, I will.
I’m going somewhere. My back is straight. No man may ride thereon.
Praise God.
This entry was posted on December 27, 2008 at 4:41 pm and is filed under Journal. Tagged: Anger, commentary, Forgiveness, God, Martin Luther King, Quotes, Resentment, Service, Sin, Smoking, Spirituality, Tobacco. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.