When We Damage Things Entrusted to Us, Let's Make It Our Goal to Make Them Right

I Thessalonians 4:1 & I John 3:19-22

Have you taken good care of the things or people who have been entrusted to your care? If not, ask God to help you and determine to make it right.

Soul Food

“We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact, you are now living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”

- I Thessalonians 4:1

“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence. If our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him.”

- I John 3:19-22

Soul Search

• Ask yourself if there have been things or people entrusted to your care by the Lord but that you have mishandled and not taken care of.
  What situations or things come to mind?
  Do any people come to mind?

• Can you talk about how you mishandled them and/or didn’t take care of them?
  Do you have some ideas for how you can be more responsible and handle things differently moving forward?

Soul Moves

• Ask God to show you clearly the situations and the people that He has entrusted to your care but that you didn’t take care of.
  Make a list if there are several situations and/or people that were mishandled or mistreated under your care.

• Ask God to show you if you need to ask for forgiveness from any individuals that may have been negatively affected or hurt by you.
  Ask Him to give you the humility and strength to ask for forgiveness. 

• Contact those individuals in a timely way (maybe give yourself a deadline) and trust God to bring healing to them and to you.  

• Ask God to forgive you for mishandling the things and people He has entrusted to your care. Ask Him to help you become a better caretaker of the things and people He has entrusted to you.