Confirmation Session 9: Never lose heart!

Published on February 19, 2023

Perhaps this is the most important detail.

Never, ever, lose heart.

We might fail over and over… perhaps all our lives.

What matters is that we start again and again.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, to go two miles instead of one, to lend without any hope of return, and lots more difficult stuff too.

Check it out: Matthew 5:38-48 but read it as a description of God. *

God always lends without any hope of return – God has loaned your life without any hope of return!

God will always go two miles with us instead of one!

When we slap God on one cheek he will turn the other cheek – he will not strike back!

When we put God on trial (and we’re always putting God on trial) God will not retaliate.

God will even love his enemies!

“God makes his sun to shine on good men as well as bad men and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.”

God just waits for us to make ourselves capable of receiving his Gifts.

That’s all God wants – people capable of receiving his Gifts and it is never too late as long as we’re alive.

Never give up!

 

*Please see below for the full text of Matthew 5:38-48 – be sure to read it as a description of how God deals with us, as a beautiful description of the mercy of God.

 

Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’