Breathe with God

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God."

- Psalm42:1

We lose consciousness soon as we're deprived of oxygen beyond our human limit. Our brain cells begin dying, leading to brain damage, and survival becomes nearly impossible.

Breathing comes naturally, we do it without thinking about it. We breathe to live. We breathe to calm our nerves as we meditate. Every breath we take is a moment of grace. A gift given since birth.

"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

- Job 33:4

We breathe in two different ways. "Physical breathing" where we breathe in oxygen to sustain life and "Spiritual Breathing" to sustain our spiritual life. Unfortunately, breathing spiritually requires awareness unlike physical breathing.

"Spiritual Breathing, like physical breathing, is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure, an exercise in faith that enables you to experience God's love and forgiveness and walk in the Spirit as a way of life."

- Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Just as our lungs breathe in oxygen, where our body processes and filters out carbon dioxide, we inhale the Holy Spirit with spiritual breathing. Breathing with God cannot be done unconsciously because to breathe with God, we need to do so through the words of the Gospels and communion, just as oxygen is accessible from the production of plants and water.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

- 2 Timothy 3:16

I would take a moment to breathe at times when I'm feeling stressed. I'd put on a spiritual song or pray. With each word, I would take deep breaths. Inhale God's words and exhale the anxiety. This always helps calm my nerves. It's what sustains me. God is breathing through me.

"He breathes the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person."

- Genesis 2:7

The words in the Bible are God's breath. Without it, our spirit is deprived of spiritual oxygen. The only way for it to breathe is when we breathe with God. "He breathes the breath of life into the man's nostrils." the moment we are baptized and the moment we take communion is the beginning of the spiritual life.

"Breath of God" in Hebrew is expressed as "the Spirit of God". "Ruach" is the Hebrew word used in the scripture, translated as Wind, Spirit and Life, and Genesis 6:17 as "the Breath of Life".

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."

- Psalm 42:1

The intense desire to know God intimately. Just as the deer pants - the desperation longing for something vital. Sometimes, we deprive ourselves of the spiritual oxygen. We forget to spiritually breathe, leading to spiritual Dyspnea. We'd start feeling distressed, anxiety, restlessness, etc. Just as physically, we'd take deeper breaths, trying to grasp air as we become aware and by recognizing our deep desire for God, a holy longing to breathe with God and for God's purpose, God's grace allows us to reconnect with Him and would breathe through us through His words and communion.

God's breath comforts us in a world filled with imperfections and toxins. Like plants, we filter these toxins through God's grace and gift of the Holy Spirit and purify our spiritual lungs, exhaling God's love and purity for the rest of the world to breathe.

Matthew 6:12 - Forgiveness

"And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors." - Matthew 6:12

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; " We ask this in our daily prayer. Forgiveness goes both ways. To be forgiven in return, you, too, need to forgive. Forgiveness is something we all want to receive but is it something we are all willing to give?

What is forgive?

FORGIVE verb

: to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : PARDON forgive one's enemies

: to grant relief from payment of forgive a debt

Source - Merriam Webster

Note the word "Debt", which is also used in Matthew 6:12 - "And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors." Forgiveness is referred to as debt or being in debt. It all started when Adam and Eve took a bite of that apple, and their debt continued through generations. For that debt to be lifted, an ultimate price needed to be paid, a price no other can afford except for One. The crucifixion of Christ our Lord. That moment was when the debt was lifted, and we were set free. So why do we all feel like we still live in debt, where forgiving one another feels impossible? Or that our guilt stops us from feeling deserving to be forgiven?

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”

-Ephesians 1:7-8

One of life's toughest challenges is to overcome the anger or hurt of being mistreated by someone, especially someone we love. The Bible stresses and urges us to forgive. Forgiveness and Love go side by side with one another. But regardless, we can't help but hold on to that anger and hurt and, at times, would only consider forgiving after receiving a verbal apology. An apology would be well appreciated, but it is not the main ingredient to righting the wrong. However, time and changed behaviour can heal a damaged relationship. So what can truly mend a broken heart?

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

- Ephesians 4:31-32

"Unforgiveness" is considered a "Spiritual Poison". As it spreads like cancer when one is unwilling to forgive, It stirs up an emotional storm filled with bitterness and anger; one demands justice. Unforgiveness creates a domino effect on us in every possible way. Our emotions would be driven by it, followed by negative thoughts, behaviours, spirit, and our relationships with others. It affects our judgment and perspective because "we view the world and ourselves through the lens of hurt". Consumed with unforgiveness, our wounds will not heal over time. In fact, it may worsen, and our emotional pain would increase. A tremendous burden to carry, and the longer we carry it, the heavier it will get. "Pain becomes the identity of the unforgiving person."

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

- Proverbs 17:9

Let's go back to Merriam-Webster's definition of "Forgiveness". "To cease to feel resentment against (an offender)"and "to grant relief from payment of forgiving a debt". Cease and relief are the two keywords I'd like to focus on. When we cease, we let go and end resentment - one of the causes of the unwanted emotional storm. Relief is the after-effect of ceasing the feeling of resentment, not only the relief towards others but for yourself.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

- Ephesian 2:8

The day God's only Begotten Son saved us from our sins was when we received the gift of Forgiveness. Forgiveness is for the brokenhearted, those who seek repentance and for wounds that need to be healed and to move on from the pain and hurt. Forgiveness mends the heart and restores broken relationships. A challenging action, but God has guided us on how to take the first step to Forgiveness. "..'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' " -Matthew 18:21-22. "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."- Luke 17:3. Forgiveness, we must first acknowledge that we all need Forgiveness. "For Christians, forgiveness is nonnegotiable; it is the very essence of our faith

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

- Ephesians 4:32

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

- Proverbs 17:9

Philippians 2:3-4 Humbleness

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

Philippians 2:3-4

Success can come at the price of arrogance. With the power we yield the view from the top is tempting. But for how long can we maintain such a lofty position? With my prideful nature, I am the last to preach of being humble. Truth be told each day serves as a reminder of who is truly above all.

Before getting deeper into it, Let's look at one of my favourite humble role models - Saint Paul, the apostle. Once known as Saul, the persecutor of Christians, he later became one of Christ's followers soon after the truth was lit before him. Most of us, stubborn as we can be, have a hard time admitting our faults. Imagine being proven wrong about something you firmly stood by your entire life?

"For I am the least of the apostles, who I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."

- I Corinthian 15:9

"To me, who I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ"

- Ephesians 3:8

How do we introduce ourselves? Do we start off boasting about our career achievements? My esteem title?

From someone with such greatness, Paul did not boast by introducing himself as "one of the greatest apostles" or one of the "chosen ones". Instead, he introduced himself as Paul, "the prisoner of Christ" (Eph 3:1), "The servant of the Gospel" (Eph 3:7), and "Former persecutor of the church.." (Galatians 1:13,14).

While pride dominates, we are placed on a high pedestal, isolating ourselves from everyone else. We tend to allow our status, titles, and achievements to speak loudly on our behalf. We forget that God's grace is the foundation of our success. We fail to thank our humble beginnings and forget that His love carried us through. But Paul never did.

So does it mean we should hide our achievements and talents? No. Share your talents and achievements, as long as the reason behind doing so is pure and selfless. Mother Teresa once said, "Humility is not hiding talents; the only thing Our Lord asked us to learn was to be meek and humble of heart."

Paul's imprisonment exposed his immense love for Christ and the people he preached. I believe that moment highlighted his Humbling characteristic. Regardless of being chained up in a damp prison cell, he remained joyous, if not more than ever, because preaching the Gospel continued. Rather than envying others for preaching the Gospel on his behalf, with no praise or credit, he was instead joyous and thankful that His mission continued through others. Paul had a purpose and goal, and he never let pride get in. Your end goal is what counts!

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

-Philippians 2:3-4

So what does it mean to be Humble?

Lowliness. When living in vanity, we are imprisoned to pride. Being "in lowliness of mind", We gain freedom from pride. Our eyes are open to our own faults, charitable in our judgments of others and gain clarity, able to observe our own defects and better ourselves, while ready to overlook and forgive others for their weaknesses and flaws. Many have misunderstood this scripture by neglecting their own welfare. The scripture does not ask us to neglect our own welfare for the welfare of others but instead follows up with "Not only for his own interest but for the interest of others."

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition". What is my heart's intention? I ask myself what the reason is behind my deed. Is it entirely for others? or to benefit me solely? Is it a selfless act? Or am I expecting something in return?

Being praised is a great feeling, but it is one of life's tests many of us fail to pass. Pride feeds on praises for any achievement, such as acts of service or good deeds. A human weakness that's unavoidable. However, like Paul, we remind ourselves that these acts are indeed the works of God through us. These words are His words. We remind ourselves of the spirit behind our mission and the end goal. Who are we? Preachers? Apostles? or are we servants? Followers?

Being humble requires strength and self-control.

Some may perceive humbleness as being "submissive", "no spine", or a "weak" personality. Truthfully, humility isn't any; it is one of the most vital and substantial characteristics for success. Many successful people such as Mark Zuckerberg and the late Steve Jobs proudly wear it. With humility, you can become a great leader where others will look up to you with respect.

We may be far from being humble, or we may not be at all. The good news is that it is not impossible to pursue.

"Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honour and life"

- Proverbs 22:4

This verse perfectly defines humility. A great way to encourage one to pursue it. We live in a world where we are encouraged to look out for ourselves and enjoy the "pleasures" of vanity, while the bible, sheds light on the blessings of humility and its benefits. With humility, we recognize how much we need God's help in our lives. With humility, we find comfort in who we are in Christ and seek to build others up other than ourselves. With humility, we cast out all bitterness, rage and anger along with every form of malice and gain kind and compassion for one another - as mentioned in Ephesians 4:31-32. The benefits are endless.

At some point in our lives, we've all achieved at least one act of humility, whether or not we were aware of it.