July 3, 2018

How Deep Is Your Faith?

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” – Luke 7:47

It’s an odd assortment of people in the class. There are those who have much and those who have little. There are those who are young and those who older. And there are those who have overcome much and those who have overcome little. Who has the greatest faith?

Some people grow up attending church. They accept Jesus as their Savior and really never venture far from what they know. Faith is just a part of who they are. They don’t question it. They pray eloquent prayers and live the life they were told to live.

And then there are those who grew to faith in adulthood. They came kicking and screaming, making mistake after mistake, until they finally hit the bottom of the pit. There they met Jesus. They came to understand that He was their only hope for a different life, a better life. They grasped His hand and clung to it tightly. Every day is a struggle. Every day they hold tightly to a faith that is so real they can almost touch it.

Whose faith is greater? That faith which has never been challenged or the faith that has weathered a storm and found its way into a safe harbor?

It would be wonderful if no one ever had to suffer. That’s not reality. That’s not the world we live in. One of the saddest things to see is someone who has done everything right on their faith journey, fall apart when the storm hits. And it will always hit.

There is the woman who buried a son, almost lost another, and then buried her husband. She was raised in church and has lived a “good” life. She has known the desperation of deep grief. She knows the strength that comes from the promises of Jesus.

Another man built an almost perfect life with his wife. They had two beautiful children who, in turn, married and presented them with grandchildren. They worked hard. They were faithful servants of the Lord. Until she got sick.

I wasn’t sure his faith would survive. The loneliness tried to consume him. The questions were relentless. How can someone do everything right for Jesus and then suffer an unbearable loss? Jesus warned us but we didn’t think it would happen to us.

Only God knows our hearts. He knows how deep our faith truly goes. Has it been tested in the fire? It will be. Does anyone ever leave this earth without knowing deep grief, illness, brokenness?

Those who have suffered much have a grace about them. They understand loss and fear and being held closely during an overwhelming storm.

Those who have made too many mistakes to count and still found love and forgiveness from their Savior extend mercy quickly. Their hearts are open. Their hands extend to those in need. They understand how easy it is to fall onto a path you never planned to take. They understand how hard it is to get back up and try again.

The Pharisees condemned this woman who honored Jesus with expensive perfume and her tears. They couldn’t understand the depth of her gratitude. Can you?

June 29, 2018

Critics Abound

“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

– Luke 7:33-35

No matter what you do, there will always be someone to criticize you. No matter what you don’t do, there will always be someone to criticize you. It can destroy you if you let it.

Understand that the only One you need to please is God. He is your judge. He is your jury. He is the One who knows your heart.

I know. It’s easier to say that than it is to do it. Words hurt. It’s frustrating to face the lies of others. It’s upsetting to be slandered no matter what you do or don’t do. It’s easy to say walk away and trust God to handle it. There is a natural inclination to want to fight back. Don’t. God will handle it.

Jesus gets it. He really does. No matter what He did on this earth, someone criticized Him for it. We look at that, we read His words, and we can’t believe that anyone would be less than thrilled at His miracles. We can’t believe anyone would doubt His teachings. But they did. So do we.

Every time we walk a different path than the one we are called to, we deny Him. Every time we judge others, we deny Him. Every time we take His Word out of context and use it for our own purposes, we deny Him.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the church. I wonder sometimes how the pastors and staff handle it. Deep faith and God’s grace I suppose. And understanding that it really isn’t about them.

I have critics who claim I am way too liberal. And I have critics who claim I am way too conservative. I have been criticized for prayer time in Sunday school class (too long unless it involves one of the critics’ needs or concerns) and I have been criticized for not reordering the class to fit the wishes of people who rarely come.

That’s just a few things that come to mind. I could tell you about the critics who don’t like the music in either the contemporary or traditional services, who don’t like the way communion is done, who get upset with the volume or appropriate dress or any number of other things that really don’t matter.

Some people are going to complain about what’s not important so they don’t have to face what really is important. It’s just easier to focus on other things than to look inside and see the mess found there.

Those with wisdom are willing to look in the mirror and see the ways they need Jesus to fix their souls. They work to deny themselves and live a righteous life of faith, grace and mercy.

Others will continue their foolishness, pointing fingers and criticizing others. Trust them to God. You’ll never win a skirmish with someone who doesn’t see their own faults. Focus on being the best person you can be, the person God called you to be. And trust that God will handle all the rest.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Don’t Judge Unless You Know

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” -- Luke 7:44-47

It is so easy to criticize others from afar. It is easy to pass judgment on things we do not understand. It is easy to assume we would do things differently if the choice were ours to make.

Assumptions hurt everyone. We’re all guilty at times. But that doesn’t make it right.

Last week a wonderful friend and her husband made the agonizing decision to admit their son to a mental hospital. He is a pre-teen, way too young to be so sick. Yet, he is. They didn’t make the decision lightly. They consulted with doctors. They prayed. And they did what they believe is best.

Others don’t agree. How could they? But love isn’t easy and sometimes the hardest decisions end up being the best. Their son has a chance because they made the most difficult decision in their lives. They deserve to have the love and support of everyone around them. What they don’t need are people who don’t know or understand the entire situation to pass judgment and tell them they could have found another way.

Years ago a wonderful woman changed her life so her mother could live out her remaining years at home. The mother was terrified of the nursing home. So this woman moved in with her mother, eventually quitting her job as her mother needed more and more care.

Her brother was anything but supportive. He and his wife lived a few hours away. They visited twice a year. He never, ever offered to stay with his mother, even for a few hours, so his sister could get a break. In fact, he criticized her and demanded meals and service every time they visited. He treated his mother’s home like a hotel and his sister like the hired help.

When their mother died, he demanded the house be put on the market -- even before his mother was buried. His priorities and his sister’s were different. He was focused on his inheritance while his sister grieved their mother’s death. He was active in his church. His sister rarely attended church. But which sibling lived as Jesus would have wanted?

It is easy to judge. It is easy to say what choices we would make. It is easy to tell others how to live their lives. But until we’ve walked their path, we really don’t know. That’s something to remember the next time we dare to look down at someone walking a difficult road.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Follow God, Not Man

"(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)" -- Luke 7:29-30

Don't assume that someone who stands before you and proclaims God's word is telling you the truth. Sounds pretty basic but so many people just know that if a person has a pastor or minister or brother title before their name then they must be speaking the truth. Not necessarily.
Read the Bible for yourself. Pray. Ask God to surround you with godly people, then seek guidance from those who live God's Word rather than merely speak it. God is more than willing to guide our lives. We simply have to open our hearts and invite Him in.
Never forget that the Pharisees -- the religious leaders of their day -- rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Don't make the same mistake. Trust Him and His Word above all others. He'll never lead you astray.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jesus Welcomes Sinners

"When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'" -- Luke 7:39

Thank you, Lord, that you are far more welcoming than many of the pious who inhabit the churches around us. Thank you that you are quick to recognize a repentant heart and extend a welcoming hand to your people. May your words convict those who judge others more harshly than themselves. And may we show your mercy and kindness to those who judge us unfairly.