February 6, 2016

Walk Away

“Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” -- Mark 6:10-11

Sometimes you just have to walk away. All the drama and the hurt and bad feelings that keep pounding at you will only destroy you in the end.

It’s a hard lesson to learn. In our faith, we are told to forgive and to do good to our enemies. That doesn’t mean to continue to allow Satan’s minions to destroy your peace. It means giving the situation to God and trusting that He will handle it in His time and in His way.

Forgiveness is hard. Truly it is. We want revenge. That’s our human nature. Sometimes the most kind thing we can do, the most forgiving thing we can do, is walk away. I learned a long time ago that I can’t make people like me or even care about me. I can’t turn someone’s heart into something that it is not. I can’t force someone to live a faith they claim but show no evidence of in their lives.

It’s like a drug addict that blames everyone but the person in the mirror for that addiction. We are called to search ourselves and get that plank out of our own eye. Then give it to God. Don’t let that addict’s finger pointing cause you to doubt yourself or your faith.

I am not a perfect person. I don’t claim to be. That is one of the many reasons I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. But I have reached a stage in life where the opinions of others no longer matter to me. I report to God. Period. I have searched myself. I fail Him every single day. That doesn’t mean I will continue to allow bullies to keep me on the defensive day after day.

I have washed my feet and walked away from their dirt. What about you? Are there people in your life who are toxic to you? Are there people who seek to destroy you? Give it to God and walk away. We are not meant to suffer abuse at their hands.

Trust God. If it is His will, they will change. But remember this too: We all have free will. We all have choices to make. A choice for anger, bitterness, jealousy, rage. It’s all there. Walk away and leave them to God. Forgive them from a distance. Love them from a distance. But walk away just the same.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Let Go Of Your Past Mistakes

They still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the multiplied loaves, for their hearts were hard and they did not believe. -- Mark 6:52

It’s not easy to believe Jesus. Really. It isn’t.

I know I’ve just ruffled a few feathers and caused a few folks to doubt my own beliefs. But go back and reread that first sentence. I didn’t say it wasn’t easy to believe in Jesus. I said it wasn’t easy to believe Jesus.

How do I know this? Because of all that baggage so many of us are caring around day after day, week after week after week. God forgave us years ago but we can’t seem to forgive ourselves or get beyond a past we can’t change.

We know we are all sinners. And we know God uses everything for the good of those who love Him, including those awful things we’d rather keep hidden in the darkness. We know we’re forgiven. We do. Well, sort of.

We believe God forgives others. At least, most of us do. There are a few who think God only forgives certain people for certain things. These are the people who, 20 years after the fact, still bring up sin or mistakes or bad choices. It’s as though by reminding us of our pasts they can take the focus off of themselves and their own sins.

It’s not so easy to forgive ourselves. Our minds -- fueled by Satan -- continue to replay all those things we’ve done or those things we didn’t do. We should’ve taken that job for less money. At least, we’d have a job and not the continual threat of unemployment. We should have insisted he go to the doctor instead of waiting for the heart attack that killed him. We should have managed our finances better instead of believing that the good times would always be good. Maybe if we’d spent more time in church and less time at the beach our child wouldn’t be addicted to drugs right now.

And on and on. But the thing is we can’t move forward to a better tomorrow because we’ve let today get mired down in the past. It’s like somewhere deep inside we really don’t believe God has forgiven us so we hold on to our unworthiness rather than letting Jesus’ blood wash us clean.

It’s amazing that we can get anything done for the weight of all that baggage we’re carrying around. What would happen if we just put it down? How would our lives change if we placed those bags at the cross -- really and truly -- and started walking forward without them?

Wow! The relief is amazing, isn’t it? The burden is gone. Our hardened hearts are made new again and we can embrace today with renewed vigor. We are forgiven. We are chosen. We have indeed been remade into new people. Jesus’ blood gave us another chance. Take it and rejoice in the grace He has extended to all of us.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Follow God’s Plan For Your Life

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

-- Mark 6:1-3

No matter what we dream, there will always be someone there to tell us it either can’t be done or that we can’t do it. No matter what we accomplish there will always be someone there to scoff at it and tell us it really was no big deal after all.

Frequently those who do so are the ones closest to us. It hurts. It causes us to doubt ourselves, our dreams and our accomplishments.

The world tells us that our families and close friends are our greatest cheerleaders. We are told to listen to the advice and wisdom of those who know us best. Look to others, some say, so you can best determine your strengths and your weaknesses, your skills and your gifts.

Actually, the only place you should turn is to God. Oh, sure, listen to what others say but take time to pray about it. Listen to what God has to say and follow Him rather than those around you.

Several years ago I felt God leading me on a different path. I felt a tug toward teaching. At the time, I was coordinating Children’s Church but I felt that my time there was over and I needed to move to an older audience.

The church was desperate for Sunday school teachers. Those on that committee said so publicly. So I offered my services. I didn’t request a specific age. I vowed silently to be open to what they offered.

And they did offer. The three year old class that no one else would take. I was offended, though I doubt they ever knew. And I just said no. I knew with certainty that it wasn’t what God had in mind. I was disappointed too. Because these wonderful folks couldn’t see me as anyone they could ever learn anything from.

God had a different plan. He had a different purpose for my life. Not long after this, He led me to a different church with a different mindset. Today I lead a Sunday school class of adults about my age, give or take 15 years or so. We have lively discussions as folks from different places and different political viewpoints come together to learn and grown in Christ. Each Sunday I ask God for words and wisdom and He gives both in abundance.

During the school year I lead a ladies bible study. Our numbers have grown and we all have grown closer as we bond over shared learning and the love of Jesus in our hearts.

God called me to walk a path some thought I couldn’t travel. I followed God and I’ll be forever grateful that I did.

Wednesday,May 25, 2011

Find Rest In Jesus

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

-- Mark 6:31

Some days are just hard. The days become weeks. The weeks become months. And on and on it goes. No rest for the weary. No time off for the workers.

Everyone needs time off. Everyone needs to recharge. Everyone needs a time when they are not taking care of the needs of someone else but rather are resting mentally and physically from the demands of others. Jesus understood this. Sometimes I wonder why others seem to miss it.

I’ve heard all the flippant comments. But it’s not about being grateful. It’s not about time. It’s not even about memories and duty and necessity. It’s about fatigue, most days more mental than physical. It’s the constant demands and questions, the comments and attitude. It all requires patience most of us don’t have. And yet we must.

A couple of years ago a friend’s husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. During the months he remained at home, her life deteriorated substantially. She became his memory. She repeated things again and again. She loved him and it was her duty as his wife to care for him. Knowing that didn’t make the days any easier.

Another friend nursed her husband through the end stages of a brain tumor. Her children helped. Sitters filled in. And, yet, the burden was hers. Even a trip to the store for necessities left her guilt-ridden. What if something happened while she was gone? It didn’t matter that she never left with fewer than two people with him -- a sitter and a family member. She carried the heartache.

A neighbor recently took a bad fall. She keeps trying to do things she no longer can physically do. It’s upsetting her family, as you might imagine. I can relate. You try to help and the very people you are trying to help are working against you every step of the way. It’s frustrating and a cause for constant worry.

Dr. Karl Stegall talked Sunday about laying your burdens at God’s altar. Handing it all over to Jesus because, really, how can one human ever withstand the demands of life? We can’t. So we bend down and place the worries and concerns, the problems and heartaches, at His feet. Rest for our souls. Thank you Jesus.

Friday, December 31, 2010

Cling To Jesus, Not Fear

"but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'"

-- Mark 6:49-50

We spend so much of our lives being afraid. We're afraid to change jobs. We're afraid to commit regular time to a worthy organization. We're afraid to tithe a full 10 percent. We're afraid to step out in faith -- even though Jesus is walking right there beside us.

I know all about fear. I wish I could say that it was all in the past. It isn't. I struggle with it all the time. My greatest fear? That I will veer away from God's will and find myself drowning in the ocean all alone. I know it's silly. Even when I make mistakes, God never leaves me alone. All I have to do is cry out to Him and He's there.

Then why am I so afraid? Why are you afraid? Maybe because deep inside we don't fully trust God to be who He says He is. Maybe we're uncertain that when it comes right down to the wire, He won't show up. Sounds silly, doesn't it? Then think about it being the last day of the month and there's no money in the bank to pay the mortgage. You're trusting God to provide. You're holding on with everything you've got. But where is the money? Scary, isn't it? Especially if He decides not providing you with the money is the path He has planned for you.

That possibility really freaks anyone out. We want God to provide for us exactly as we have planned out. We really don't want to suffer any severe hardship. We don't want to lose our jobs or our homes. We don't want to bury someone we love. We don't want to get sick. We're confident walking with God so long as things are going along smoothly. It's when the boat starts to rock violently that we get scared and look away. And it's then, in that moment of panic, when we most need to call out.

"Take courage! ... Don't be afraid." He's there with us, guiding us, helping us, making sure that nothing happens that we can't handle with His help. Hang on to His outstretched hand. You'll be just fine.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Miracles Come From God

"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five -- and two fish." -- Mark 6:38

I always find myself wanting to add the "rest of the story" to this tale of Jesus and His miracle. We get so caught up in Jesus telling the disciples to feed the crowd -- 5,000 men plus women and children -- and the miracle that came from the bread and fish that we forget that someone had to have given the bread and fish to begin with.

Oh, I know. God caused it all to happen so that everyone could see what He can do with just a little. But someone gave up their bread and fish. Someone -- like you or me -- gave the little that they had. What if those people (I have no idea how many people were involved) said no? They could have. They could have kept all their food for themselves and not worried about anyone else. They could have rationalized that their little bit of food wouldn't even begin to feed that crowd so why bother giving any at all.

Isn't that what we all do sometimes? We tell ourselves our meager bit of money, time or effort won't amount to anything so we don't even try. We don't put that $5 in the Salvation Army kettle. We don't volunteer those two hours at the homeless shelter. We don't invite our neighbors to church. We don't bother doing our part because we figure our small offering won't matter.

But it does. God can take a little bit from us and a little bit from someone else and on and on until He has accomplished something magnificent. That's the part we tend to forget. God can do anything. He always has a plan. All we have to do is do our part, then get out of the way and watch the miracles unfold.