July 16, 2022

 

Beloved

 

We love because He first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

 

It’s amazing what an adult remembers from childhood. The words that can stick and replay more than half a century later. A psychiatrist – my Mother’s doctor – told me I’d always have a difficult time with relationships because I didn’t have a model of what love is. Powerful words for an already broken teen.

 

He was right in so many ways. An unwanted child has no concept of what love and acceptance looks like. But he wasn’t counting on Jesus. Maybe that psychiatrist didn’t know God’s love.

 

But God Almighty met me in that dark place and placed His Spirit inside of me. And that made all the difference.

 

Was I miraculously healed? No. Did I struggle at times? Without a doubt. I was broken in ways that only Jesus could put back together. But He did put me back together. I do know what love looks like – and it was nothing like my childhood.

 

I have stumbled more times than I can count. I have made countless mistakes. I have repeatedly chosen people who said all the right things and then betrayed me because I didn’t know that I deserved more than the crumbs of affection I was given.

 

But Jesus never left me. Ever. When all the world condemned and cursed me for not being enough, Jesus stayed by my side. He held me close. He showed me what true love looks like.

 

Don’t ever settle for less than what you deserve. You are a child of God, beloved beyond anything you could imagine. When the dark world closes in and seeks to destroy you, hang on to Him. Jesus will never let you down.

October 31, 2018

God Loves Us Anyway

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

My youngest dog can’t seem to help himself. He knows what he should and shouldn’t do. He does. But he repeatedly does what he shouldn’t and, then, expects grace and mercy when confronted with his sin. He sounds a lot like you and I, doesn’t he?

I wonder how many times God has looked down and shook His mighty head as I repeated the same mistake – over and over and over. I’m sure He has wondered if I would ever get it right. And, yet, God has given me chance after chance and He has always forgiven me and taken me back into His arms.

We love that grace and mercy, don’t we? We are grateful to Jesus for dying for us. We are thankful for second and third and tenth chances. But we aren’t always so gracious when it comes to the mistakes others have made.

I get it. Forgiveness is hard. Moving past a wrong is difficult. Forgetting is impossible. Until we remember that we’re to offer others what God has given to us.

It doesn’t mean we all get a pass on repeating the same mistakes again and again. Life comes with consequences. In my dog’s case, that means time with a muzzle to remind him that it’s not okay to destroy something like his sister’s bed. For you and I, the consequences vary. But make no mistake about it, there are always consequences.

Sometimes it means that we don’t receive the blessings we otherwise might have gotten. Sometimes it means that the journey is longer than it needed to be or harder than it should have been. Sometimes we hurt people and sometimes they hurt us.

The path laid out before us is narrow. We glance to the right or left and, before we realize it, we’ve veered off course. We pray and seek God’s will, focus once again and Jesus and we’re headed down the right road. Until we stumble again.

What really breaks my heart is the realization that sometimes I grieve the Holy Spirit because I don’t make right choices. God has done so much for me and I owe Him a debt I could never repay. I want to do His will. I do. It’s just that sometimes I stumble. Sometimes I do the wrong thing.

Yet, God loves us anyway. Just like I love my little dog. This is his forever home. And I know that my forever home is with God. Thank you, Jesus! I don’t ever have to wonder about where I’m headed or whether I’ll be welcome. I already know the answer. I hope you do too.

August 18, 2018

Do You Make Mistakes

But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

– 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

When was the last time you made a mistake? When was the last time you admitted you made a mistake? We make mistakes all the time. We’re human, after all. But admitting we’re the one at fault isn’t so easy.

I was at a meeting with a sweet friend. Before the meeting ended, the group scheduled the time, date and place of the next meeting. Somehow, she missed it. When it came time for the next meeting, she was furious. The meeting was set for a time and day when she couldn’t attend. She was convinced it was intentional.

She refused to acknowledge that she’d been present when the new meeting was set. She refused to admit that maybe she’d messed up. She was too busy making excuses to see that maybe she’d made a mistake.

I couldn’t understand the big deal. We all do it. We zone out and miss something important. We make a mistake. We deal with the consequences. There was nothing life shattering about it. Just admit it and go on. She’s still pointing fingers.

What is it about us that makes us refuse to admit to our very real humanness? Why do we expect perfection from ourselves and then try to hide it when we fail? And we always fail. Always. Jesus was the only perfect One who ever walked this earth.

We also expect perfection from others. We have no sympathy for someone who fails to meet our standards. We don’t extend grace and mercy. Our words are harsh, unforgiving, mean.

We tell ourselves it’s about standards. It’s really about pride. Our pride. It’s all about us. And we can’t stand to be wrong, questioned, or embarrassed.

We also don’t want to admit when anything bad happens. We’re embarrassed. We don’t want anyone else to know we’re having financial trouble, going through a divorce, have a child involved with drugs. We’d much rather pretend that everything is all right, that we’re living that perfect, American-dream life, than to admit we’re struggling.

Pride is a dangerous thing that keeps us from the very ones who can hold us up when life tears us down. Pride wraps us in pretense, in illusion, in a glass bubble that is destined to shatter. And for what reason? So we can boast about being who we aren’t?

Our identity, our worth, comes from Christ. It’s not about us. Really. It’s not. We’re going to make mistakes. Bad things are going to happen. Hurtful things are going to shake us to our core. But we can put all that in proper perspective when we realize we are not our mistakes or our successes. Our value comes because we are children of God Almighty. When we finally, truly, realize that, it shifts things around and puts them in their proper place.

God knows we aren’t perfect. He knows we’re going to mess up. He knows we’re going to fail. He knows others are going to hurt and betray us. And He understands that we are like small children, hiding rather than admitting we’ve done something wrong.

Grace, mercy and forgiveness come when we fall at the foot of the cross. We don’t have to hang on to our mistakes or to hide them. We can confess and watch the blood of Christ turn us whiter than snow. We can let go of pride-fueled perfection and admit we need a Savior. We can be forgiven and move on.

June 17, 2018

God Always Helps Us

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper.

– Psalm 118:6-7a

I was beginning to think she was never going to have that calf. Until she did. Naturally, being a new mother and a little bit unsure of it all, she forgot where she’d left it. And, naturally, she expected me to locate the tiny little bundle of joy.

At first, she believed she’d left the calf in the area we call the branch. It’s an overgrown section that borders one side of the pond. It houses two streams and all the runoff from a nearby highway. Did I mention it is also the home of moccasins? I am terrified of snakes.

I do some of my best praying when duty calls me to that area of the farm. I rarely see a snake until after it has seen me. If I’m to avoid a close encounter, it is up to God to protect me. I’ve flunked that test too many times to count. It is all on His shoulders. I repeatedly remind Him of this as I go through the area.

That’s the thing about God: He never leaves us alone. He’s my constant companion and my very best friend. He always has time to listen and provide help. Searching for a newborn calf is like trying to find that needle in a haystack. I’m sure you’ve heard that cliché. And God was right there with me during every terrifying step.

As it happens, the calf wasn’t in the branch. Nor was he in the upper pasture as the cow next believed. She stood there bellowing, beyond distraught. I wanted desperately to remind her that a good mother wouldn’t have left her newborn calf alone. I didn’t. She was upset enough without my input.

I wonder if God thinks that about us sometimes. Does He ever look down at His distraught children begging for His help and want to remind us that we’re in that predicament because we made a bad choice? How frustrated God must get with us.

Of course, God never turns us away. He may let us learn a hard lesson but He stays right beside us on the journey. God always helps us make a better choice. If we’ll listen.

I didn’t abandon the desperate cow either. Her baby calf emerged and he and I headed across the pasture toward his still bellowing mama. She was so full of anguish that she refused to see him toddling toward her.

Finally, she quieted down and gave a low call. The baby hurried forward and started sucking. She wasn’t overly happy about that and danced around a bit. But the baby was determined and, well, she knew it was the right thing to do. I watched, glaring occasionally, to make sure the baby got plenty of nourishment.

Afterwards, the baby toddled around and she followed, occasionally glancing longingly at the cows on the other side of the property. I knew she’s end up repeating the same mistake, leaving her baby so she could rejoin the herd. Some of us are like that. We need to make the same mistake again and again before we finally learn the lesson God wants to teach us.

I drove mama and baby around to the herd. And then I shut the gate. I didn’t want a repeat the next day.

Sometimes God does that for us. He blocks us from making the same mistake again, teaching us to rely on His wisdom until we can grow enough in faith to make wiser choices. Through it all, God remains steadfast. He is our helper. He is the One who loves us enough to never give up, no matter how many times we take a wrong turn.

June 10, 2018

You Are Loved

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17

Who are you struggling to please today? Is it your spouse or your children? Maybe a parent or a boss or a friend? Take a deep breath. You are enough.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the expectations and demands of others that we miss the simple truth of a loving God. He is pleased with us. We belong to Him and we are enough. We don’t have to do anything, provide anything, be anything. He loves us without any of that.

The sad truth is that we will always disappoint people. And they will disappoint us. No one can always meet the expectations of another person. We might be irritable, we might be busy, we might not be physically or financially able to take care of what they want.

Somehow, we always expect people to be better than they are. We expect our children to always have perfect manners. We expect our boss to always value us and give us lots of pay raises and plenty of time off. We expect our friends to always have time to do what we want, when we want. And we get upset when they aren’t always able to live up to our expectations.

Who are we to demand so much from others? And who are they to demand so much from us?

It’s just such a relief to know that we don’t have to perform in order to earn God’s love and acceptance. We don’t have to be perfect. He loves us when we’re irritable and when we mess up and when we don’t have a clue. With God, it’s not about bank account balances and what we can give Him. He’s God. It’s all His anyway.

He wants our love. That’s all. Because when we love God, everything else falls into place. It becomes about Him and not about us. It becomes about serving Him, living for Him, placing Him first.

How would your life change if you truly understood that you are a beloved child of God? Would you make different choices if you truly felt His love and acceptance? What steps would you take if you knew that you lived in the security of His arms?

Jesus never doubted God’s love. He had many trials during his time on this earth but He knew that His strength came from God the Father. He understood that time alone with God would direct His steps. Do you remember what Jesus did before He chose the twelve disciples? He prayed. Alone, I might add.

We are such achievers. We value ourselves based on the opinions of others. We tell ourselves we are worthy based on what we own. We lift ourselves up and call it self-confidence when it’s really just pride. We are nothing without God. And we are everything with Him.

Today is a new day. You are human. You will make mistakes in this day. Something will irritate you. You’ll say the wrong thing. You’ll disappoint someone who was counting on you. You’ll do the best you can and it will never be enough to satisfy the demands.

Take a deep breath. Rest in your Father’s love. Say you’re sorry if it’s appropriate. Try again. Reach out to others in love. Offer them the same grace you’ve been given. Be quick to forgive and slow to lash out.

God loves you. Let that soak in as you go through your day. Feel His Presence. You’ve got this because He’s with you every step of the way.

May 4, 2016

Show Kindness and Compassion

“In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer. -- Isaiah 54:8

I am so grateful for God’s kindness and compassion. Every day I fail Him and every day He takes me back.

I try to remember that when I am called to show that same kindness and compassion to others. I want to remember they deserve from me what God has given so graciously.

Yesterday I was at a large super center. Not by choice, I might add. I really do try to avoid the place, sometimes paying more for an item just so I can get in and out of the store quickly. But there are times when you really have no other options.

I mention this because of what happened at the cash register when I paid for my item. The cashier rang up my purchase with ease. Then she accidentally hit the wrong key, telling the computerized register I‘d paid with a $20 instead of a $10.

An easy fix, right? She got her calculator out but she couldn’t figure out how much money she owed me. She was beginning to get really flustered.

I looked at the couple behind me. They looked at me. “I think it’ll just be $10 less than what the screen is showing,” I told her. She worked it on the calculator and a big sigh escaped. “That’s right.”

Panic averted. She handed me my change and I headed out the door. I have no idea how it worked out when she turned in her cash drawer but I hope her bosses understood.

She was trying, you know? She really was. I admire that. The way she got so flustered I had to wonder if she’s been put down for mistakes in the past. Were their times when words have battered her self esteem?

How many times have I not been kind when someone didn’t meet my expectations? How often have I thrown off a comment without stopping to consider where and how it would land?

What about you? Do you consider your words when faced with frustrations? Do you condemn or do you show compassion? It’s something we all need to think about.

March 23, 2016

Admit Responsibility

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -- 1 John 1:9

A dear friend is heartbroken. Her son -- her only son -- is in jail again. My prayer, and hers, is not for a merciful judge who will hand down a lighter sentence. Nor is it for evidence to make his latest mistake go away.

No our prayer for this young man is that he will come to understand what he has done is wrong. No more excuses. No more pointing the finger at someone else. Because until he looks in the mirror and accepts responsibility for his actions, he will never truly heal and change. Until he admits what he has done and sincerely tries to change, relationships with those he loves can never be fully restored. It is a hard truth.

It is almost natural for our fallen human nature to deny responsibility for anything bad. We deny our part. We make excuses. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper into the abyss. It’s like we somehow think we can fake our way out of it.

But truth always catches up with us. Always. You’ve probably heard that what goes around, come around. It’s a cliché but it’s true. Lies don’t stand the test of time. They are always revealed in the end.

Have you ever watched someone trying to cover up a mistake? It starts with one lie, one bad choice. Denial leads to another lie, then another and another, until the entire episode takes on a life of its own. The person never intended for it all to unfold as it did but pride won’t let him take it back.

There’s nothing wrong with “I’m sorry.” The words “I was wrong” are pretty powerful. But we don’t want to say them. In fact, we’ll do just about anything to keep from saying them.

Except, of course, for those who throw the words out and don’t mean them at all. “I’m sorry” doesn’t mean much when you go and do it again. “I was wrong” loses its effectiveness when your smirk indicates you don’t mean it.

God is faithful to forgive us when we confess and change our ways. But to do that, we’ve got to admit we need to take a different path. This young man has made mistake after mistake, each one escalating in degree as he denied responsibility. It’s easy to judge him but are any of us really any different? We all make mistakes. Admit it, ask for forgiveness and make a different choice.

February 29, 2016

Seek Honest Relationships

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -- Romans 12:9

Have you ever done something wrong and refused to admit it, even to yourself? Have you ever had someone else treat you wrong, and they refused to admit it?

We don’t like drama do we? So we want to shove it all aside and go on like nothing ever happened. It is the proverbial white elephant in the room. It can’t go away until it’s out in the open but we sure don’t want to deal with the dirtiness that comes by exposing it.

So we pretend it didn’t happen. We play nice. We attempt to rewrite the facts -- no matter the evidence -- and tell ourselves it will be okay. But it can never be okay because the sincerity, the honesty, isn’t there. That means the relationships will always be superficial. What is the purpose in that?

Life can be hard and messy. Broken relationships that are allowed to fester over time -- sometimes for decades -- don’t heal without a great deal of effort and honesty. And prayer, I might add. Without God in the center of it all, there really isn’t a point in trying.

Nobody likes a hypocrite. Have you ever had someone play nice to your face and then say ugly, hateful things behind your back? Most of us have experienced that heartache at some point. It hurts. It breaks trust. It makes us not want to be around that person anymore.

Love must be sincere. That’s what this verse says. It’s the sincerely that makes it love. Hate what is evil. Cling to the good. Speak kindly and mean it. Admit your mistakes and stop blaming others. Be honest. Reach out with compassion and do good where you can.

And have no patience for those who seek to hide their sins behind lies built on lies. We can love without allowing that kind of deceit. When we turn a blind eye to the white elephant, it appears that all that went before is okay when it really isn’t. Shallow relationships really are no relationships at all.

February 28, 2016

What Are You Doing?

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. -- Romans 21:25

The other night fierce storms ripped through our area. We were so blessed that the storms only resulted in damage and no loss of life. Other areas weren’t so fortunate.

Those blessings certainly didn’t remove the stupid (I’m sorry, but there is no other way to describe it.) from some people. The storms downed power lines, washed out roads, and basically made travel in some areas hazardous. City crews put up barricades to block some roads and keep people safe. Naturally, someone had to go around a barricade and drive his car right into one of those washed out areas on a road. The photos showed the car nose down in the mud, with its rear end sticking up in the air. Seriously?! Those barricades are there for a reason!

While the storm was still raging, one weather forecaster noted the messages coming in from people in other parts of the state. It seems that some folks thought the predictions of dire weather were overreaction on the part of the weather forecasters. As he noted, please tell that to the poor folks in Pensacola that had just been hit by a tornado. And tell that to the folks in Southeast Alabama who were at that moment experiencing a tornado on the ground. Because they were blessed not to suffer through tornadoes, I guess they didn’t see the need to worry and couldn’t understand that it could easily have shifted to their area.

We tend to be a little short sighted, don’t we? We see what we want right now and don’t stop to work through the ramifications of it. That’s the way of sin. It entices us to believe we want something without telling us the cost. Like that man who drove around a barricade without realizing it would cost him a vehicle and a great deal of grief.

We know how we are supposed to live our lives. We do. We’ve got a manual called The Bible to teach us. We’ve got the Holy Spirit living inside of us to guide us, and we still take wrong turns. It is so comforting to know that the Apostle Paul suffered in the same way.

What to do? Spend time each day in the Word and in prayer. Stop and pray before you plunge into something. And give thanks for all your blessings. God is ever present with us. When we ask for wisdom, He is gracious and kind and will give it to us. We don’t have to navigate this life alone. So don’t.

February 4, 2016

Lies Are The Devil‘s Seeds

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. -- Exodus 20:16

Why do people lie? There are so many reasons. Fear. To make themselves look good. To cover up a mistake. To do Satan’s will. To cause dissension.

It’s all wrong. There really isn’t an excuse. A lie never brings anything but heartache -- especially to the liar. But at the time it seems easier than admitting you’ve messed up.

There is an unseen battle that wages here on this earth. It is a battle of demons trying to disrupt God’s people. It is a battle of good versus evil. The plan is to make God’s people turn away from Him, to plant seeds of doubt and derision. Lies are seeds the devil plants.

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” -- 1 Samuel 15:13-15

Another lie Satan tells us is that it’s all for our good or for God’s glory. Lies are never for your good or God’s glory. Ever. In this passage of Scripture, God told the Israelites to destroy everything, all the people and all the cattle. Everything. But the Israelites, with Saul as king, kept the best. When the prophet Samuel pointed this out, they tried to excuse their behavior by saying they kept the best to offer as a sacrifice for God.

Did they get away with it? Did God excuse them? Of course not. God knew what was best and that’s what He told them to do. It was there own greed they were feeding.

Isn’t that usually the case? We tell ourselves we’re lying to do good to others but we’re really lying to save ourselves. We tell ourselves we did it for God but in reality we just don’t want to admit to Him or to anyone else what we did.

Here’s the thing: No one is innocent. We’re all guilty. But God’s people admit their mistakes, ask forgiveness and take a different path. Satan’s minions keep pushing their lies again and again and again.

Lies come from evil. They are planted to destroy. Those who believe those lies are being deceived by Satan. Watch out! Satan’s lies will destroy you.

January 20, 2016

Wait On God

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. -- Genesis 16:1-6

God promised Abraham that he would have heirs more numerous than the stars in the sky. Abraham waited. And waited. And waited. Then his wife decided to take matters into her owns hands. And, well, it didn’t turn out well.

Waiting for God isn’t always easy, is it? Is it worth it? Yes. Because when we rush ahead of God and try to “help” Him, we create nothing but chaos and heartache. Sarah sure upset her own life and destroyed Hagar’s life too.

Sarah (as we later knew Sarai) didn’t even take responsibility for what she’d done. Not that Abraham was innocent. He should have known better. This is a man who loved God and, years later, would offer up his son as a sacrifice because God told him to. He had to have known that God would keep His promise and provide Abraham with a son. But he went ahead, had sex outside of marriage and then washed his hands of it when his wife got mad.

But getting back to Sarah: Have you ever known someone who made a decision that resulted in bad things and then the person refused to own the original decision? It’s pretty frustrating and probably more common than we all realize. No one really wants to admit to a mistake. A disastrous mistake sends us running in the opposite direction.

So much heartache could be avoided if we just did a few basic things. First ask God what He thinks. Slow down. Wait on His timing. Second, admit it when you make a mistake. Trying to hide your bad decision -- even if your intentions were for good -- only heaps heartache on top of heartbreak.

Trust God. Trust His timing. Trust His promises. And wait.

January 13, 2016

Don’t Give Up

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, -- Hebrews 12:1

I love college football. Specifically, I love Alabama football. So I was delighted in the outcome of Monday night’s college playoff game. It was a hard fought battle with an Alabama win. Roll Tide!

That’s the end of the story. The beginning of the season wasn’t so wonderful. The team struggled for an identity and there was no consensus on the quarterback. Then came the loss. It’s not even as though the team got beat by a better opponent. This team, this now national championship team, defeated itself with turnovers and mistakes.

They could have given up after that loss. They could have said the season is over and we’ll just get through it. They could have pointed fingers and blamed others. They could have done a lot of things. Instead, they learned from their mistakes and came out fighting for a chance. When that chance came, they were ready.

We could learn a few lessons from that team. How often do we get so bogged down in mistakes we can’t change that we can’t learn and grow and improve? How often do we refuse to take responsibility, which is often the first step in changing our path for the better? How often do we give up when that first setback comes our way?

Keep going. Keep praying. Keep focused on the end prize: Eternal life with Jesus. Don’t get sidetracked on what was. Focus instead on what will be. And stay with it, no matter what. God is your strength. He is your guide. Hold tight to Him and believe. Anything is possible if you just keep going.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Forgive Yourself For Past Mistakes

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

-- Psalm 32:1-2

What are you holding against yourself? What mistake from your past do you still feel guilty about? What thing keeps rewinding itself in your mind, causing you to mentally beat yourself up -- again -- for something you can’t change?

One of the most difficult things we face is letting go of the past. It haunts us. Satan knows this and uses every opportunity to take advantage of it. He wants us to stay so focused on the past that we can’t do God’s will in the present.

Pastor Rob told us recently that guilt destroys our confidence because we’re always worried about what will happen if somebody finds out. Guilt damages our relationships, causing us to be angry, impatient, overly indulgent with people we love or with ourselves.

He likened it to driving down the road with our head turned and always looking back. We can’t change the past but that past sure can make us sick today.

Pastor Rob suggested that we all take a moral inventory of our lives. Yeah. I think everyone in the congregation squirmed over that one. He told us to sit down alone and write down what is wrong with our lives. Don’t just think about it. Don’t have the television or music blaring. Just sit down with yourself and God.

Ask God to help you and point out what you consciously or unconsciously feel guilty about. Why write it down? Because it forces you to be specific, Pastor Rob explained. Generalities are way easier to deal with than the specifics.

Then Pastor Rob took it a step further. He told us to tell one other person. Share our deepest, darkest mistakes? Seriously? He told us to pick one safe person and tell them what we’re most guilty about. The weight lifted off your soul is amazing. It’s like a small child who did something wrong and is just so relieved when his parents find out and he doesn’t have to hide it anymore.

Be careful though. Not everyone is safe. Don’t tell someone when you know that person is a gossip. Don’t tell a person who is always negative or quick to pass judgment. Find someone mature enough to reflect God’s forgiveness back to you. Maybe a pastor. Maybe an elder in the church. Maybe a dear friend.

Then let it go. Give it to God and accept His forgiveness. God forgives instantly, freely and completely. Think about that, then forgive yourself. The past is the past. Today belongs to you and God. Don’t let Satan take it away from you.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

What Are Your Dreams?

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” -- John 20:29

What are your dreams? Are they all about the seemingly impossible? Or are they more goals than dreams? Maybe you want something with all your heart, but you just can’t see it happening.

I can’t imagine how Jesus’ followers felt when He died on that cross. Though He had tried to explain to them what would happen, honestly, they didn’t have a clue. How could they? Even now, all these years later, I marvel at the sacrifice, the pain and suffering, that Jesus endured for me.

Their dreams died on that cross. Or so they thought. Their leader was dead. Their friend was gone. What do you do when everything you’ve ever worked for is suddenly, and tragically, taken away? How do you even begin to rebuild your life when everything you’d planned for your future is gone?

The disciples believed Jesus but they didn’t understand. At least not until He returned. Because of Jesus, we know that this life isn’t the end. As believers, we know that heaven awaits. It’s not a dream. It’s a goal. A future. A promise.

We often give up our dreams before we even get started. We live in defeat because the world, or maybe past mistakes, are still dictating to us what we can achieve. We forget the power of the cross as we try to live under the power of ourselves. And fail. Again and again.

Jesus didn’t come to lead us to defeat. He came to lead us to victory. He came in love because God is love. I know. It’s impossible for us to truly understand how great is the love that He has for us. But He does. He loves us. No matter what. No matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done. Nothing can change His love for us.

So here we are. The suffering of the cross is now a memory. Jesus stands before us, offering us eternal life. We are to go forward and make new disciples. We are to love others, including our enemies. We are to do good to those who harm us. We are to care for widows and orphans. We are to show others that we belong to Him by how we live our lives.

Not in defeat. Not in shame for a past we cannot change. Not focused on regrets and sorrow. But with our heads high and our eyes wide open as we boldly reach for our dreams. Those same dreams we thought were out of our reach until we realized they were planted deep in our souls by the very one who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.

What are your dreams? What has God called you to do?