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.

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Road To Jesus Is Narrow

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Some asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’”

-- Luke 13:22-27

She doesn’t mean to be hateful. It’s just her way. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself and others who complain about her.

But the truth is while it likely is just her way, she pushes people away. She hurts the feelings of others. She drives people away from Christ, rather than toward Him.

She runs a wonderful center geared toward helping seniors. And, mostly, she does an excellent job. She is organized and efficient. And she does care about people. Well, at least some people. And that’s part of the problem.

She’s increasingly having trouble getting enough participants. Older folks die, of course. But mostly members are choosing not to attend because their feelings have been hurt or they’re just tired of her hateful comments.

She is a strong Christian. She’s done amazing things for the Lord. And she has a good heart. I believe that most of the time. But there’s something about that sharp tongue, that arrogant attitude, that just rubs people the wrong way.

She is a strong advocate for her church. That’s a good thing -- unless you attend another church. Then it gets a little old to have someone always promoting their own agenda, their own preacher. It makes you want to stand up and promote your own, except this isn’t the place to promote anyone other than Jesus and caring for each other.

Which brings me back to her tongue. It lashes out at the least thing, swiftly putting people “in their place” with no regard to feelings or truth. Folks are sensitive and everybody wants to be liked. Why choose to go some place where somebody is just as likely to lash out at you as say hello to you?

She doesn’t see herself that way at all. Who among us sees clearly the person who stares back at us in the mirror? I keep thinking she’ll loosen up a little, learn to laugh, not take everything and everyone so seriously. But it’s been going on for years and change only happens when we see the need.

Life isn’t about us. It’s about being Jesus to those who are hurting and alone, to those who need a kind word and a helping hand. It’s isn’t about being in charge or directing what we shouldn’t direct or being right all the time.

Jesus said the door to Him is narrow. We just didn’t think He was talking to us.