January 1, 2018

It's A New Year!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

It’s a new year! It’s time for a fresh start! How many of us made resolutions and rang in the new year last night with a determination to make changes? And how long do we really expect our new goals to last?

Making a fresh start is hard, no matter what day of the year it is. We have dreams and goals. We want to change our lives for the better. We want to lose weight or make more money or finally take our dream vacation. Maybe our goals aren’t so self-focused. We want to go on a mission trip, give more money to the church, volunteer at the food bank or help with the outreach program for the homeless.

We have good intentions. We’re going to make positive changes. And we’re going to move away from the bad choices of the past. Ah, yes. The past. That thing we can’t change and yet can’t seem to forget either. That albatross that has wrapped itself around us and refuses to leave us to peacefully live out the rest of our lives.

Other folks help us with that. A sweet friend once confessed that she only goes to church when she is at her family’s vacation home. Why? Because of the looks she gets when she attends a church in her hometown. When she was young and foolish – and weren’t we all – she made a mistake that broke up a marriage. She wishes she’d never made that choice but she can’t go back and undo it. She has forgiven herself. It’s everyone else who has the problem.

We can’t seem to let others change. We can’t seem to forget their sins. Why should we? We can’t forget our own sins either. And that is what keeps us locked in a past we can’t change.

What if we showed ourselves – and others – the grace and mercy God shows to us? What if we pressed forward into Jesus, forgetting what is behind, and focusing on the possibilities that lie ahead? What if we gave ourselves a chance without allowing the past to cloud our vision?

I pray that we all become better people this year. I pray that we reach forward and let go of all that is holding us back. I long for the opportunities Christ has given to all of us. We have a chance to live like we are His. How amazing is that?!

Each journey is different for the individual making it. I can’t tell you what path you should take and you can’t tell me what path to take either. But we can support each other. We can pray for one another. We can forget the past and move toward Jesus. We can do it together, one step at a time.

So make your goals and resolutions. Fill your heart with joy. Then take a step forward. Then another. Give yourself grace for the inevitable setback, getting up again and trying once more. Our days are measured in His love. Lean into Him. You can do this, not under your own strength and will, but because Jesus has hold of your hand.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Put Down Your Baggage

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -- Ephesians 4:31-32

How heavy are your suitcases? Do you have a few folks who’ve done you wrong that you need to forgive? And do you have a few folks you need to ask to forgive you for something you did or said to them? Yeah. All of us have some of that baggage we carry around.

So what are you doing about it? Are you resigned to carry it for the rest of your life? Or would you like relief this side of heaven? It really is possible, you know. But you can’t lighten your load without making a conscious decision to move forward.

How do you start? Pastor Danny recommends making a list, or two, in this case. Write down every person who has ever done you wrong. Get specific. Name the person who said you would fail. List the one who betrayed your confidence. Then forgive them, each and every one. Forgive them. Truly and sincerely from your heart.

They might not even remember what they did or said. Or maybe they do. Either way, you’re the one who is suffering. How much more of your life are you willing to give them? How much unhappiness and bitterness are you willing to hold on to, to suffer with, to let destroy your future?

Let it go. Forgive. Trust God to handle it. The end.

Now you can start on your next list. You know the one I’m talking about. Write down everything you ever did to someone else. Write down every harsh word, ever unkind thing, every wrong action. Get specific. Then tell them. Ask them for forgiveness.

Now, sometimes it isn’t possible or smart to talk directly with folks. Pastor Danny recommended talking to an empty chair like it’s the person you wronged or writing a letter, sealing it, and letting it go. (Be sure to destroy it or put it some place safe.) Just get rid of the guilt for something you can’t change.

This process lets you evaluate your relationships, both past and present, and get a clearer view of good things and bad. And that helps you make wiser choices in the future.

It also grants you an amazing freedom and peace. Because you never fully understand how heavy your luggage is until you put it down.

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.