Stressed. It's a common symptom that describes a majority of Americans today. In fact, eighty percent of workers feel stress on the job. Sixty-five percent of all Americans lose sleep due to stress, 32% are losing sleep at least one night a week!
Could stress be a national epidemic?
The two most common reasons I see people are stress, and that I myself experience stress are that we feel overwhelmed by what we need to do or we fear the future. And in our society where people use the word "busy" as a state of being, and where the nightly news only reports what's going wrong in the world, it is no wonder why personal stress is at such colossal proportions.
Whether the source of your stress comes from work, personal finances, relationships, home life or personal health concerns, here are some Bible principles that will help you go from being stressed to being blessed.
First, if you're feeling overwhelmed...
1)Know that God cares about you.
It might sound cliché, but it's true. God cares greatly about your well being. Jesus said that our Father cares enough to feed the birds and cloth the flowers. "Aren't you of much more value than they?" (Matthew 6:34) Contrary to popular belief, God is not aloof, distant and cold. In fact, He was willing to cloth himself in human flesh in order to save humanity. (John 3:16) He is not far off out in some outer galaxy. He is willing to draw near to those who humble themselves. (James 4:8) He is not too busy or concerned, that's really our problem more than it is His. God takes our calls, even in the middle of the night. (Jeremiah 33:3)
2)Turn your care into a prayer.
If God said, "I care" and left it at that, we'd not be much better off. But continually throughout the Scriptures we hear God encouraging His people to bring Him their cares in exchange for his grace, love, power and peace. Not a bad deal if you ask me. "Cast your burdens on the Lord, and he shall sustain you." (Psalm 55:22) As we pray and give our cares to God, He promises us His peace that passes our own intellectual comprehension, now that's pretty good. (Philippians 4:6,7) And you've got to love Jesus' promise to those weary and heavy laden, "I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Ok, so I'll take one order of peace with a side of rest!
3)Evaluate your current workload and obligations.
Are you burnt out because you've taken on too much? Here's an easy solution, reduce your workload. It sounds idealistic, but it might just be what the doctor ordered. Maybe your child doesn't have to go to dance class, play soccer, have piano lessons, be in the school play and clean their room all before Saturday noon. And maybe you don't need to spend that extra two hours toiling over work every night. Take this proverbial advice, "Don't overwork to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven." (Proverbs 23:4-5)
4)Delegate some responsibilities or ask others for help.
If you thought delegation was a modern day business idea you're wrong. Delegation is as old as God himself. It's interesting to see the workings of delegation even in the Trinity. The Father sent the Son to the earth, the Son sent the Spirit. Sharing responsibility with others can help give people an opportunity to grow and lighten your load. I love the advice Moses' father-in-law gave him when he saw Moses toiling day and night to settle the people of Israel's disputes. "What you're doing is not smart. You're going to burn yourself out fast! You can't do all this yourself, go teach the people the law for themselves and then train up some responsible God fearing men to take over this task for you." (My paraphrase of Exodus 18:17-21)
5)Take time to get away from the situation.
Jesus might have felt the greatest pressure of being overloaded with work than anyone on the face of the earth. Mark 1:32-34 records a busy evening for the Master when people brought all those who were sick with various diseases and those who were oppressed by the devil to his care. And of course, His compassion got the best of Him and He healed them all. That's my Jesus! But early the next morning, Jesus got away to a deserted place to spend some quiet time with God in prayer - smart move. (Mark 1:35-37) If Jesus needed a break, I'm sure we could all use one too!
The second common reason for stress is the fear of the future. One of the greatest picture of this kind of stress from the Bible is the story of the disciples on the boat in the storm. Jesus was fast asleep and the water was overtaking their vessel. (Luke 8:22-25) "Master, master, wake up, we are dying!" I don't know about you, but I've often found myself in situations where it felt like God was asleep and I was drowning. Here are some ways to help calm the storm in your life.
1) Live for the day and not in the future.
"Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient." Let's face it, we can't change our past, we can't control our future, and we've got enough to keep us busy today. So why worry about those things that are out of our control? Which leads me to the second reason to avoid fearing the future...
2) Recognize the futility of being anxious.
Last I checked, worry never paid the bills, never got us to our appointment on time, never watched over our children when they were out of our sight, never found us a job and never met the deadline. "Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?" (Matthew 6:27) The only thing worry is good for is to make you grow older sooner than you'd like. The next time you want to worry, remember this little phrase, "Worry equals Wrinkles". If not for any other reason, maybe our own vanity can keep us from running off to play with worry.
3) Plan for the future, but don't be presumptuous.
We can't control the future, but we can plan for it. The Bible calls us to plan for the future, but it also reminds us to submit our plans to God and trust Him with our future. "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty." (Proverbs 21:5) "A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) To avoid planning is foolish, but to presume our plans will pan out regardless of the Lord's will is equally ignorant. (James 4:13-16)
4) Do what is in your power to do.
Praying through our fears is good. Planning for the future is great. But we can't forget to take action with the responsibilities before us today. One of the most practical means of reducing stress over the future is to take action today. "To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) "But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?" (James 2:20) Nothing may feel as rewarding and be as helpful to reducing stress as checking off actions on our "to do list" and getting the job done.
5) Learn to trust God with your future and situation.
At the end of the day, after we've prayed, after we've planned and after we've worked, we must entrust our future into God's hands. "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and verily you shall be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:3-5)
One final note that I hope you'd consider as you go through the stress of this life is to remember that at times stress can actually produce good results in our life. As you submit your life to God and trust Him through your trials, He can work in you to refine your character. (James 1:1-4) I will leave us with a prayer that may best encompass the lessons the Bible teaches us about stress managment. It is known as the Serentity Prayer and was penned by Reinhold Niebuhr.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear
New York Times Best-Selling Author Max Lucado has done it again. He's written another biblically sound book full of antidotes, personal testimonies, clever analogies, Bible verses and exegesis neatly woven together like a knit hat from Grandma. (Oh, he's so much better at those analogies than I).
Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear is a solid book that's easy to read and a good pill for the faint heart to swallow. It's comforting, encouraging and only mildly convicting. Max does a great job in disrobing fear to make it seem like an every day issue for every man, woman and child on the face of the earth. "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Fearless is a good summer sit by the deck read, especially with it's captivating front cover shot of a young boy airborne off the edge of a pier. What Fearless is not, is a hardcore, down and dirty manual on what the Bible says about fear and how to overcome it. If I had one criticism about Fearless it would be that it does not give a lot of practical "to dos" in overcoming fear other than the standard "read your Bible and pray" solution. In that sense it didn't deliver what I had expected.
What Fearless does do however is tackle some of life's most challenging questions concerning fear using sound and deep theology written in a way that anyone can understand. He address the fear of...not mattering, disappointing God, running out (worry), not protecting your kids, overwhelming challenges, worse-case scenarios, violence, the coming winter (finances), of life's final moments (death), what's next (the future) and the fear that God is not real. Each chapter could easily stand on it's own and used as a reference guide when any of these fear mounts.
I would even recommend Fearless as a gift to a person who may not be ready to delve into the Bible, but is an avid reader who appreciates good writing and a smile. Fearless has and gives both. All in all Max Lucado is an extremely talented author. I'm betting he could write a book on boredom and make it interesting. He's just that good. Hats of to Max (and his supporting staff and team) for another well read book.
Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear is a solid book that's easy to read and a good pill for the faint heart to swallow. It's comforting, encouraging and only mildly convicting. Max does a great job in disrobing fear to make it seem like an every day issue for every man, woman and child on the face of the earth. "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Fearless is a good summer sit by the deck read, especially with it's captivating front cover shot of a young boy airborne off the edge of a pier. What Fearless is not, is a hardcore, down and dirty manual on what the Bible says about fear and how to overcome it. If I had one criticism about Fearless it would be that it does not give a lot of practical "to dos" in overcoming fear other than the standard "read your Bible and pray" solution. In that sense it didn't deliver what I had expected.
What Fearless does do however is tackle some of life's most challenging questions concerning fear using sound and deep theology written in a way that anyone can understand. He address the fear of...not mattering, disappointing God, running out (worry), not protecting your kids, overwhelming challenges, worse-case scenarios, violence, the coming winter (finances), of life's final moments (death), what's next (the future) and the fear that God is not real. Each chapter could easily stand on it's own and used as a reference guide when any of these fear mounts.
I would even recommend Fearless as a gift to a person who may not be ready to delve into the Bible, but is an avid reader who appreciates good writing and a smile. Fearless has and gives both. All in all Max Lucado is an extremely talented author. I'm betting he could write a book on boredom and make it interesting. He's just that good. Hats of to Max (and his supporting staff and team) for another well read book.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Finding God's Will One Step at a Time
Most Christians I know have asked the age old question, "What's God's will for my life?" Early on in my Christian life I desperately wanted to know God's will and for some reason felt that I was missing it. After having such an overnight, dramatic conversion I concluded that God's will also had to be found through a similar epiphany experience. While I still welcome and seek to find God and experience Him in new ways, I have come to believe that finding His will happens more gradually and subtly as we follow Him daily.
I have read literature and heard sermons on finding God's will that has been helpful. But too often I find that God's will becomes a forumla that we are trying to crack. The line of thinking typically goes something like this, "If you read your Bible enough, pray enough and make a list of all the pros and cons to every decision, you will find God's will."
I agree that reading God's Word daily, praying without ceasing and making wise choices will help us to find God's will, but I'm convinced that God is more interested in our relationship with Him than in us doing certain things to find His will.
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24, NIV)
God's will is for us to know Him. You can know the name of every President past and present, but have never met any one of them. In the same way, you can know about God, that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet not know Him personally. Finding God's will for your life starts by coming to know Him personally through salvation.
Knowing God doesn't stop at salvation though, in fact it's just the beginning. God wants us to continually "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". (2 Peter 3:18) As we come to know Him more intimately, we also come to know His will for our lives. God is not looking for us to crack a formula, but to develop a relationship. May it be at the end of our lives that we share the testimony of Enoch and Noah who "walked with God". (Genesis 5:24, Genesis 6:9)
Of course our greatest example of knowing God and walking in His will comes from Jesus Christ. Throughout the Scriptures we see that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" (Matthew 4:1l, Luke 4:1), spoke and did what the Father showed Him to do (John 8:38) and willingly laid down his will for that of the Father (Matthew 26:42).
Today as believers in Christ we have been given the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the person of the Holy Spirit who "will guide you into all truth", speak to you (John 16:13), give you the words you need to speak (Luke 12:12) and lead you in the ways of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
I am determined and convinved that God's will can be found by simply following the Holy Spirit one day at a time, one moment at a time. As we learn more about Him through the Word of God and grow in our relationship with Him on a daily basis, through prayer and fellowship with Him, we will find ourselves in the will of God.
So what is God's will for your life?
It's very simple. Do the next thing that the Holy Spirit would have you to do.
Amen.
I have read literature and heard sermons on finding God's will that has been helpful. But too often I find that God's will becomes a forumla that we are trying to crack. The line of thinking typically goes something like this, "If you read your Bible enough, pray enough and make a list of all the pros and cons to every decision, you will find God's will."
I agree that reading God's Word daily, praying without ceasing and making wise choices will help us to find God's will, but I'm convinced that God is more interested in our relationship with Him than in us doing certain things to find His will.
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24, NIV)
God's will is for us to know Him. You can know the name of every President past and present, but have never met any one of them. In the same way, you can know about God, that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet not know Him personally. Finding God's will for your life starts by coming to know Him personally through salvation.
Knowing God doesn't stop at salvation though, in fact it's just the beginning. God wants us to continually "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". (2 Peter 3:18) As we come to know Him more intimately, we also come to know His will for our lives. God is not looking for us to crack a formula, but to develop a relationship. May it be at the end of our lives that we share the testimony of Enoch and Noah who "walked with God". (Genesis 5:24, Genesis 6:9)
Of course our greatest example of knowing God and walking in His will comes from Jesus Christ. Throughout the Scriptures we see that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" (Matthew 4:1l, Luke 4:1), spoke and did what the Father showed Him to do (John 8:38) and willingly laid down his will for that of the Father (Matthew 26:42).
Today as believers in Christ we have been given the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the person of the Holy Spirit who "will guide you into all truth", speak to you (John 16:13), give you the words you need to speak (Luke 12:12) and lead you in the ways of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
I am determined and convinved that God's will can be found by simply following the Holy Spirit one day at a time, one moment at a time. As we learn more about Him through the Word of God and grow in our relationship with Him on a daily basis, through prayer and fellowship with Him, we will find ourselves in the will of God.
So what is God's will for your life?
It's very simple. Do the next thing that the Holy Spirit would have you to do.
Amen.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Refreshment for the Weary Soul
We live in a world that can tear us down and beat us up. At times the battle of life seems like an uphill fight and we become fatigued and feel like giving up. But there is hope! God's Word has given the solution to overcoming weariness and finding strength and refreshment to live.
The typical Western solution to weariness is found in taking vacations. "I need a vacation" is a common phrase I hear in the office and one I've muttered myself. Finding a break from work is a great start to overcoming weariness. In fact, God's original work plan instructed humanity to take one day of rest for every six days of work. (Exodus 23:12) I believe that the Sabbath day is God's on-going vacation plan for humanity to find rest each week.
Jesus corrected the understanding of his contemporaries who thought the Sabbath day was about keeping rules. Instead Jesus taught that the Sabbath was a day God had given to man for rest. (Mark 2:27) I have found that practicing the Sabbath day has been one of the best preventative means of avoiding weariness. Apart from church attendance and prayer, my Sabbath includes abstaining from the computer and e-mail for a day and taking a nap in the afternoon.
Even more practical than taking naps and taking time off, the Bible speaks about the importance of nutrition to overcoming a weary soul. When David and his people became weary, they nourished themselves with good, wholesome and healthy foods. (2 Samuel 17:27-29) Elijah is another a perfect example, he fell asleep and an angel of the Lord woke him up twice instructing him to eat. "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you."(1 Kings 19:7). Now that's my kind of angel!
While good food and rest are essential, the solution to weariness goes even deeper. Weariness is the feeling of being fatigued not only in our body, but in our mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore the remedy for overcoming weariness needs to meet the inner needs of our heart as much as rest for our body. No food or rest can solve the need for quality time spent with God.
God himself never becomes weary. He never tires or needs rest. "Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) God is the everlasting source of strength and life. Spending time in God's presence will recharge our internal battery. "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Jesus made a statement that would be outlandish for anyone other than God when we said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV) Taking time to come to Jesus and giving him our burdens will bring refreshment to the weariest of souls.
Spending time with God must also include time in God's Word, the Bible. Nothing will refresh us more than a timely word in due season. A word in season can help encourage a person who is feeling weary to have hope. If you are weary, seek God for a word of encouragement and if you know others who are feeling weary, seek to encourage them. (Isaiah 50:4) A timely word from God is able to revive us, strengthen us, comfort us and give us joy. (Psalm 119:25, 28, 50, 107, Proverbs 12:25)
Weariness should not be taken lightly. The feelings of weariness can make us sick of living and even desirous of death, just ask Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 3:16-17, 6:8,9, 10:1) or Jonah (Jonah 4:8) If you are feeling weary today, find time to rest, eat well and get alone with God in prayer and in reading His word. Ignoring, or denying the feelings of weariness and plowing forward can be disastrous.
Weariness can also makes us more vulnerable and susceptible to the enemy's attacks which may come in the form of discouragement in our hearts or in the guise of a "good friend". (1 Peter 5:8, Deuteronomy 25:18, Job 16:7, Job 22:7) We must be cautious of the company we surround ourselves with when we feel weary and find good friends who will lift us up and encourage us.
Ultimately, we must determine to never quit doing good and serving the Lord knowing that the work we do is not in vain. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) (2 Thessalonians 3:13) If we do not give up or lose heart, there will come a day when our labors are rewarded and we get to hear the words of our Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
The typical Western solution to weariness is found in taking vacations. "I need a vacation" is a common phrase I hear in the office and one I've muttered myself. Finding a break from work is a great start to overcoming weariness. In fact, God's original work plan instructed humanity to take one day of rest for every six days of work. (Exodus 23:12) I believe that the Sabbath day is God's on-going vacation plan for humanity to find rest each week.
Jesus corrected the understanding of his contemporaries who thought the Sabbath day was about keeping rules. Instead Jesus taught that the Sabbath was a day God had given to man for rest. (Mark 2:27) I have found that practicing the Sabbath day has been one of the best preventative means of avoiding weariness. Apart from church attendance and prayer, my Sabbath includes abstaining from the computer and e-mail for a day and taking a nap in the afternoon.
Even more practical than taking naps and taking time off, the Bible speaks about the importance of nutrition to overcoming a weary soul. When David and his people became weary, they nourished themselves with good, wholesome and healthy foods. (2 Samuel 17:27-29) Elijah is another a perfect example, he fell asleep and an angel of the Lord woke him up twice instructing him to eat. "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you."(1 Kings 19:7). Now that's my kind of angel!
While good food and rest are essential, the solution to weariness goes even deeper. Weariness is the feeling of being fatigued not only in our body, but in our mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore the remedy for overcoming weariness needs to meet the inner needs of our heart as much as rest for our body. No food or rest can solve the need for quality time spent with God.
God himself never becomes weary. He never tires or needs rest. "Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) God is the everlasting source of strength and life. Spending time in God's presence will recharge our internal battery. "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Jesus made a statement that would be outlandish for anyone other than God when we said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV) Taking time to come to Jesus and giving him our burdens will bring refreshment to the weariest of souls.
Spending time with God must also include time in God's Word, the Bible. Nothing will refresh us more than a timely word in due season. A word in season can help encourage a person who is feeling weary to have hope. If you are weary, seek God for a word of encouragement and if you know others who are feeling weary, seek to encourage them. (Isaiah 50:4) A timely word from God is able to revive us, strengthen us, comfort us and give us joy. (Psalm 119:25, 28, 50, 107, Proverbs 12:25)
Weariness should not be taken lightly. The feelings of weariness can make us sick of living and even desirous of death, just ask Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 3:16-17, 6:8,9, 10:1) or Jonah (Jonah 4:8) If you are feeling weary today, find time to rest, eat well and get alone with God in prayer and in reading His word. Ignoring, or denying the feelings of weariness and plowing forward can be disastrous.
Weariness can also makes us more vulnerable and susceptible to the enemy's attacks which may come in the form of discouragement in our hearts or in the guise of a "good friend". (1 Peter 5:8, Deuteronomy 25:18, Job 16:7, Job 22:7) We must be cautious of the company we surround ourselves with when we feel weary and find good friends who will lift us up and encourage us.
Ultimately, we must determine to never quit doing good and serving the Lord knowing that the work we do is not in vain. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) (2 Thessalonians 3:13) If we do not give up or lose heart, there will come a day when our labors are rewarded and we get to hear the words of our Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Need for More Compassion
This week, God has made it very clear to me that I need more compassion. It all started when I came home from work one night and began to sort through the day's mail on our kitchen counter. I flipped through the pile scanning and sorting each letter into categories: bills, junk mail etc. I was moving through the pile with machine-like speed until I came across an envelope with a child's face on the front cover. The child on the envelope had a severe cleft lip and palate. I paused momentarily to take in the picture then quickly flipped the envelope over disturbed and admittedly disgusted by the what I saw. As I continued on in my sorting process, my conscience rang loud within me like the first crow of the rooster that convicted Peter of his denial of Jesus.
A few nights later I was leading a Bible study at my church. One of the participants shared a story of Heidi Baker, a missionary to Mozambique. Heidi has seen God move miraculously through her ministry healing the blind, deaf and sick. On one occasion she came to a camp where there was a large group of terminally ill people under a tent. The Lord spoke to Heidi and said he wanted her to minister to each one of them face to face, cheek to cheek. This was an outlandish request because these people were contagious and their disease could have easily been transferred over to her. The doctors tried to convince her not to do it, warning her of the danger of getting cholera. But out of obedience to the Lord and compassion for these people she began to minister to each person. After only the first day, a few went home well, then the next day many more were healed until the third day when every person was made whole!
The cock crowed a second time; I was convicted of my lack of compassion for others.
On Friday morning, I went to a leadership training course that I've been taking for a few weeks. Our assignment from the prior week was to bring a group of co-workers together to brainstorm ideas that would save our company money. We gathered in groups of four at our tables discussing how each person's session went and elected one person from each group who's story was the most compelling. I was chosen from our group and was asked to stand in front of the class with two others to retell our story.
The first person to give a report was Rebecca, a very soft spoken young woman who works as a lawyer representing poor people. She told of how she gathered a group of lawyers, paralegals and administrators from her office to do the brainstorming session together. One of the administrators leaned over to her during the meeting and whispered, "Do your really want my opinion, I'm not a lawyer?" Rebecca encouraged her to participate and said that everyone's opinion was welcome.
After the three of us gave our presentations, the class voted for the one story they appreciated the most. And the winner was Rebecca. While the other gentleman and I had stories that were similar in their attempt to save our company money, it was Rebecca's willingness to "level the playing field" and have compassion on "the least of these" that made her story the most compelling. Although the business people in the class come from various religious and cultural backgrounds, everyone could relate to the humane decision of compassion Rebecca made. The cock crowed again.
The Holy Spirit began to connect the dots for me showing how each of these stories had one overriding theme: compassion. It is compassion that will motivate others to donate money so the child with the cleft palate and lip can receive corrective surgery. It was the compassion of Jesus shown through Heidi Baker that motivated her to take a risk for her own health to see God do a miracle. And it was compassion for other co-workers that led Rebecca to honor the opinion of everyone in her office.
So what do you do when you see a world in need of compassion, but at the same time your heart is desperately in need of more love and care for others? You do what I did, call out to God and make your confession and plea, "Oh God, forgive me for my hard heart and fill me with your compassion for others!" I know this is a prayer that God is going to gladly answer.
One last note: As we approach Mother's day this year I want to honor one of the most compassionate persons I've ever known, my mother Souad Eade. My mom has a tender heart for others, a Mother Teresa type spirit and a compassion that is tangible. Thank you Mom for all the times you cared for me when I was sick, comforted me when I was sad and empathized with me when I was hurting. Your example of compassion is a great one for me to follow. Thank you. I love you.
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." (Matthew 14:14) Amen.
A few nights later I was leading a Bible study at my church. One of the participants shared a story of Heidi Baker, a missionary to Mozambique. Heidi has seen God move miraculously through her ministry healing the blind, deaf and sick. On one occasion she came to a camp where there was a large group of terminally ill people under a tent. The Lord spoke to Heidi and said he wanted her to minister to each one of them face to face, cheek to cheek. This was an outlandish request because these people were contagious and their disease could have easily been transferred over to her. The doctors tried to convince her not to do it, warning her of the danger of getting cholera. But out of obedience to the Lord and compassion for these people she began to minister to each person. After only the first day, a few went home well, then the next day many more were healed until the third day when every person was made whole!
The cock crowed a second time; I was convicted of my lack of compassion for others.
On Friday morning, I went to a leadership training course that I've been taking for a few weeks. Our assignment from the prior week was to bring a group of co-workers together to brainstorm ideas that would save our company money. We gathered in groups of four at our tables discussing how each person's session went and elected one person from each group who's story was the most compelling. I was chosen from our group and was asked to stand in front of the class with two others to retell our story.
The first person to give a report was Rebecca, a very soft spoken young woman who works as a lawyer representing poor people. She told of how she gathered a group of lawyers, paralegals and administrators from her office to do the brainstorming session together. One of the administrators leaned over to her during the meeting and whispered, "Do your really want my opinion, I'm not a lawyer?" Rebecca encouraged her to participate and said that everyone's opinion was welcome.
After the three of us gave our presentations, the class voted for the one story they appreciated the most. And the winner was Rebecca. While the other gentleman and I had stories that were similar in their attempt to save our company money, it was Rebecca's willingness to "level the playing field" and have compassion on "the least of these" that made her story the most compelling. Although the business people in the class come from various religious and cultural backgrounds, everyone could relate to the humane decision of compassion Rebecca made. The cock crowed again.
The Holy Spirit began to connect the dots for me showing how each of these stories had one overriding theme: compassion. It is compassion that will motivate others to donate money so the child with the cleft palate and lip can receive corrective surgery. It was the compassion of Jesus shown through Heidi Baker that motivated her to take a risk for her own health to see God do a miracle. And it was compassion for other co-workers that led Rebecca to honor the opinion of everyone in her office.
So what do you do when you see a world in need of compassion, but at the same time your heart is desperately in need of more love and care for others? You do what I did, call out to God and make your confession and plea, "Oh God, forgive me for my hard heart and fill me with your compassion for others!" I know this is a prayer that God is going to gladly answer.
One last note: As we approach Mother's day this year I want to honor one of the most compassionate persons I've ever known, my mother Souad Eade. My mom has a tender heart for others, a Mother Teresa type spirit and a compassion that is tangible. Thank you Mom for all the times you cared for me when I was sick, comforted me when I was sad and empathized with me when I was hurting. Your example of compassion is a great one for me to follow. Thank you. I love you.
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." (Matthew 14:14) Amen.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Reading the Fine Print
I had an unfortunate occurrence this week. I realized that I'd been scammed. Yes, it happens to all of us at some point or another. We enter into an agreement with good faith only to find out that the other party had malicious intentions in mind.
It all started about a month back when I read a blog about some products that I found interesting. Ok, I'll admit, it was for a tooth whitening product. Evidently the blogger, a former smoker, had success in using two different products. She suggested that by only purchasing a trial sample of each product and using them one at time you'd see great results. And her before and after pictures proved it.
So, I figured, "What's the harm?" I signed up for a trial of both products on-line, paid a nominal shipping fee and within days the products were sent to my house. Then about three weeks later I received a bill for $79.99 from one of the companies. Then a few days after that I received a new shipment of both products.
I figured something wasn't right about this situation, so I called up the first company and asked why they were charging me an additional fee and sending me more product. I was then told that in the fine print of my trial agreement it stated that I had 10 days to call and cancel my account or I'd be automatically enrolled into their "VIP" club.
I adamantly, but kindly, refused to be part of their club and asked for my money back. I was denied. I asked to speak to the manager, told him my complaint and requested my money back. He not only denied me, he hung up on me!!!
I then called my credit card company to dispute the charges only to find out that the other company had also charged me - twice. Fortunately, the second company was willing to remove all the charges once I sent back the additional product to their warehouse.
All of this trouble started because I didn't take the time to carefully read the fine print. I chalked this up as a lesson to be learned and put a stake in the ground - "From this point forward I will carefully and diligently read all the fine print before entering into any binding agreement".
Lo and behold, I received a piece of mail just this week with fine print. After reading it, I realized that I had to respond quickly to prohibit this company from using my personal information for their marketing purposes. My new conviction of reading the fine print was already paying off dividends.
I can give you plenty of reasons (read: excuses) that I never spent the time to carefully read the fine print - I considered it boring, redundant legal language that can be difficult to understand and time consuming.
I think at times we look at the Bible the same way. The same excuses abound, "I don't understand what I'm reading." "It's boring." "I've read it before." "I don't have the time."
Yet, if we avoid reading God's Word and knowing what it says, we will also suffer consequences that are more grave than a mere loss of money. WE CAN LOSE OUR SOUL!
Here are some quick tips I've learned about reading the fine print that I think we can also apply to our daily Bible reading to bring about greater results:
1)Read slowly - When I read fine print, I'm more concerned about my comprehension than I am about my speed. The same goes with Bible reading. It's not a race. It's more important that you comprehend one sentence than read a whole chapter.
2)Stop and ponder - When you read something that jumps out at you or that you don't understand, read it over until you do. In my Bible reading, if a word or phrase jumps out, I've learned to stop and meditate to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart.
3)Ask questions - If I feel uneasy or uncertain about something I'm reading in fine print, I make sure to ask questions. In the same way, it's a good and healthy practice to ask questions in our Bible reading and then seek God for the answers.
4)Seek Wise Counsel - I'm no lawyer, so if I have a question about a legal document, it's smart to ask someone who is proficient in interpreting the law. In the same light, I use many guides in my Bible reading - a good concordance and commentary can go a long way to gain insight from others who know more about the Scriptures.
5)Pray about what you've read - When I'm in doubt about what I'm signing up for, it's always wise to stop and ask God for clarity and guidance. When I apply the same rule to my Bible reading, God provides me with insight and revelation.
"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) Amen.
It all started about a month back when I read a blog about some products that I found interesting. Ok, I'll admit, it was for a tooth whitening product. Evidently the blogger, a former smoker, had success in using two different products. She suggested that by only purchasing a trial sample of each product and using them one at time you'd see great results. And her before and after pictures proved it.
So, I figured, "What's the harm?" I signed up for a trial of both products on-line, paid a nominal shipping fee and within days the products were sent to my house. Then about three weeks later I received a bill for $79.99 from one of the companies. Then a few days after that I received a new shipment of both products.
I figured something wasn't right about this situation, so I called up the first company and asked why they were charging me an additional fee and sending me more product. I was then told that in the fine print of my trial agreement it stated that I had 10 days to call and cancel my account or I'd be automatically enrolled into their "VIP" club.
I adamantly, but kindly, refused to be part of their club and asked for my money back. I was denied. I asked to speak to the manager, told him my complaint and requested my money back. He not only denied me, he hung up on me!!!
I then called my credit card company to dispute the charges only to find out that the other company had also charged me - twice. Fortunately, the second company was willing to remove all the charges once I sent back the additional product to their warehouse.
All of this trouble started because I didn't take the time to carefully read the fine print. I chalked this up as a lesson to be learned and put a stake in the ground - "From this point forward I will carefully and diligently read all the fine print before entering into any binding agreement".
Lo and behold, I received a piece of mail just this week with fine print. After reading it, I realized that I had to respond quickly to prohibit this company from using my personal information for their marketing purposes. My new conviction of reading the fine print was already paying off dividends.
I can give you plenty of reasons (read: excuses) that I never spent the time to carefully read the fine print - I considered it boring, redundant legal language that can be difficult to understand and time consuming.
I think at times we look at the Bible the same way. The same excuses abound, "I don't understand what I'm reading." "It's boring." "I've read it before." "I don't have the time."
Yet, if we avoid reading God's Word and knowing what it says, we will also suffer consequences that are more grave than a mere loss of money. WE CAN LOSE OUR SOUL!
Here are some quick tips I've learned about reading the fine print that I think we can also apply to our daily Bible reading to bring about greater results:
1)Read slowly - When I read fine print, I'm more concerned about my comprehension than I am about my speed. The same goes with Bible reading. It's not a race. It's more important that you comprehend one sentence than read a whole chapter.
2)Stop and ponder - When you read something that jumps out at you or that you don't understand, read it over until you do. In my Bible reading, if a word or phrase jumps out, I've learned to stop and meditate to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart.
3)Ask questions - If I feel uneasy or uncertain about something I'm reading in fine print, I make sure to ask questions. In the same way, it's a good and healthy practice to ask questions in our Bible reading and then seek God for the answers.
4)Seek Wise Counsel - I'm no lawyer, so if I have a question about a legal document, it's smart to ask someone who is proficient in interpreting the law. In the same light, I use many guides in my Bible reading - a good concordance and commentary can go a long way to gain insight from others who know more about the Scriptures.
5)Pray about what you've read - When I'm in doubt about what I'm signing up for, it's always wise to stop and ask God for clarity and guidance. When I apply the same rule to my Bible reading, God provides me with insight and revelation.
"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) Amen.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Where you been? What are you up to?
It's been over a month since I wrote my last blog or made an update to the Christian Growth Network website. If you've been a regular reader of my writings, you may have wondered where I've been and what I've been up to over the last month plus.
On "Ash Wednesday", the day that marks 40 days before Easter, I attended an evening service at my church. Our pastor was speaking about fasting for the lent season, the days leading up to Easter. He was challenging each of us to find something to surrender to the Lord for the next 40 days that will help us focus more on God and the work of Christ on the cross. He suggested some traditional ideas like fasting from certain foods and some more eccentric ones like giving up complaining (now that would be a good one!). He encouraged us to seek God for what He'd have us give up.
I took out my notepad and wrote God a question, "What would you have me to give up this lent season that I may focus more on You, Lord?" Almost instantly, the words, "the Internet" came to mind. I quickly balked, "I can't do that!" And as soon as I uttered those words I knew that this was exactly what God wanted me to surrender. So I committed to give up the Internet at night for the next 40 days.
At first, I have to admit, it was a difficult sacrifice to make. It was like the first dry days for an alcoholic, I had the Internet shakes. It's not that I'm on-line all the time and can't get off the computer, but it's more of a habit that I've developed to check e-mail, or write, or surf late at night after the kids are to bed.
After the first week, I not only felt more refreshed, I felt like my concentration on the Lord and my family had in some qualitative way improved. On a practical note, I also got to bed earlier, which meant waking up earlier to spend more time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word. All in all, it was a refreshing season.
Over this last week, I've been back on-line and have spent a couple nights working on some ministry opportunities - a speaking engagement to fellow writers, a new website that I'm building (more on that later). Although I have used my time wisely for the Lord, there have been nights where I went to bed too late and suffered the consequences of a groggy next morning, or next whole day.
So what's the moral to this story? Here are a few things that my fast has taught me:
1)Any habit that distracts you from God or your family is destructive. Even a good thing can become bad when misused and not under the Lordship of Christ.
2)If God calls you to surrender a habit, a relationship, an attitude or whatever else, it's always for YOUR good, not because He wants to see you suffer.
3)Rest is invaluable. God has made us as beings that need good nutrition and good rest. When we deprive our body of these essentials we rob ourselves, others and God of the life and vitality we've been given from the Lord.
Take a moment to quiet yourself before the Lord and ask this one question,
"Is there anything that I need to give up, temporarily, or permanently, so that I can be a more dedicated and loving follower of Christ?"
If God has brought something to mind, I encourage you to surrender it to Him. He will honor your sacrifice and bless you with greater joy and life in Him. Amen.
On "Ash Wednesday", the day that marks 40 days before Easter, I attended an evening service at my church. Our pastor was speaking about fasting for the lent season, the days leading up to Easter. He was challenging each of us to find something to surrender to the Lord for the next 40 days that will help us focus more on God and the work of Christ on the cross. He suggested some traditional ideas like fasting from certain foods and some more eccentric ones like giving up complaining (now that would be a good one!). He encouraged us to seek God for what He'd have us give up.
I took out my notepad and wrote God a question, "What would you have me to give up this lent season that I may focus more on You, Lord?" Almost instantly, the words, "the Internet" came to mind. I quickly balked, "I can't do that!" And as soon as I uttered those words I knew that this was exactly what God wanted me to surrender. So I committed to give up the Internet at night for the next 40 days.
At first, I have to admit, it was a difficult sacrifice to make. It was like the first dry days for an alcoholic, I had the Internet shakes. It's not that I'm on-line all the time and can't get off the computer, but it's more of a habit that I've developed to check e-mail, or write, or surf late at night after the kids are to bed.
After the first week, I not only felt more refreshed, I felt like my concentration on the Lord and my family had in some qualitative way improved. On a practical note, I also got to bed earlier, which meant waking up earlier to spend more time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word. All in all, it was a refreshing season.
Over this last week, I've been back on-line and have spent a couple nights working on some ministry opportunities - a speaking engagement to fellow writers, a new website that I'm building (more on that later). Although I have used my time wisely for the Lord, there have been nights where I went to bed too late and suffered the consequences of a groggy next morning, or next whole day.
So what's the moral to this story? Here are a few things that my fast has taught me:
1)Any habit that distracts you from God or your family is destructive. Even a good thing can become bad when misused and not under the Lordship of Christ.
2)If God calls you to surrender a habit, a relationship, an attitude or whatever else, it's always for YOUR good, not because He wants to see you suffer.
3)Rest is invaluable. God has made us as beings that need good nutrition and good rest. When we deprive our body of these essentials we rob ourselves, others and God of the life and vitality we've been given from the Lord.
Take a moment to quiet yourself before the Lord and ask this one question,
"Is there anything that I need to give up, temporarily, or permanently, so that I can be a more dedicated and loving follower of Christ?"
If God has brought something to mind, I encourage you to surrender it to Him. He will honor your sacrifice and bless you with greater joy and life in Him. Amen.
Monday, February 23, 2009
My Thoughts About The Shack
I did it. I finally finished reading The Shack. This is the first fiction book I've read in quite a long time. In fact, the last time I can remember reading a fiction book was probably in High School as an English assignment.
What compelled me to finish reading this book were the amount of people who recommended it to me, the friend who gave it to me as a gift and the controversy I had read about the book. Here are my thoughts about The Shack.
The Shack is a story about a man named Mack who suffers a great loss in his life, what he calls The Great Sadness. Mack is gripped with the pain of his loss and cannot find a way out. As you read the story, it's easy to identify with Mack's pain especially if you've had a significant loss in your own life.
Behind Mack's pain are a lot of good questions. Questions like, "Why does God allow evil things to happen in this world?" "Why does God allow suffering?" "Why does God allow people to become victimized and innocently hurt?"
Mack is given the opportunity to meet with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to find answers to these and many more questions about life. In the end, Mack comes away a changed man and learns the power of trust in God, forgiveness of others and the simple truth that "if anything matters, then everything matters."
This book is a page turner and very easy to read once you make it to Chapter Five. While this book is fictional and stimulating to read, it is at the same time chock-full of theology. Some of this theology I agreed with, some of it I disagreed with, some of it was questionable and I'm sure much of it went over my head. Those who spoke poorly of this book were one's who couldn't tolerate the inconsistencies and contradictions between the book and Biblical truth.
To those who hold this viewpoint, I completely honor your feelings on the matter. I for one never want to endorse any book that contradicts Scripture or defend any writings (including my own) against the inspiration and authority of the Bible. The Bible is God's Word and no other book can stand in comparison.
At the same time, although I didn't agree with every opinion and theological idea expressed in this book, I want to say that there are many aspects of this book that brought greater revelation to my understanding of the nature and character of God. The humanity of Jesus, the mystery of the Holy Spirit's activities, the immense love of God the Father for humanity and the fear and wisdom of God came alive to me. The Shack also helped me better comprehend the common pain experienced by all humanity when living in a sin-filled, fallen world and God's glorious plan of redemption.
The literary quality of the book is phenomenal and the end of the book brings a great twist as well as a feeling of satisfaction. I really enjoyed the ending! I would recommend The Shack to anyone who's faced a major loss in their life and is looking to find healing and comfort. If your wounds are fresh, bring along a box of tissues because this book has the power to make a grown man cry.
Selah.
What compelled me to finish reading this book were the amount of people who recommended it to me, the friend who gave it to me as a gift and the controversy I had read about the book. Here are my thoughts about The Shack.
The Shack is a story about a man named Mack who suffers a great loss in his life, what he calls The Great Sadness. Mack is gripped with the pain of his loss and cannot find a way out. As you read the story, it's easy to identify with Mack's pain especially if you've had a significant loss in your own life.
Behind Mack's pain are a lot of good questions. Questions like, "Why does God allow evil things to happen in this world?" "Why does God allow suffering?" "Why does God allow people to become victimized and innocently hurt?"
Mack is given the opportunity to meet with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to find answers to these and many more questions about life. In the end, Mack comes away a changed man and learns the power of trust in God, forgiveness of others and the simple truth that "if anything matters, then everything matters."
This book is a page turner and very easy to read once you make it to Chapter Five. While this book is fictional and stimulating to read, it is at the same time chock-full of theology. Some of this theology I agreed with, some of it I disagreed with, some of it was questionable and I'm sure much of it went over my head. Those who spoke poorly of this book were one's who couldn't tolerate the inconsistencies and contradictions between the book and Biblical truth.
To those who hold this viewpoint, I completely honor your feelings on the matter. I for one never want to endorse any book that contradicts Scripture or defend any writings (including my own) against the inspiration and authority of the Bible. The Bible is God's Word and no other book can stand in comparison.
At the same time, although I didn't agree with every opinion and theological idea expressed in this book, I want to say that there are many aspects of this book that brought greater revelation to my understanding of the nature and character of God. The humanity of Jesus, the mystery of the Holy Spirit's activities, the immense love of God the Father for humanity and the fear and wisdom of God came alive to me. The Shack also helped me better comprehend the common pain experienced by all humanity when living in a sin-filled, fallen world and God's glorious plan of redemption.
The literary quality of the book is phenomenal and the end of the book brings a great twist as well as a feeling of satisfaction. I really enjoyed the ending! I would recommend The Shack to anyone who's faced a major loss in their life and is looking to find healing and comfort. If your wounds are fresh, bring along a box of tissues because this book has the power to make a grown man cry.
Selah.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Writing Blank Checks
A couple weeks back I was confessing to a friend how I was becoming overly critical of certain people in my life. My expectations in these relationships were not being met and I was continually voicing my opinion and complaints on the matter. My friend reached back and started digging in his bag. At that point, I knew I was in trouble.
He brought out a small 40 page book entitled, "The Importance of Forgiveness" by John Arnott. "Here, take this and read it." My immediate knee jerk reaction was to kindly decline the offer. "Hey, thanks for thinking of me, but I don't think forgiveness is my struggle. I'm struggling with having a critical spirit."
"I know", my friend persisted. "It addresses that very topic in here. Read it." By this time, the book was now being held in both my hands and I had a strange feeling that it was not coincidental that my friend happened to have it on him that day.
As I started to read through the book, the Holy Spirit began to confirm what my friend had sensed was going on in my life. I was harboring unforgiveness towards these other people to whom I was being critical. Furthermore, I was being judgmental towards them and disobeying the clear teachings of Jesus, "Do not judge" (Luke 6:37).
This was a hard reality for me to accept because in my mind I had concluded, "Sure, I've forgiven them. Surely, I'm not one to hold a grudge. I'm bigger than that." But the evidence was becoming clearer and my conviction was growing stronger.
So, one morning I brought this issue to the Lord asking if I had any unforgiveness in my heart. A resounding "Yes" rose up in my spirit. I then asked the Lord, "So, what do I do about it." My expectation was for the Lord to direct me to write out every offense and forgive every individual wrong. I thought that it would be a long and arduous process of bringing up old memories and forgiving each, one at a time.
Instead, to my surprise, the only words that came to my mind were simply this:
"Write a blank check."
These words needed no further explanation. I understood clearly what the Lord was speaking to my heart. He wanted me to forgive all the offenses I had felt from the past, anything greiving me now and any potential hurt in the future.
It seemed like a pretty tall order at first, but what soon became evident to me was that the Lord didn't want me to take time to stew over all the misunderstandings of the past and bring back up every offense. He simply wanted me to bury them all in the sea of forgiveness. In fact, it was probably my own flesh that would have preferred to bring up every individual offense allowing myself one last chance to meditate on how wrong the other parties had been. I wanted to play judge again.
In following the Lord's lead, I drew a fake check in my notebook and wrote under "To" the names of the people who offended me. Under "Amount" I left the space blank. And under "Memo" I wrote "Every offense". I then wrote out Ephesians 4:31-32 on the check which reads, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Finally, I signed the check with my full name and then confirmed this decision to forgive in prayer and transferred the entire debt over to the cross of Jesus Christ. I sat quietly before the Lord considering this transaction and asked, "What's next?"
Instantly, four simple words rose up in my spirit, "Write yourself a check." Again without any further explanation, I understood what the Lord was inviting me to do. He was extending the invitation for me to forgive myself for all of my own shortcomings, sins and failures of the past, present and even the future. He was inviting me to not only be forgiven of my sins, but to forgive myself for them.
With these four words, "Write yourself a check" resounding in my heart, I began to write out a prayer to Jesus to forgive myself for every act of my will, every mistake, every sin and transgression and to choose to condemn myself no longer.
I can't describe the levity, joy and freedom that came from this exercise. Amazingly, my relationships with those who had offended me changed immediately. My criticalness and judgements were no longer in the way of my ability to love them. And personally I felt relieved of the weight that comes from self-condemnation.
Friend, don't wait any longer to experience the freedom that comes through forgiveness. Start by receiving the full pardon for your own sins which Jesus has paid for on the cross. Based on Jesus death for you, choose to forgive yourself. Then, choose to extend complete forgiveness to everyone who has ever offended you.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:37-38)
He brought out a small 40 page book entitled, "The Importance of Forgiveness" by John Arnott. "Here, take this and read it." My immediate knee jerk reaction was to kindly decline the offer. "Hey, thanks for thinking of me, but I don't think forgiveness is my struggle. I'm struggling with having a critical spirit."
"I know", my friend persisted. "It addresses that very topic in here. Read it." By this time, the book was now being held in both my hands and I had a strange feeling that it was not coincidental that my friend happened to have it on him that day.
As I started to read through the book, the Holy Spirit began to confirm what my friend had sensed was going on in my life. I was harboring unforgiveness towards these other people to whom I was being critical. Furthermore, I was being judgmental towards them and disobeying the clear teachings of Jesus, "Do not judge" (Luke 6:37).
This was a hard reality for me to accept because in my mind I had concluded, "Sure, I've forgiven them. Surely, I'm not one to hold a grudge. I'm bigger than that." But the evidence was becoming clearer and my conviction was growing stronger.
So, one morning I brought this issue to the Lord asking if I had any unforgiveness in my heart. A resounding "Yes" rose up in my spirit. I then asked the Lord, "So, what do I do about it." My expectation was for the Lord to direct me to write out every offense and forgive every individual wrong. I thought that it would be a long and arduous process of bringing up old memories and forgiving each, one at a time.
Instead, to my surprise, the only words that came to my mind were simply this:
"Write a blank check."
These words needed no further explanation. I understood clearly what the Lord was speaking to my heart. He wanted me to forgive all the offenses I had felt from the past, anything greiving me now and any potential hurt in the future.
It seemed like a pretty tall order at first, but what soon became evident to me was that the Lord didn't want me to take time to stew over all the misunderstandings of the past and bring back up every offense. He simply wanted me to bury them all in the sea of forgiveness. In fact, it was probably my own flesh that would have preferred to bring up every individual offense allowing myself one last chance to meditate on how wrong the other parties had been. I wanted to play judge again.
In following the Lord's lead, I drew a fake check in my notebook and wrote under "To" the names of the people who offended me. Under "Amount" I left the space blank. And under "Memo" I wrote "Every offense". I then wrote out Ephesians 4:31-32 on the check which reads, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Finally, I signed the check with my full name and then confirmed this decision to forgive in prayer and transferred the entire debt over to the cross of Jesus Christ. I sat quietly before the Lord considering this transaction and asked, "What's next?"
Instantly, four simple words rose up in my spirit, "Write yourself a check." Again without any further explanation, I understood what the Lord was inviting me to do. He was extending the invitation for me to forgive myself for all of my own shortcomings, sins and failures of the past, present and even the future. He was inviting me to not only be forgiven of my sins, but to forgive myself for them.
With these four words, "Write yourself a check" resounding in my heart, I began to write out a prayer to Jesus to forgive myself for every act of my will, every mistake, every sin and transgression and to choose to condemn myself no longer.
I can't describe the levity, joy and freedom that came from this exercise. Amazingly, my relationships with those who had offended me changed immediately. My criticalness and judgements were no longer in the way of my ability to love them. And personally I felt relieved of the weight that comes from self-condemnation.
Friend, don't wait any longer to experience the freedom that comes through forgiveness. Start by receiving the full pardon for your own sins which Jesus has paid for on the cross. Based on Jesus death for you, choose to forgive yourself. Then, choose to extend complete forgiveness to everyone who has ever offended you.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:37-38)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Key to Sustainable Happiness
The leader of our Men's Bible study posed a question to the group, "When are you the happiest in life?" One of the guys quickly responded with a grin, "Whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers win!"
When the laughter settled, the leader again inquired, "How long does it last?"
"Usually a week, until they play again...Unless of course they win the Super Bowl."
We all began to laugh again and shake our heads. We could relate to these sentiments. When times are good, it's easy to be happy. When our hometown football team wins a game, or when our favorite meal is served, or when the work week is over and the weekend begins, it's easy to feel happy.
Unfortunately, happiness that is based on how well things are going can only last as long as our circumstances deem favorable. Once things start turning for the worse, our happiness heads south. It's Yo-Yo happiness.
I believe there is a very simple key to sustainable happiness that is often overlooked. In fact, it's found in a single word - contentment. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word contented as "feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation".
How many people do you know who are truly satisfied (content) with their current possessions, status or situation? Not many, I presume. Yet without contentment, there can be no true happiness. I like the way the Apostle Paul put it,
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)
The secret to finding contentment is realizing that although your circumstances will always change, God will not. Whether times are good or bad, you can always rely on God's steadfastness in your life. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
You may be facing tough times economically. You may have problems with your health. You may have relationship strains that can't be fixed overnight. All of these circumstances can leave us feeling unhappy and longing for better days. But if you don't CHOOSE to be content today, then you've resigned to unhappiness until all of your circumstances are favorable. And who knows when that will be?
When we choose contentment, we are not accepting an unfulfilled life or small dreams. We are simply saying, "By God's strength and sufficient grace, I will be satisfied in the place I am today." Don't stop hoping, praying and working for a better future, just don't forget that God wants you to enjoy Him on the way.
"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Amen.
When the laughter settled, the leader again inquired, "How long does it last?"
"Usually a week, until they play again...Unless of course they win the Super Bowl."
We all began to laugh again and shake our heads. We could relate to these sentiments. When times are good, it's easy to be happy. When our hometown football team wins a game, or when our favorite meal is served, or when the work week is over and the weekend begins, it's easy to feel happy.
Unfortunately, happiness that is based on how well things are going can only last as long as our circumstances deem favorable. Once things start turning for the worse, our happiness heads south. It's Yo-Yo happiness.
I believe there is a very simple key to sustainable happiness that is often overlooked. In fact, it's found in a single word - contentment. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word contented as "feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation".
How many people do you know who are truly satisfied (content) with their current possessions, status or situation? Not many, I presume. Yet without contentment, there can be no true happiness. I like the way the Apostle Paul put it,
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)
The secret to finding contentment is realizing that although your circumstances will always change, God will not. Whether times are good or bad, you can always rely on God's steadfastness in your life. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
You may be facing tough times economically. You may have problems with your health. You may have relationship strains that can't be fixed overnight. All of these circumstances can leave us feeling unhappy and longing for better days. But if you don't CHOOSE to be content today, then you've resigned to unhappiness until all of your circumstances are favorable. And who knows when that will be?
When we choose contentment, we are not accepting an unfulfilled life or small dreams. We are simply saying, "By God's strength and sufficient grace, I will be satisfied in the place I am today." Don't stop hoping, praying and working for a better future, just don't forget that God wants you to enjoy Him on the way.
"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Amen.
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