Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.
Throughout our lives we face times and circumstances in which we feel we have been wronged by someone else. Our natural responses can run the emotional spectrum from resentment to hatred, but for the follower of Jesus, the example of forgiveness has been clearly given. Even as He was being put to death, Jesus cried out for the forgiveness of those putting Him to death.
Forgiveness is never easy, particularly when we have been wounded deeply. Our desire to never be wounded by an individual again, leads to a vast array of defenses being erected in our lives. We simply do not want to give those who have offended us the opportunity to do it again.
Peter was wrestling with the need to extend forgiveness as he posed this question to Jesus:
Matthew 18:21-22 (HCSB)
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.”
Peter was looking for that justification to hold a grudge. His question was simple, surely there must be a limit to the amount of forgiveness that should have to be offered to someone who has wrong us? Peter gave a number that to him seemed generous. After forgiving someone seven times already, there should be no obligation to forgive again, if they wrong him again. Jesus instead responded that forgiveness needed to offered exponentially more.
This standard of forgiveness is in play in our lives each and every day. What if God placed an arbitrary number on His forgiveness? Suppose God's forgiveness was no longer available to you and I after our 500th offense, even our 1,000th offense. Most of us would have exhausted God's forgiveness before we were even out of primary school. The simple disobedience of childhood and the rebellion of youth would have exhausted that forgiveness supply. God continues to forgive us time and time again, that is the example we have been called to follow even though it is difficult at times.
When we refuse to forgive, we allow unforgiveness to control us. Rarely is the person who has offended us, affected by our resentment. That area of our lives is robbed of the peace that is rightfully ours and that lack of peace reflects in our actions and words.
Today, there may be someone who needs your forgiveness. Their actions may not warrant forgiveness, but true forgiveness is not based on the actions of the other person, true forgiveness is birthed within you, it is your act of mercy and grace towards them. As difficult as this step may be, it will be very freeing for you in the long run. By taking this step, you will be releasing the hold that unforgiveness has on your life.
Until next Monday, may God's richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Living in Community
Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.
One of the things seen in the early church was a living example of Christian community. Acts chapter 2 describes this community life very vividly:
Acts 2:44-47 (NASB)
44 And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common;
45 and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46 And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
44 And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common;
45 and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46 And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Today in America this idea seems very foreign to us. We have moved from deep interactive personal relationships to a very surface level interaction with others. We have made our ideal a setting in which we push a button to open our garage door as we leave in the morning and we push that same button again as we pull back into our garage at night. We now are able to spend years in a neighborhood without ever truly getting to know our neighbors. As time has gone on, we have begun to see the erosion of this spirit of community. There are times that we see glimpses of it, especially in the wake of disaster.
Today I want to give you a simple formula found in the above passage that will help you establish community in your own life and sphere of influence. The first thing visible is the idea expressed in Jesus' command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Take a look at the needs of those closest to you. Does your neighbor need their yard mowed? Have you seen them under the hood of the car this week? Has your neighbor lost their job? These are all opportunities for you to show love and kindness to those around you. These may also be opportunities to be God's source of provision during a time of need, as He enables you.
Secondarily, the community of the early church worshiped together. They shared the commonality of their faith. Not everyone will hold to the same beliefs as you, but there are many who do. Find those individuals and begin to walk out your faith journey with them. Worship together, study together and pray together.
Lastly, the community broke bread together. The dining room table is the place of greatest relational contact within your home. It is the place where our deeper conversations take place. That is why a business person takes their client to lunch or dinner. It is a place where extended conversation can occur. This week I would encourage you to invite someone into your home to share a meal. You will find that your life is enriched by their presence.
This week I hope that you will seek to build community in the places that God has placed you.
Until next Monday, may God's richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, January 11, 2010
Is your plate too full?
Good morning. I hope you had a great weekend.
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed? During this time of year, my friends who are tax preparers and accountants begin feeling that way. We all face demanding circumstances in our lives. The expectations put upon us by ourselves and others can quickly leave us out of gas and ineffective.
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, we find a great bit of advice, that all of us can put into practice. Moses was listening to the disputes of the people from sun up to sun down, making judgments in these contested matters. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro observed this and realized that Moses’ was not only hurting himself, but it would ultimately hurt the people too. To put it simple, Moses’ had too much on his plate. Take a look at the advice Jethro gives his son-in-law:
Exodus 18:17-23 (NASB)
17 And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.
18 “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
19 “Now listen to me: I shall give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,
20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk, and the work they are to do.
21 “Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
22 “And let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
23 “If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
There are two key pieces of instruction that Jethro gives. The first is that Moses should equip the people. Give them the knowledge to make good decisions. In this case it was through the teaching of God’s statures and laws, plus the application of those statutes and laws.
Secondarily, Moses needed to choose men of good character and delegate the responsibility of hearing disputes to them. Moses needed to give away this part of his workload to those who were capable of carrying it for him. Moses’ true responsibility was to be the representative of the people before God.
As you begin this new year, I encourage you to examine some ways you can apply Jethro’s advice to your own life and circumstances. Are there tasks around the home that your children need to be trained in? Is there a task in the workplace that could be delegated to another capable individual. Ask God to guide you in these questions of equipping and delegating. In the long run you will be better off for taking this step.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed? During this time of year, my friends who are tax preparers and accountants begin feeling that way. We all face demanding circumstances in our lives. The expectations put upon us by ourselves and others can quickly leave us out of gas and ineffective.
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, we find a great bit of advice, that all of us can put into practice. Moses was listening to the disputes of the people from sun up to sun down, making judgments in these contested matters. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro observed this and realized that Moses’ was not only hurting himself, but it would ultimately hurt the people too. To put it simple, Moses’ had too much on his plate. Take a look at the advice Jethro gives his son-in-law:
Exodus 18:17-23 (NASB)
17 And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good.
18 “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
19 “Now listen to me: I shall give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,
20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk, and the work they are to do.
21 “Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
22 “And let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
23 “If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
There are two key pieces of instruction that Jethro gives. The first is that Moses should equip the people. Give them the knowledge to make good decisions. In this case it was through the teaching of God’s statures and laws, plus the application of those statutes and laws.
Secondarily, Moses needed to choose men of good character and delegate the responsibility of hearing disputes to them. Moses needed to give away this part of his workload to those who were capable of carrying it for him. Moses’ true responsibility was to be the representative of the people before God.
As you begin this new year, I encourage you to examine some ways you can apply Jethro’s advice to your own life and circumstances. Are there tasks around the home that your children need to be trained in? Is there a task in the workplace that could be delegated to another capable individual. Ask God to guide you in these questions of equipping and delegating. In the long run you will be better off for taking this step.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
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