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God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NCV)
A friend of mine is a car salesman. I trust him completely. When I need a good used car I’ll go to him and ask him to find a car that is a particular style, within a particular price range, and is from his opinion, a good reliable car. Because of my trust in him I’m pretty confident that when I drive off the lot with my ‘new’ car I can trust it. I don’t know its complete history, but I know my friend.
When we seek to purchase a car, some electronic item or a new home we want to know as much about it as possible before we spend the money. We don’t want any surprises.
That’s what makes Jesus’ coming to earth for us even more amazing. Imagine if I were to go to my friend and ask him to find me a car. A few days later he calls and says he found one for me and asks me to come down to the shop to see it.
When I arrive I see a car that’s 20 years old, has three different colored fenders, and the fourth fender is rusted through. One tire is flat, the other three are bald. There is a crack in the windshield and, he informs me, the Air Conditioning doesn’t work and the windows won’t open. Would I buy the car? You say, “Of course not! A person would be stupid to buy something like that and,” you’d continue, “your friend isn’t much of a friend. I’d never trust him again!”
You’d be right of course. No one would buy something like that for any price. But that is exactly what Jesus did! When Jesus was born in that manger over 2,000 years ago he and his Father knew exactly what he was getting into. He knew he was going into a world full of anger, rebellion, abuse and greed. He knew he’d be scoffed at, rejected by he closest friends and innocently murdered. But knowing all this, he came anyway.
If that wasn’t enough, he didn’t come to scold us. He didn’t come to tell us how bad we were. He didn’t come to criticize us for our weaknesses, or condemn us for our rebellion or send us on some guilt trip. He came to save us. He came to forgive us. He came to free us from guilt, shame, anger and bitterness! Jesus didn’t come to earth because of what we were like, he came to earth because of what we needed.
There will be plenty of people who will point out your faults, tell you what you are doing wrong and judge you for your past or present addictions. Jesus didn’t come to make you feel guilty. He came to show you his love.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for coming to earth to give me freedom. I struggle so much with feelings of guilt, anger and fear. It’s so easy to go my own way and seek my own desires. I praise you for accepting me, for purchasing me even though you knew all my flaws. Amen.
Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” Psalm 2:1-3 (NLT)
We live in an angry world. That’s no secret to anyone who is paying any attention at all to their surroundings. On a global level nearly every nation in the world is feeling the effects of unrest, from peaceful protests to violent exchanges resulting in 1,000’s of deaths.
Within the home anger thrives as well. Husbands and wives clashing because ‘rights’ and ‘needs’ aren’t being met by the other. Anger that drives them to affairs, divorce, violence or even murder and suicide. Children rebelling against the ways of their parents. Casting off the ‘old, irrelevant religion’ of mom and dad for a new way of thinking that places their own ability at the center of the quest for meaning to life. Their search for that meaning leads to apathy, frustration and…anger.
We don’t verbalize it of course, but the foundation of our anger is the need for meaning in life. The catalyst in our quest is Satan. He put the seeds of doubt in the mind of Eve in the garden and has been doing so ever since. Satan, the great enemy of our souls, blamed God for harsh rules then, he’s doing it today.
As humans we are slaves to one power or another. There are no choices in that regard. We can choose to be slaves to the devious plans of the enemy, or we can choose to be slaves to the power of God. The former leads to frustration, hopelessness and anger. The latter leads to hope, faith and a life of fulfillment that started this quest in the first place. The former says, “I’m in charge of my own destiny. My success and happiness is my own responsibility.” Jesus says, “Your happiness and protection are my responsibility. I bring all the power of the almighty, loving God into our relationship for your good.”
The world says “Let’s free ourselves from slavery to God” but Jesus says, “Let me take the chains of slavery that cause your anger, fear and frustration from you.” The choice is yours. Will you continue to fight against God or will you choose to live in the freedom only Jesus can offer?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’m surrounded by angry people. I feel the effects of my own anger rising up as I deal with the frustrations of life. Within me I want to fix it myself, but in reality know I can’t. Forgive my anger and rebellion. Empower me to live in the freedom (not the chains) of your love. Amen.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
When was the last time you were so afraid that your stomach felt like a huge knot? You woke up in the middle of the night full of concern for your kids, your finances or the doctor’s report? How long has the pain from the divorce haunted you? While the physical bruises may have healed, how is the pain from the hidden emotional bruises affecting your life, your relationships with others, or your view of God? When are you going to be able to let go of the anger and bitterness, to finally forgive and move on?
On this journey called life we spend so much time trying to survive. For some, getting up every morning is a painful chore in and of itself. Physical pain is often far easier to take than the emotional pain we bear. Still we get up and move on. We fear death, but wonder how long we can endure life.
The good news is that someday, all this pain will be gone. One day, we’ll get up in the morning without a single thing to worry about! The things that anger us? Gone. The things that worry us? Eliminated! The bruises (seen and unseen). Forgotten forever! The pain of being cheated on, abandoned or abused? Replaced with comfort, joy and peace.
When we think of death there are so many unanswered questions. But rather than dwelling on what we don’t know, think for a moment about what we do know. Someday, when we cross that river from life as we know it here to eternity with Jesus every tear will be wiped away. Death will lose its grip on us. Sorrow and pain will be no more. We won’t know hate, only love. We’ll not harbor worries, only relief. We won’t contend with sickness or hunger, our every need will be met.
When we see Jesus all the pain and agony we experience here on earth will be eliminated. Paul says our current sufferings are nothing compared to the joy we will experience in the presence of our Lord Jesus.
The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. Romans 8:18 (NCV)
Was Paul treating your pain lightly? Was he unaware of the struggles and worry we all go through? Certainly not! Elsewhere he alludes to the fact that every day of his life was spent in fear of beatings or execution. But Paul also knew that no matter how big your pain now, once we reach glory our pain here on earth will seem miniscule.
Oh happy, happy day. That day when I leave this earthly shell to join my Lord Jesus. Am I suicidal? Most certainly not. With Jesus at my side I shall live life to the fullest and enjoy the many blessings I have here. But I will not fear death! Although I will go through pain here on earth as a result of my own choices or the abuse of others, I will keep my eyes on that day when all my pain will be no more!
PRAYER: Lord God. In the midst of my worries and fears; while I fight physical and emotional pain here on earth; when I’m scared of what I see in our economic and political environment, I praise you for the hope I have to join you one day in Heaven. Even though my pain is great here, I know my joy will be so much greater when I see you face to face and you wipe away the last tear I’ll ever shed! Alleluia. Come quickly Lord Jesus!
If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we I live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8 (NLT)
I attended a Suicide Prevention Seminar recently. The presenter was a well-known ‘expert’ in researching why people commit suicide. His hour long presentation showed the physiological, emotional and mental similarities with suicide. It was an incredible learning experience for me.
The one thing that has stuck with me since that session was his statement that most suicide victims don’t want to die; they just want to escape the pain. Their actions aren’t meant to hurt anyone or themselves. In their minds the only way to escape the pain they are in is to die.
He told a story of a young man who had decided to commit suicide. He had it all planned out. The day. The process. Everything. On the morning of his impending death he began to have second thoughts. He decided that if, in the process of his day, just one person would ask him how he was, if he was okay, etc. he’d tell them his plan and ask for help.
He was either crying or near tears all day. He came in contact with several people he knew and a few he didn’t know. In spite of his tears and obvious emotional state, not one person asked him what was wrong.
Fortunately, when he finally attempted to take his life, he was unsuccessful. He ended up in a hospital as a result of the attempt, and is now living with the scars of his attempt, but with freedom from pain.
All of us can feel, at times, like we are all alone, like no one really cares, like the things we do in life are futile and unappreciated. We bear the pain of past neglect or abuse. The question each of us must answer isn’t “Will I encounter pain in life?” but “How will I handle the pain I encounter.
People handle their wounds in different ways. Some turn to drugs and alcohol. Some turn to sex, lust and a variety of relationships. Others rely on anger, power, strength and violence, or take part in being the abuser rather than the abused. I’m convinced that most people don’t ‘sin’ to hurt others, or reject God. Sin is a symptom of deeper pain and an attempt to relieve that pain.
Pain, be it physical, spiritual or emotional, is inevitable. How we handle the pain in our lives can depend largely on the support system we have in place. People struggling with life need to know someone cares.
We can say to others that Jesus cares, but until they see that care manifested in our Lord’s tools, (his people) they will never fully understand what his care really means for them. You may think you can’t make a difference in people’s lives. That’s simply not true.
Just watching for signs of pain in the lives of others and asking ‘how is it going’ or ‘what’s wrong?’ may be the very thing they need to work through the pain. We don’t get involved in peoples lives because we are special; we get involved in people’s lives because they are special.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you have put me here for a reason. I ask for you help in dealing with my own pain. Help me use what you have given me to help others live free from their pain as well. Amen.
If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he must be true to who he is. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NCV)
I sat across the desk from the young woman who, through her tears, shared her story. He’d cheated on her once, while they were engaged. Got caught red-handed so to speak, but they worked through it. She’d decided she loved him enough to forgive him. She believed his tear-filled confession. Her trust in him slowly returned and they were married.
Now, six years later and with two adorable children at home, he once again came to her for forgiveness. He’d met a woman. They’d slept together. He regretted that decision and wanted to ‘come clean’ and be the dad, husband and lover she deserved. She didn’t know if she could go on this way. She wasn’t sure that she could ever trust him again.
I’ve knelt with a man at the altar (a different story). He’d called and asked to meet at the church. I found him in tears sitting at the altar. Three times in the past year he’d gone home with a woman that wasn’t his wife. Someone he’d picked up at the bar. There wasn’t any love, just lust. No relationship, just a desire on the part of both parties to ‘have a little fling’. Now, he had to come clean. His wife had no knowledge of what was coming. They’d been together for nearly 20 years. Four great kids, a successful business and for all appearances, a good wholesome family.
These were ‘good people.’ They were active in our church. They taught Sunday School and greeted visitors. The man went home to his wife and confessed his sin. They went to counseling and the last I heard were completely restored in their relationship. The marriage of the young woman, I’m sad to say, ended in divorce. Too much damage. Too many wounds. .
I don’t tell these stories as a post against marital infidelity, although I certainly could. These stories, which I imagine are played out a thousand times a day, awakened in me a new understanding of the passionate relationship with have with Jesus.
Being unfaithful to your lover hurts. It hurts your lover. It hurts you. It’s a family breaker. While there are, thankfully, many stories of families that have endured the devastation of infidelity, many aren’t able to overcome the hurt, the distrust, the anger.
We all have affairs in our relationship with Jesus. Times in each of our lives when we make decisions that are directly contrary to what he desires of us. Sometimes they are flippant ‘flings’ that catch us unaware. Sometimes they are well-thought out decisions.
The point is this. Regardless of how many times we disappoint Jesus, he will never say enough. No matter how many times we fail to live for him, he will never say ‘I don’t love you anymore’. He knows we’ll fail him…again. He knows we’ll reject his love. But because of who he is, he can never turn his back on us.
If you truly love someone, you will do whatever you can to keep from hurting that person. If you truly love Jesus you will do whatever you can to keep from hurting him. These life stories I shared beg the question each of us must ask: “How have I had an affair with other lovers (lust, money, desire, fame) and hurt my Jesus?”
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I do love you. I realize that I’ve let you down so many times. I don’t know how you can possibly love me after I’ve done so many things against you. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. Empower me to live to please you and not myself. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 