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He did this so that we could be the kind of people the law correctly wants us to be. Now we do not live following our sinful selves, but we live following the Spirit. Romans 8:4 (NCV)
I don’t understand genetics. I’m not sure any of us do, but some understand far more than I do about what makes a person the way he/she is. For example, how is it that two people, born of the same parents can be different as night and day in personality, looks, and body shape/size? Or, how is it that a child, separated from parents at birth will have many of the same traits, likes and dislikes at their parents even though they have never ever seen them? These are just a few of the amazing things about how we are put together as human beings.
What’s even more amazing is how we can be ‘put together’ in Christ. We are born into a human body. We are influenced by our surroundings in more ways than we can imagine. The older we get, the more the effects of our past can dictate who we are and how we react to things in our environment.
Jesus came to give each of us a new start in life. Because of his grace and forgiveness we no longer need to be imprisoned by the things that happened along the journey of life.
“But,” you may say, “You don’t understand. I was abused as a child.”
“I know but” you may say, “my parents divorced [died, abandoned me, were drug addicts, are in prison,]. So that’s why I am the way I am.”
I won’t minimize the fact that life experiences have a huge impact on us. We are wounded, bruised and scarred by a whole variety of things. With Jesus in our lives those things that once were destructive influences on our ability to live free can be used for the glory of God. Because of Jesus we don’t need to walk as wounded any longer. That’s what grace is about. That’s what mercy is about. That’s what forgiveness is about.
Jesus Christ is well aware of your past. He sees the scars. He saw the abuse. He knows the feeling of being rejected. He came to free you from the effects of all the bad stuff that’s happened in your past. We no longer need to live the way we once did. God’s Spirit in us gives us new life through Christ. God’s Holy Spirit in us allows us to use the struggles of our past to strengthen those who are hurting.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, my past continues to haunt me. I see myself becoming the very type of person I don’t want to be. I relive the abuse of my past on a daily basis. Forgive me once and for all for the mistakes I’ve made. Free me through your grace to leave the old life behind and live the new life you have prepared for me. Amen.
But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. James 1:5 (NCV)
“There’s no such thing as a stupid question.”
We’ve all heard or said that at some point in our lives. The intent of the saying is, at least from my perspective, that asking questions is not only okay, it’s to be encouraged. Asking questions allows us to grow in knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways.
Still, we all know people who we avoid asking questions to, people who make us feel like a total idiots because we don’t know the answer to something. It could be a boss, a spouse, a professor, even a friend. It only takes one sarcastic comment, one condescending remark, to keep us from ever asking questions again.
How a person responds to our questions is usually a sign of their character. Responses that shut us down or attack our self-esteem are intended to hurt us, not build us up. In a real love relationship questions are never met with sarcasm, anger, or condescending responses. Even if the answer can’t be given, a person of Godly character will always respond in a way that builds up, never tears down.
You can come to God with your questions. He’s proven over and over again that he will never be angry with your questions. Look at the lives of Job, of Moses, of Jonah and others. These were men who at some time or another questioned why God did what he did, or even argued with God about what he was doing. Yet he never attacked them for their questions.
Your Heavenly Father may not answer your questions the way you hope but he will never criticize or use sarcasm in response to your request. You don’t need to be afraid to ask God the hard questions. First of all, he knows the questions you ask before you verbalize them. Secondly, he made you the way you are. He realizes that your mind can’t comprehend the vastness of his wisdom.
God will give you the wisdom you need for the moment. Godly wisdom that may not seem ‘wise’ in the eyes of the world, but is always best for you. Wisdom you can trust when circumstances are tough. You can always trust him to listen and respond in love.
PRAYER: Father, I have so many questions about life and direction. Thank you that I can rely on you for the answers I need for life. Give me courage when the answers I get don’t seem to come fast enough or aren’t what I want to hear. Amen.
I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people. Ephesians 1:18 (NCV)
It wasn’t the teachings of Jesus that drew people to him. It was his character. That may seem strange to say. We focus our energies on what Jesus taught, and to be sure, those teachings are the basis of life. The things Jesus taught us bring hope from despair, confidence when we are afraid; wisdom when we are worried; direction when we don’t know the way. But the reality is, the blind man wasn’t able to fully understand the spiritual blessings Jesus had to offer until his vision was restored. The parents who lost their little girl no doubt knew that God was a mighty and powerful God, but the full realization of what that meant didn’t come until their little girl sat up in the very bed she’d died in moments earlier. The father who sought Jesus out for healing for his demon possessed son knew the power of prayer. Why else would he seek Jesus out? Still, until he saw his son in a normal, calm state of mind, he didn’t fully grasp the significance of the hope Jesus offered.
Jesus’ teachings simply backed up, clarified, and verified what he’s already done in the lives of people who were in need. No wonder that in the garden he prays for those who will seek him after he is gone. He understood the difficulty we have as finite humans to believe without seeing; to hope in the unseen; to live by faith when prayers seem unanswered, and life is unbearable.
As Christ-followers we are called to show others the hope they can have in Christ. What an awesome privilege! So many are looking for hope in today’s world. Hope to get through physical pain and illness. Hope to endure the pain of relational disaster. Hope to endure one more day of starvation or the ravages of natural disaster.
Paul prays that we will understand the hope Jesus has called us to. Why this prayer? Paul also knew, perhaps better than any of us what it meant to be rejected, alone, in danger, despised and rejected. But he also knew the hope only Jesus can offer. People around us aren’t seeking profound teachings or messages of a better tomorrow. They are seeking strength to get through one more day. What can we do to show them the hope of Christ? That answer is different for each of us because we each live in different situations, different circles, and different circumstances.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am surrounded by people who are seeking hope in a world where hope seems dwindling at best. I praise you for the hope you have shown me and the blessings of living in you. Empower me with strength, courage and wisdom to lead those around me to the hope I’ve found in you. Amen.
Tiger Woods. Bill Clinton. King David. Ted Kaczynski.
All these people have something in common. They were hiding something. Oh it’s a short list. There are many, many others. Some famous, some unknown. Some hid things in their lives that were major, heinous actions. Some were not. Some have been found out either by admitting their secret themselves, or getting caught red-handed. Some are still hiding.
King David gives us a glimpse into how it feels when we hide. He talks of even his very joints hurting, about loss of sleep, about the fear. Fear is a great motivator to sin. We fear being alone. We fear being caught. We fear being made ashamed. We fear so we do things we know are wrong.
When I was in second grade I took an extra package of crackers from the lunchroom at school. At that school, in that time, that was a no-no. But I slipped them into my pocket without being seen and snuck onto the playground. A strange thing happened on the playground though. That small little package of saltines began to burn. It seemed like everyone was watching me. My leg began to hurt. Finally, the pain was unbearable. As quickly as I left the lunchroom, I returned with the crackers. I announced (confessed) to the cooks my sin, put the crackers on the counter and left before the police arrived.
Now I look back and wonder how many years the cooks laughed over that one, but the lesson still remains planted in my mind. Sin hurts. It weighs us down. It haunts us to no end. We can ignore it. We can pretend it doesn’t exist. We can hide it. But deep inside it sits like a lump in our stomach.
I may be an idealist, but I don’t believe most people sin because they enjoy the sin. They sin either because of ignorance or because they do what they do to cover other pain.
I don’t think the person who goes out and gets drunk does it for the joy of a hangover the next morning, or waking up in jail or a hospital bed or with someone they don’t know. They turn to alcohol or drugs to hide the pain.
I don’t think the person who turns to pornography does so because they enjoy exploiting women. Deep down inside they are looking for love and acceptance. Even false love and acceptance (in their mind) is better than none.
I don’t think the person who involves themselves in an affair does so in order to destroy their families and kids. They are only seeking to relieve the loneliness.
Here’s the good news. You don’t need to hide anymore. You can come to Christ for complete forgiveness. You can get rid of the feeling of guilt and shame and remorse and fear once and for all.
He came to die so you can live. He gave his blood so you can be free.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that I don’t need to hide anymore. Thank you for seeing through my sin and rebellion to know my pain. Forgive me for the hidden things in my life. In your name I pray, Amen.
She answered, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “I also don’t judge you guilty. You may go now, but don’t sin anymore.” John 8:11 (NCV)
When Jesus stood before the woman caught in the act of adultery, he held in his hands the power to forgive or condemn. Not based on the law, for according to the law her guilt was established. Her condemnation rested in the fact that he was God.
Still, when he asked her who condemned her, the answer was “No one, sir”. Her accusers were gone, only Jesus remained. And in his eyes the woman didn’t see condemnation, she saw forgiveness. Imagine what a relief that must have been. One moment surrounded by her accusers with death imminent, the next, alone with Jesus!
Mankind is so ready and willing to condemn us for our sin, especially those steeped in religion. There is no feeling so painful as being guilty and surrounded by those intent on reminding us of our guilt. Human forgiveness is often dependent on our ability to prove ourselves worthy; or proof of a change in our lives; or our asking forgiveness.
The adulterous woman had no opportunity to prove herself worthy of forgiveness. The law was clear. There were no second chances. There would be no waiting period on Jesus part to see if life-change occurred. His forgiveness came without a single word from the woman. No record of her remorse. No record of a single word spoken by her until Jesus asked “Who condemns you?”
I’ve heard a million sermons on what Jesus wrote in the sand that day. The words written in the sand weren’t nearly as important as what was written on the heart of the woman. Not condemned. Forgiven. Free of accusation. Clean. Valued. Loved. Those are just some of the words that come to mind.
Whatever Jesus wrote in the sand that day isn’t as important is what he writes on our hearts everyday of our lives. He didn’t come to condemn you. He didn’t come to point out your faults or remind you of your failures. He didn’t come to punish you. He came to forgive you and grant you mercy and grace.
Your past isn’t important. Your current situation has no bearing on his love and willingness to come to you to heal you. The most important words Jesus has for us are written on our hearts, and they are written in his blood. It’s time to let go. It’s time to move on. He’s engraved your freedom on your heart with his hand.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I fail so miserably and so often. I’m still haunted by the scars of my past, still reminded by the enemy and other people that I’ve failed. Thank you for the words of forgiveness engraved on my heart. Empower me to live in the freedom you have given me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 