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Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. Psalm 25:16 (NLT)
I don’t get to travel often. In fact it’s rare that I spend a night away from my family. One on occasion though I remember sitting in a hotel room 1500 miles from home. I was there for a conference that I’d looked forward to for months. I was basking in the warm sunshine of the Sunbelt while my family endured the cold winter of the north.
It was a great time. The sessions were everything I hoped for. The networking I did was fulfilling. Yet, the entire time I was there I battled the plague of loneliness. Don’t get me wrong. I was far from being alone. I was a phone call or text message from my loved ones; I was in a conference with loving and accepting people. But feelings of loneliness have nothing to do with the location you are in or the amount of people you are around. In fact, loneliness is worst when you are in a crowd.
One recent study suggests that 60 million people in the United States are affected by loneliness. The late Robin Williams once said, “I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” But it’s not just people that make you feel alone. One definition of loneliness is “feeling unhappy because of being separated from other people.” Feelings of failure, inadequacy, rejection, poor self-image, anger and many other feelings can lead us to withdraw into the harsh world of loneliness.
Sometimes we are separated from others because of physical distance, as I was at that conference, but other times we are separated from others emotionally. We’ve all been there. Maybe you are there now. No one seems to understand your feelings. Even your closest friends seem intent on ‘fixing you’ rather than just listening to you and letting you sort things out yourself.
While there is no easy answer to the severe feelings of loneliness, I take some comfort in the Bible and in particular the book of Psalms. Written by a man who failed as a father, leader, lover, husband and friend, David writes from the heart about his struggles with the emotional part of life.
In Psalm 25:16, he pleads with God to, “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.” You can almost hear the anguish in his voice. Imagine that. At the time he was the most powerful and popular king his nation had ever had. Yet in spite of his power and popularity (the two things we all hope for) he felt complete and udder distress.
David knew that the only place to get relief for his soul was from God. In the same way, the only real way to battle the feelings of loneliness we have is by going to God. Many may say, ‘Why God? How can he understand how I feel?”
The reason God can understand how we feel is because his Son, Jesus Christ, endured loneliness and rejection more than anyone else. His family thought he was crazy. Church leaders constantly hounded him, trying to catch him in some lie so they could kill him (which they did eventually), His friends abandoned him in his hour of deepest need and never did fully understand him. The ultimate rejection, however, came from his own Father.
In our western, 21st century culture we don’t understand the significance of this event, but in the book of Matthew (Matthew 27:45-46) we’re told that God himself ‘turned his back on Jesus’. When God ‘forsook’ Jesus, it was like turning his back on Jesus. In that culture, when a father turned his back on his son it was the deepest and strongest symbol of rejection that could happen. At the point of Jesus’ deepest point of need, even his father rejected him and left him all alone. It’s no wonder some of Jesus’ last words were (to paraphrase) ‘Dad! Why have even you turned away from me? You were all I had and now you are gone!”
Are you feeling completely rejected? Do you feel like no one else cares? Do you feel like your failures are so great that no one can ever accept you again? There’s only one person who knows exactly how you feel because he went through the same feelings. That person is Jesus Christ and he anxiously reaches out to you to comfort, forgive and most of all be your closest friend.
Dear Jesus, you know better than anyone how I’m feeling right now. The feelings of loneliness and failure overwhelm me. Please help me to feel your presence in my life right now and especially during those times I need a friend. Amen.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17
A few days ago we began a brand new year. I remember growing up and thinking the year 2000 was a long way away and perhaps would never get here. Now, Y2K seems like a dream and many of our kids in high school have no idea what you are talking about when you mention it unless they remember something from a history class!
I don’t mean to sound like a ‘Debbie Downer’ but I always watch the New Years Eve festivities on TV with a bit of a smirk on my face. The airwaves are full of hope for the New Year. “All that happened in 2014 is behind us now, we can move on to better things.” (I actually heard that said in an interview.)
The reality is, many of the struggles each of us had on December 31, 2014 are still with us. There are concerns about the economy, world peace, health care, disease, ebola, terrorism and family/relational issues. And the worst part? No doubt some of your Christmas toys have already been broken or are the wrong size/color/style.
Wouldn’t it be nice if every day could be filled with the same hope and excitement of New Years? How much would you give to be able to put all the worries of 2014 behind you and really be able to leave them there?
There are some things we can’t let go of in a physical sense. However, there is a solution to the worries and concerns of the heart. If we are honest, when the heart is at peace, circumstances have little or no effect on our outlook on life.
In the book of 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul makes a startling statement. When Jesus comes into our lives and invades our heart-felt emotions, we are made new. Not remodeled. Not reconditioned or reconstructed. NEW.
I was thinking of that verse the other day and a couple other verses about ‘newness’ came to mind. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
We are made entirely new through personal faith in Jesus Christ. We receive the newness of God’s love every morning. The new hope and excitement of New Years Eve every day? Maybe not physically, but a heart centered on Jesus Christ can celebrate being ‘new’ every day of the year regardless of outside circumstances.
If you are looking for hope that transcends the physical, I encourage you to visit a house of worship where Word of God is spoken and the forgiveness of Jesus is lived out. Feeling the need to recharge of your emotional/spiritual batteries? Many Camps/Retreat Centers offer personal retreat areas or retreats and events designed to help you get refocused. Whatever situation you are in, realize that God’s love transcends the struggles of our physical lives. His love is new every morning, just as we are ‘new creations’ in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, as we enter this New Year of 2015 I’m in awe of so many things. Time and circumstances have no bearing on you. You know my past and my failures but are willing to make me a new creation. Your love for me is brand new, exciting, passionate every morning regardless of my mood. All I can say is thank you. I look forward to living with you over the next year. Amen.
But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. Romans 5:8
A friend of mine recently ran the Boston Marathon. He’s the kind of guy who takes ‘running to the store’ very seriously! The Boston Marathon has always been considered the granddaddy of all marathons but this year’s marathon drew even more attention because of the bombing in 2013. That event shook the nation much like, although on a smaller scale, the horror of 911.
Whenever a tragedy of that scope comes out, stories of heroic measures by others come to t
he forefront. Stories of men and women who risk their lives to save the lives of other people who are often total strangers. Tragically, those ‘heroes’ often give their lives so others can live.
We all have our heroes. Some of our heroes are athletes or others who, because of their abilities are noteworthy. Other people are heroes because they set aside their own comfort and safety for others. Sometimes they are just people who are at the right place (or wrong place as it may be) and act sponta
neously. Often times they are innocent bystanders just ‘doing the right thing.
Sometimes heroic measures are driven by a need to serve, but ultimately heroic measures are driven by love either for mankind in general (the sanctity of life) or individually (love). Love, at whatever level, is perhaps the biggest reason for people to become heroes.
Heroes generally have four things in common:
First, heroes are known for their sacrificial actions. Many heroes have died saving others with no thought of their own personal safety. Jesus is my hero because he gave the greatest sacrifice anyone can give by giving his own life for me. We know the depth of someone’s love for us by what they are willing to sacrifice for us. Jesus gave everything for me.
Second, heroes often act without regard for whether the person they are working to save is deserving of saving or not. Police officers, Firefighters and medical personnel don’t check a person’s background before risking their lives to save them. They realize time is of essence. The other questions can be dealt with later. That’s the kind of love my hero, Jesus Christ, has. His love, true love is unconditional. Romans 5:8 tells me that God demonstrated his love for me while I was still a sinner! I don’t deserve his love, but he died for me anyway.
Third, we benefit greatly from heroes actions. We see many examples of that when people risk their lives at accident scenes to save total strangers, and then disappear into the crowd. The one saved benefits from a second chance at life. The hero may go unnoticed!
1 John 3:1-3 tells me the benefits I receive because of Jesus. It says, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Lastly, heroes give us freedom. The men and women of our armed forces are excellent human examples of heroes that give us the freedoms we enjoy in this nation. The amount of love a person has for you is proportionate to the freedom you receive from that love. Jesus resurrection gives me complete freedom from guilt and sin because of his great love. The mark of the freedom I have in Jesus is inner joy that nothing or no one can take from me. Jesus’ joy is unconditional.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my hero. Thank you for the many blessings you have given me. I am so undeserving of anything you have given me yet you give freely. Help me to live in the freedom and joy you give through your forgiveness. In your name I pray, Amen.
“Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” John 13:1
We see it every once in awhile on social media or the news. The story of someone who has lost a friend, a mate, a partner and stands guard over the grave site or the body, unwilling to leave, held captive as it were by love.
One of the more touching stories I remember was that of an elderly couple who passed away together in their hospital room holding hands. They had been together for nearly 75 years as I recall and they became, to me, the essence of ‘loving one another to the end.’
In John 13:34 Jesus tells us the true essence of love when he says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Jesus said these words just hours before he would be arrested and murdered innocently on the cross. As the disciples gathered together for what would be the final Passover Meal they would celebrate with Jesus, the focus of his teaching with them gathered around two words: Love and humility.
He showed them, at that last supper, a true example of love and humility by washing their feet. In fact, throughout his ministry Jesus showed us love that wasn’t just in word but in action.
Jesus loved the unlovely; reached out to those who we avoid; accepted those we criticize; touched those we consider untouchable, all in the name of love. When he said ‘I give you a new commandment’ the commandment wasn’t ‘new’ in the sense of something never before seen, but new in the sense that he showed us a ‘new way of considering love. God has always been love. God has always sought a love relationship with his children.
Jesus didn’t replace or change the commandment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He filled it out and gave it clear illustration by saying, ‘Here is what I mean by loving one another. Watch me. Just as you want to be free, set others free; just as you want to experience life in its fullest, live in such a way as to help others find freedom; just as you want to be free of guilt; forgive others of the guilt of their sin towards you.
The Apostle John writes, in I John 3:16, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” Love is shown by how we treat ourselves and others.
Ephesians 5:29–30 says, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.”
When we love as Christ loves our lives are marked by joy. Hebrews 12:1-3 encourages us with these words, ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’
It was Jesus’ love for me and for you that gave him the strength to endure all he had to endure on the cross. It was Jesus love for me that proves what John tells us in John 13:1, ‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.’
With this perfect example of undying love before us we should not only be encouraged in our daily walk, we should be motivated to show that same kind of love Jesus has shown us. An unconditional live in which He laid his life down for us so that we could lay our lives down for others. Jesus truly loved us to the end.
PRAYER: “Lord Jesus, I thank you for the example of love you gave us as you walked among a rebellious and immoral people. I praise you for this love that is available to me even though I don’t deserve it. Forgive me for my hateful and judgmental attitudes. Help me to show the same love you showed me to those around me who need your touch today. In your precious name, Amen.
He was a rookie, not just any rookie but one who immediately made an impact on the NBA in general and his upstart team in particular. The other guy was a seasoned veteran with a couple rings on his finger. He was tough, well-known and confident.
Maybe that’s why he fouled the rookie late in a game in which the upstart team was within seconds of an upset. After a brief time-out for strategy the veteran approached the rookie as he took his place on the lane. The TV cameras caught the exchange. The most novice lip-reader could see the ‘advice’ the veteran gave the rookie: “Don’t be short.”
All eyes were on the rookie who had made several of these shots earlier in the game. This was for the win. This would make the highlight reels. It would have that is unless the ball bounced off the front of the rim. The opposition grabbed the ball, moved it down the floor and shot the winning shot. The problem wasn’t that the rookie missed the shot, the real problem was that he lost his focus. Rather than thinking about the ball going through the hoop, he thought about the ball being short, which of course, it was.
Our focus determines how we respond to life’s circumstances. If our focus is on the negative, or on the problem itself we live defeated. If our focus is on the positive, on working towards or seeking solutions our chances of making it through the crisis are multiplied.
Jesus knew about focus. When he first appeared on the scene that night in Bethlehem his focus was on growing up in faith and maturity. Our only glimpse of him as a child was in the temple where his focus was obviously on learning. Luke tells us he returned home to grow physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.
Life changed dramatically when he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and his focus changed from being Jesus, son of Mary to being Jesus, Son of God and he began a ministry of spiritual and physical healing in the Judean countryside.
However, perhaps the biggest change comes as Luke records it in Luke 9:51 when Jesus turned his face towards Jerusalem. Then his focus changed from Jesus Son of God to Jesus, Savior of the world!
While Jesus remained focused on the task at hand, the same can’t be said for his disciples. While he was healing and teaching their focus seemed to be on their position on the ‘discipleship ladder’ and how they could improve it. Countless times it seems Jesus would take his band of brothers aside to remind them that this wasn’t about their position it was about service.
Not only does focus determine how we respond to life circumstances, focus determines the direction of our motivation. If our motivation is on self-preservation our motivation is on defending what we have (or think we have). If our motivation is based on service then our focus is inevitably on others.
Jesus death wasn’t the result of an angry mob. His death didn’t happen by accident. His death wasn’t unplanned. When Jesus set his heart and mind towards Jerusalem and the cross he did it for one reason and one reason alone – his love for you and me. As someone once said, it wasn’t the nails that held Jesus to the cross; it wasn’t my sin that held him to the cross. It was his love for me that held him to the cross.
John 10:18 says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
What an amazing statement! Jesus loves me so much that he willingly suffered on the cross for my sin and for yours as well. There is nothing we can do to earn this love. There is nothing more to give, no sacrifice asked for. All that’s required is acceptance of his grace and mercy behalf. What a savior. What a Lord.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. I’m in awe as I remember the motivation for your trip to Jerusalem. You knew what lay ahead of you, yet you bore the pain of the cross for me because of your great love for me. Empower me with your Spirit so that I can focus my life on serving you by loving others. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 