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Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6
One day my family and I were driving down a logging trail deep in the forests of northern Minnesota. As darkness fell we kept our eyes open for any wildlife that may be roaming in the woods alongside the road, or better yet, on the road we traveled. We were disappointed. Our trip didn’t produce any success.
As we returned to our campsite my wife made a statement that struck me as being far more profound that she may have realized. Her statement was simply this, “We didn’t see any animals, but I wonder how many saw us.” It was a point well taken. God has given animals tools to keep them safe from enemies. Some animals would be easy prey if it weren’t for the camouflage that hides their true identity from the enemy.
While camouflage may be a good thing for animals, it has no place in the Christian life. There have been a few times recently when celebrities have spoken openly about their faith and it came as a surprise to me. Then I thought, why? Why should I be surprised that someone is ‘bold enough’ to speak about their faith? Why should that be considered a courageous thing?
John, one of Jesus’ disciples, makes it clear that a person who claims to be a child of God should show by their lives who they are. Disciples of Christ should never be camouflaged by the world. People should recognize them easily just as they recognized Jesus.
Jesus wasn’t known because he ‘had all the right answers’. Jesus didn’t stand out because he spoke out against the evil rule of the Roman government. He didn’t spend his time demanding other people follow his way. Jesus didn’t call people by their sin, he called them by their names. He didn’t point out their failures, he healed them of their pain.
What will you wear today? Will you wear the camouflage of ridicule and condemnation or will you wear the name of Jesus proudly and show it through graceful living. Will you notice people by their sin or reach out to them because of their pain?
Lord Jesus, help me to show others your love and grace. Keep me from hiding behind the camouflage of judgment and religion so others can see you. In your name I pray, Amen.
Your Majesty, look at what I’m holding. You can see that it’s a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I’m not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven’t done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me. 1 Samuel 24:11 (CEV)
“You deserve this,” David thought as he watched Saul enter the cave where he was hiding with his small group of men.
It had to have been fate. Saul had been trying to kill David for years. Although David had been anointed King by the prophet there was no indication that the throne would be his anytime soon.
Creeping through the shadows, knife in hand, he moved closer to Saul who was preoccupied with relieving himself in what he thought was an empty cave. One slash with the knife and the kingdom was his; the kingdom that was rightfully his in the first place.
Great story, huh? Trouble is, that’s not what happened. No one would have blamed David for taking Saul out that day in the cave. He was an arrogant, angry, deranged man.
Did David have a right to kill Saul that day? Yes.
Did he have the opportunity to kill Saul? Certainly.
Did he have the power to kill Saul and execute revenge upon him? Definitely.
David’s action that day in the cave was not only an act of mercy, it showed meekness on David’s part. Meekness isn’t the same as weakness, in fact meekness is just the opposite. Meekness is power under control. David chose to act with integrity and set aside his rights in order to wait for God’s timing to get the kingdom promised him.
Our culture has taught us that success comes from being the strongest; from standing up for your rights; from being the best at all costs. But Jesus says “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness isn’t something that comes naturally. It’s part of our human nature to want to be on top, to succeed, to receive the accolades, the relationships and the status (power) to overcome.
There are many other examples of people in the Bible who chose not to use their power and rights to overcome those who were against them. His name was Jesus Christ. As God in the flesh, Jesus was misunderstood, mistreated, mocked and eventually killed. He had every right to put a stop to the way he was treated, but he didn’t because in order to give you life he had to renounce his own rights.
Setting aside your rights for others isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of Christ-likeness.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus it’s so easy to get caught up in the desire to be right, to take what is mine, to demand my own way. Especially when I’m pretty sure I’m right. Give me wisdom and strength to be strong enough to be meek. In your name I pray, Amen.
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:15
A friend of mine came around the corner of his garage just in time to see his young son with the garden hose, filling his lawn mower with water! He stopped him immediately, but it was too late. The tank which had been nearly empty, was now full of a mixture of gasoline and nice fresh water. The little boy was very proud of himself for ‘helping daddy’ get ready to mow the lawn!
The lad, of course had no idea the damage that could have been done had dad not discovered his actions. Not only would the mower not had run properly, the engine would have been completely destroyed. Water and gas don’t mix. Gasoline engines weren’t made to run on water.
To fix the situation, dad drained the fuel tank completely and made sure it was completely dry. Then he filled it with fresh, untainted fuel. Any moisture left behind could have had disastrous effects on the engine.
The prophet Amos, found a similar situation during his ministry to the people of Israel. The people had strayed far from the laws that God had instituted. They were a greedy people. They were an immoral people. They had turned worship into a bunch of rules, traditions and activities.
Amos tells them that if they were to escape the consequences of their sin, changes were going to have to happen. They needed to rid themselves of all evil. Just as my friend needed to completely empty the fuel tank of his mower, Israel needed to completely remove all vestiges of evil in their lives. We call this repentance. It’s a change of activity, a change of attitude, a change of mind. To confess our sin means nothing without repentance.
But more was needed in order for Israel to be restored. They needed to replace the evil actions in their lives with something else, something good, something pleasing to God. It would have done no good from my friend to empty the fuel tank of the mower and then try to start his machine. It needed new fuel in order to run. Clinging to the good rather than evil is called holiness. It involves actions, thoughts and motivations that please God rather than man.
In our lives it’s even more important to replace the ‘evil things’ with good things. Jesus tells us that if a demon leaves and we don’t replace that part of our lives with good things, he’ll just return at a later date…and he’ll bring friends. You’ll be worse off than you were before.
The end result of turning our back on evil and clinging to good is that our lives will be marked with justice towards others. Not the fickle kind of justice the world offers, but the graceful and merciful justice of a loving God.
You can’t run on empty. Ask the Father to search your heart and reveal anything that may be hindering your relationship with him. Then fill that spot with things that are pleasing to him. Your ‘engine’ will run more smoothly.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, reveal to me the areas of my life that need repentance. Empower me to change so that my life is filled with good things, not bad; so my life will exemplify the graceful and merciful justice of your word. Amen.
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)
It’s time to move on. Yes, it was devastating when the career you loved and gave your life to was snatched from your hands. But that career, much as you loved it; good as you were at it; financially secure as it made you, wasn’t you. You were created by a loving God, a merciful God. A God that has plans for you to prosper you in ways money, status and security can never give you.
It’s time to move on. You were hurt by the words that were spoken, and rightfully so. They were calloused, unloving, angry words. And it hurt even more since the words were spoken by a ‘Christian’, maybe even a thoughtless pastor. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. But hurting people, hurt people. Words don’t determine who you are regardless of who speaks them. That is, of course unless that person is your heavenly Father. He calls you by name. In Biblical terms that’s far more than a greeting. It’s the most intimate of terms reflecting a deep passion, a deep love. What does he say about you? He ransomed you. He paid the price for you. You are his.
It’s time to move on. Yes you failed. You failed miserably. Again. You couldn’t have seen it coming. From all appearances it was a good marriage. Now that person you pledged to love for the rest of your life has betrayed you and even if you could forgive and forget, reconciliation is impossible. They are gone.
Or, perhaps worse yet, you are the one who crossed the line. It was a line you never thought you’d cross. Now, you wear the scarlet letter on your chest. Others may not see it, you do. Life may be better now in many ways, but the ‘A’ on your chest still speaks of guilt and failure. Everyone sees the pain of the person jilted by love; few see the pain of the person who walked. But God does. God’s forgiveness isn’t defined by your sin, but by his great undeserved grace.
It’s time to move on. The Father says, “But now…”
The past is the past. Whatever it is that’s causing your pain, let him remove the guilt. Let him anoint you with the healing salve of his love and forgiveness. Allow him into those deepest recesses of your soul to bind the wounds that have held you captive. You are ransomed. The past no longer has any right to ownership. You are free to move on in his grace and power. It’s time to move on, not through your own power but the power of His Holy Spirit who comes to you to guide, strengthen and empower you.
PRAYER: Father God. There are so many that are hurting today. So many who are entrapped by their past. Draw them to yourself. Empower me to be a tool of their healing through prayer, forgiveness and Christ’s love. Amen.
You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you. Proverbs 28:13 (GNT)
One time while camping in the north woods of Minnesota we saw an interesting phenomenon. When we retired for the night we’d unknowingly left a jar of peanuts open and on a table. In the early morning hours a chipmunk happened to come along and seeing an opportunity, climbed into the jar and filled his cheeks with delicious peanuts. Unfortunately, the mouth of the jar was just large enough for him to get in, too small for him to get out with his peanut-filled cheeks.
We watched from our camper as he tried repeatedly to escape, but to no avail finally, he took the only recourse he had. He emptied his cheeks and (I imagine) begrudgingly left his treasure behind.
There are times in life when we hold so tightly to things that they keep us from enjoying the freedom God intended for us to have. Guilt is one of those things. Guilt can be ‘real’ guilt, based on things we’ve done against God, against ourselves or against others. Guilt can be false as well, based on the words and activities of others who use their power to keep us subdued and imprisoned by their own anger.
Like the chipmunk, we struggle to move on with victory in sight, but never seem to be able to make that final leap, never seem to be able to rid ourselves of those feelings of guilt and failure that bog us down.
- Guilt forces you to focus on the past and clouds your vision for the future;
- Guilt focuses on your failures not your strengths;
- Guilt sends inaccurate messages about who you are. It tells you that YOU are a bad person when in reality it was your actions that were bad, not you;
- Guilt masquerades as anger (leading to bitterness);
- Guilt is a breeding ground for fear & worry;
- Guilt can shorten your life expectancy by raising your blood pressure, risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders.
Millions of dollars are spent each year to find cures for a variety of illnesses. The good news is that medical science has made great strides in controlling or even curing many diseases that were once life ending.
The better news is that when we talk about guilt, the cure is already available to us…and it’s free! Guilt will never be resolved by a simple pill. Guilt will never be relieved by counselors or religion. Guilt can only be taken from us through confession to the one person who promises to grant us forgiveness and mercy.
Jesus Christ came to free you of the burden of guilt. He came to cleanse your guilty conscience. Other people may refuse to forgive you; other people may continue to remind you of your faults; there may be physical reminders of your poor choices that you will carry the rest of your life. But through confession of your sin, your guilt is taken away through Jesus Christ, who grants mercy to all of us.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’ve been lugging this baggage of guilt with me for far too long. I confess my wrongs to you and ask you to forgive me and grant me mercy so that I can live free of the guilt that kept me captive. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 