Posts filed under ‘Jesus’
Forgiveness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ~ Matthew 6:14-15
My bible study group is focusing on forgiveness this week. I have been reflecting and trying to figure out who I still need to forgive. I guess I am a little unsure how to know when I have actually forgiven someone. It seems like more of a process than a milestone. There may be moments of hurt or disbelief in actions or persons that I have forgiven some time ago. So, who can safely be checked of the list? I think this one might be a life long lesson.
Two weeks ago in church the message was a very powerful one. During the message I realized that I needed to forgive a dear friend for something that has had a major impact on my life, but wasn’t really an offense or intentionally hurtful. It was so freeing to even realize that I had that to let go of. . .and letting go felt great!
In my reflection I have discovered that the people I still clearly need to forgive are not the “big offenders”; but rather the people who have done little things (or not done little things). I guess I have worked hard on the big stuff, but let the little stuff slide. This week, I will work to forgive these minor offenses and release these people (and myself!) from the resentment that I sometimes feel.
Who do you need to forgive?
Are we in that big of a hurry??
Twice in the past week I have had a funeral procession come down the street I was on. I always pull over and wait. It’s a sign of respect. These people are headed to the cemetery to bury their loved one, is my errand more important than that? It seems about half the other drivers pull over, about a quarter carry on obliviously, and about a quarter get irate and aggressively pass those who have pulled over – sometimes even blaring their horns.
I try to find the good in people, so I find myself wondering . . . maybe they don’t realize that those cars with their headlights on following that hearse with a police escort are in a funeral procession . . . maybe their mama didn’t raise them right (though I personally don’t find that a valid excuse after the age of 20) . . . maybe they really are in that big of a hurry . . . maybe it’s a matter of life-and-death and they don’t mean to be disrespectful.
If we are in such a hurry that pulling over for 90 seconds will throw us off for the rest of the day, then our problems are bigger than that of disrespect. In fact, I would argue that in this case our lives aren’t ours at all but we are on the proverbial treadmill of life running after the ever-out-of-reach cheese.
Slow down. Pull over. Next time a funeral procession passes by, maybe you can use the 90 seconds of ‘down time’ in prayer. Jesus always has the time to listen.
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him. Proverbs 14:31 ESV
Rooibos Tea instead of Communion
Well, it’s Sunday morning and I am sadly not en route to church. I have spent the weekend couped up and feeling icky. Hopefully my favorite South African concoction will help. I am at this moment steeping rooibos tea with lemon and ginger. I’ll add a little honey and sip away shortly.
I hate to miss church this morning, but believe my fellow worshipers will appreciate that I am not there coughing on them during worship time. I will watch a Mars Hill sermon as I sip my tea . . . studying God’s word alone this morning and praying for a quick recovery.
May you all have a blessed and beautiful day.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-31)
Tiny Blessings
My good friends (in fact they’re actually pretty much family – even though I haven’t known them all that long) had their baby on Tuesday night. I got to meet her and hold her and cuddle with her last night. What a precious and perfect little blessing! It was so amazing to see this brand new life and her brand new parents in their first evening together. Those of you who know me may be surprised, but I am left speechless.
I pray for the day when she first knows Jesus. I look forward to watching her and her young family grow.
John 16:21 (ESV) When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
The Weeds
Yesterday as I sat in the dentist’s chair, waiting for everyone’s favorite numb feeling to take over my jaw, I was reading Matthew 13. This wasn’t my first time reading it, but it had a whole new message this time.
The Parable of the Weeds Matthew 13:24-30 (ESV)
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The weeds. The weeds are all those challenges and challenging people that we face on this earth. It’s tempting to wonder why God doesn’t pull the weeds, but you see we are too close to the weeds. To pull them would disturb our roots and inhibit our growth. God wants us to grow, so he leaves us be. We must thrive around the weeds. All will be sorted out properly on Harvest Day.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the negative things you see happening in the world, remember they are but weeds.
Blessings,
jJ
