You don’t deserve my grace

Recently, I have been inundated with people asking the question, “How do I forgive __________ for hurting me, and continuing to hurt me over and over again?” This is a common question, but an even more common struggle for the human heart. Let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about why we should forgive.

Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty significant motivator for me.

Additionally, it’s important to notice that Jesus draws extra attention to this issue of holding ill feelings toward the person. At what point, then, do we consider repeat offenders not worthy of any more forgiveness?

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Jesus didn’t literally mean seventy-seven times. He was making a huge point to Peter. There is no end to offering forgiveness! One more time…and even one more after that…is not too much grace for anyone. Sure, they probably do not deserve your grace, but who really does? Seriously, what did you do yesterday or today to earn eternal life in Heaven? You and I cannot do anything to work our way toward earning God’s gracious, loving forgiveness. Aren’t you thankful that Jesus doesn’t regard us in the same way that we consider forgiving others?

Who do you need to forgive this week…or who do you need to ask to forgive you? Is it a co-worker, your spouse, church member, or possibly a parent? May you seek freedom and healing this week, and in doing so…you will be offering it as well.

Who’s wiring your mind?

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

“Everybody’s doing it”

“This is just how it is”

“Do what feels right for you”

“You’ll never make it in corporate America if you do it like that”

“It’s not PC to be counter-cultural”

Now come on, I know you’ve heard at least one of these expressions before. Maybe it was from a parent, employer, professor, or a friend. It really doesn’t matter who we hear these things from. The core of the issue is that these mindsets do not come from the heart of God. When we truly long for and examine the heart of the living God…we find ourselves caring much less about the ‘customs of this world.’ In fact, it’s this intricate reconfiguration of how we think about things that makes it almost impossible to NOT be counter-cultural.

It’s much more difficult to do what is right, and not what is commonly acceptable. If there’s ever a question, see if you can picture Jesus doing it that way. This week, may you desire to be in God’s perfect will… viewing life through His eyes and not those around us.

Desiring a Raging Inferno

I am currently reading Mark Batterson’s new book, “Primal.” Mark is a pastor in the Washington DC area, in addition to being a best-selling author and conference speaker. I have to say…I’m really enjoying this book. His target message is simply to encourage readers to go back to their ‘Primal’ roots of faith…spiritually and physically. As I read the opening pages, I found myself at sixteen years of age and sitting in the middle of a large sanctuary in Spokane, WA. I found the person of Jesus in that pew. That was a very tear-filled and sleepless night…one I’ll never ever forget! That was the night that my heart began (as Pastor Mark states in his book) ‘breaking for the things that break the heart of God.’

If you’re looking for a great book to help you re-focus your faith I’d recommend you check out Primal. Aside from referring you to a book this week, I would encourage you to take some quiet time to do what I recently did. If you’re a believer, revisit that place and time when Jesus became more real than life to you…when the two of you met for the first time and He extended His hand to you saying, “Come with me, we’ll do life together.” Remember what it was like to ‘feel’ the heart of God? Do you remember the invincible feeling that you could take on any trial, illness, or personal attack now having the creator of the universe on your side?

Here’s my question for you this week. Is that Primal faith that once had you still a raging inferno, or does it feel more like a small votive candle on the bookshelf? If the inferno doesn’t quite describe your current level of compassion for God and others, spend some time with the one who knows why.

Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)

…you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.

God’s Extended Warrantee

2 Peter 1:5-7, 10 (NLT)

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.

Faith by itself is not enough. …at least not enough to sustain us through life. Think about this for a minute. There are very few actual guarantees in life. For instance, if you brew coffee grounds in hot water you will get coffee…not tea. If you happen to drop your 58” plasma TV out the third-story window, it will not work the same as before (if at all). If you go to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday and wake up 8 hours later, it will be Saturday….not Sunday or any other weekday. I think you get the picture. These are guarantees.

Now, here’s what we are not guaranteed. We are not guaranteed our next breath, financial prosperity, stress-free living, obedient/reverent children, lovely in-laws, or that ‘our’ team will win the Superbowl! In all that matters to us, compared to all that matters to God, He gives us all one huge guarantee in this passage above. The magnitude of this promise is so great compared to our often paltry notions of what we ‘need.’ Do these things, and you will never fall away.

This year, may you add to your faith the attributes mentioned by Peter so that you can be guaranteed to stay within the loving, safe arms of Jesus.