"I want him to pay for what he did"

She wondered if she could ever feel whole again. She said she hated Christmas, not because she disliked gifts and get-togethers, but because it stirred up so many emotions, especially those surrounded the divorce. That woman is not unique! In the middle of all the talk of 'peace on earth' and joyous family  gatherings, there are many who taste only bitterness, souls wounded by the thoughtlessness, cruelty, or betrayal caused by another. The pain of old emotional wounds and unresolved conflicts shows up more plainly during the holidays.

There is a cure for this soul pain, but it is costly. What is it?  Forgiveness! It is a choice, really, it is!  Are you stuck in a place where you want justice (which is actually a desire to see them pay for their wrong) more than you desire forgiveness? Most of us love justice, as long as it's for someone else,  and we find radical forgiveness totally unfair.  We say things like:
"But I just can't let her off the hook free of making things right with me."
"How will he learn the lessons he needs if I forgive him?"
"He hurt me. Let him make the first move."

Jesus tells us that forgiveness is the only way to break the cycle of revenge that escalates conflict.  Often ‘justice’ is not just.  It is simply retaliation and the other party retaliates in ever greater measure.  The gift of forgiveness is so irrational, so unfair! But, if we will not forgive, we enslave ourselves to the person we will not release from our debt.  A refusal to forgive hands another person the keys to our life and allows them to lock us into the past. Yancey tells about an immigrant rabbi who had survived the Nazi holocaust who said, "Before coming to America, I had to forgive Adolf Hitler. I did not want to bring Hitler to my new country still inside of me."

If you’re feeling bitter, there is no better time to forgive! Don't expect your forgiveness to bring about some miraculous transformation in the one who has offended you. They may actually feel vindicated!  Lewis Smedes says, "the only person healed is frequently the forgiver."   Forgiveness does not always lead to reconciliation, either. The other person may wish to continue in hatred. Forgiveness is YOUR act, YOUR choice, YOUR gift- to the offender and to YOURSELF! Letting the hurt go, releasing that other person from any debt to you, will be one of the most difficult choices you make. It is the right choice.

Never confuse forgiveness with saying, “It does not matter. The thing was unimportant.”  That is not what forgiveness is.  True forgiveness is releasing the other person from indebtedness to you and giving the whole thing to God, who judges justly.  Jesus taught us to pray:  "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our  debtors. ...”  Then, He added this often ignored line:  "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:12-15

Peace on Earth! That is the declaration of the One who came to bring us a message of forgiveness, with all debts paid at His expense.  He forgave our sins and reconciled us to our Father. He made peace for us. Now, we, by faith, accept that peace and as it settles into our hearts we can; yes, we must for God’s sake, break down every wall, discharge every debt, and forgive those who have  trespassed against us.

It will make for a Merry Christmas!

__________

Let There Be Peace On Earth

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me

Let there be peace on earth

The peace that was meant to be

With God as our Father

Brothers all are we

Let me walk with my brother

In perfect harmony

Let peace begin with me

Let this be the moment now

With ev'ry step I take

Let this be my solemn vow

To take each moment

And live each moment

In peace eternally

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me

Jill Jackson | Sy Miller

© 1955. Renewed 1983 Jan - Lee Music

CCLI License # 810055

Is Jesus Adorable?

“They are adorable!”  I thought to myself about three toddler girls whose parents were attempting to take a photo in front of the church’s Christmas tree.  They are cute and attract attention.  I just want to hug each of them.  Adore is a Christmas word, too. One of the best known carols invites us to ‘come and adore Him.’ What does this mean for us? 

Adore comes from a word that once meant to ‘offer worshipful prayer!’   Now we use it as synonym for love and affection.

I adore my wife, using the word in the secondary sense.  No, I do not worship her, but I love her deeply. I tell Bev that I love her everyday- because I do!  I don't have to leave a note to myself - "Be sure to adore your wife!"  My words flow out of my heart- easily, often, and sincerely.  Does my love for her need to be protected and nurtured? Absolutely!  Life distractions, other temptations, and Satanic deceptions have destroyed many good marriages. Knowing that, it is my prayer and intent to keep our love fresh and strong. 

I adore Jesus.  In many ways, my love for the Lord is similar to my love for my wife - strong, enduring, life-defining, and in need of daily nurture!  But, adoration for my Lord goes beyond affection.  In adoration,  I offer Him worship in my words and actions.  Each day I must deal with temptations that, if given the opportunity, would dilute my passion for God! 

Can we honestly profess to adore Christ Jesus IF we never speak of Him or seldom speak to Him?  I think not. We may be fond of Jesus without speaking of Him. We may trust Him as Savior without speaking of Him, but we cannot claim to adore Him and remain silent about Him.  IF we adore Him, we will speak of Him.  The Bible says, "Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world." (Psalm 89  The Message)

Our adoration of Christ Jesus will be diminished if other loves are allowed to crowd in.  If we love our reputation, our job, our money, our house;  our love for Him will cool.  Adoration will disappear, replaced by affection, which will become token appreciation.  In the book of the Revelation, Jesus speaks the church in Ephesus. They broke His heart by allowing their adoration to change to religious expression.  He says to them, "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:3-5, NIV)

This Advent Season when you hear that carol, "O Come, All Ye Faithful,"  let it stir a renewed adoration! Open your mouth and give Him praise.  Sing and speak of His goodness. A word of caution is in order here. IF you don't adore Him, then don't try to convince yourself or someone else that you do with empty words or borrowed words! Jesus urged the Ephesians to remember their first love and to renew it.   Love can be made new. Do you know that love is first a choice, and second an emotion? Jesus warned that  "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold."  (Matthew 24:12) If that's describing you, turn back to God.  Find a place alone with Him and confess that you have given yourself to another lover.  Turn back, renew your commitment to Him.  Then, accept the wonderful love of the Savior whose "unfailing love never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day."  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

_________________

O come all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye,
O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,
born the King of angels.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Sing choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
O sing all ye bright hosts of heav'n above.

Glory to God,
All glory in the highest.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n.

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord!

John Wade © Public Domain

Too busy being religious?

“What does she think? I work hard to provide for her and the kids. Of course, I love her.”  More than one husband has talked over his marriage with me, puzzled about his wife’s unhappiness.  Often they point to their work, the vacation they paid for, the home they bought, or some other ‘thing’ as evidence that they love their wives. (Yes, it is a ‘man thing’ apparently because I cannot recall ever hearing a woman use the same line of thought.)  I sometimes ask, much to the man’s shock and dismay, “Do you feed your dog, provide vet care, give it a bed, a warm place of shelter? So how do you treat your wife differently from the family’s dog?”   

As you may imagine, the conversation often gets tense!  My goal is help him to see that love is more than duty. It’s intimacy, making a connection, giving value to another.

Not a few Christians adopt the same mistaken idea – that doing things for Jesus is the same as loving Him!  They make the assumption that because they are faithful in church attendance, give generously, remain scrupulously moral, and … (it’s a very long list for some) – that they are ‘loving the Lord.’  It is quite possible to be very religious and yet to have no real love for God.  Isaiah was inspired by God to speak to ancient Jerusalem, a very religious city, observing their lack of real devotion. “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote." (Isaiah 29:13, NLT)  Jesus told John to write to the church in Ephesus, where he had been a pastor, about the state of their hearts. "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men…  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:2,4, NIV)

A long time ago, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand (Yep, I’m that old!) sang a plaintive song about lost love that included these lyrics:

You don't bring me flowers.

You don't sing me love songs.

You hardly talk to me anymore,

When you come through the door,

At the end of the day.

You don’t bring me flowers anymore.

Our devotion must include both faithful and consistent serving and our heart’s engagement! It’s not one or the other.  A husband who romances his wife with gifts but fails to make the mortgage can’t claim to love her completely.  A Christian who sings love songs to Jesus but seldom does anything for His church is not living up to his calling, either.  That is why Jesus tells us that we are to love Him with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." (Luke 10:27, NIV)  He wants to be the core of our being (heart), the center of our emotions (soul), the focus of our life (strength), and the intent of our thoughts (mind).  

Are you just religious, or do you love Jesus?  It is a real question. The word from the Word is a challenge and an invitation, from the our Lord and Love.

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ … I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
 (Revelation 3:15-22, NLT)

______

I Love You Lord

I love You Lord,

And I lift my voice,

To worship You,

O my soul rejoice!

Take joy, my King,

In what You hear,

May it be a sweet, sweet sound

In Your ear.

Laurie Klein

© 1978, 1980 House Of Mercy Music (Admin. by Maranatha! Music)

CCLI License # 810055

I want results!

“What’s the bottom line?” a good manager asks. He’s looking for results, wanting to know the return on investment. I am a practical man; one who despises time-wasting, failure to meet deadlines, and inefficiency. My personal code is simple. Show up on time. Do your best. Stay focused.  In most situations those choices produce a good outcome.

A couple of years ago, I made a choice to do what I believed God wanted me to do that required my wife and I to turn our lives upside down.  The decision was costly, in every way. My expectation was that if I did the ‘right’ thing for the ‘right’ reasons, I the results would be good. So far, those expectations have gone unmet. To all appearances, the choices made were a waste of effort. Positive returns are non-existent. Using ‘return on investment’ measures, my choice is a ‘fail.’   

Or, is it? Reflecting on this prayerfully, I realized anew that some investments take more time to produce a return. Sometimes faithfulness is its own reward, with no measurable results in the short-term.

Paul, a man who worked hard at his calling, was mocked by some Christians because of his numerous persecutions and hardships. Looking at the meager results he enjoyed from his efforts, they saw only failure!  In his first letter to the church in the city of Corinth, his words drip with sarcasm as he replies to their judgment.  "You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! … Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. ... I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you." (1 Corinthians 4:8-15, NLT)

It was true that Paul went through many trials. He did appear to fail, time and again. But note how he evaluated what others viewed as ‘failure.’ "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God." (1 Corinthians 4:3-5, NKJV)  Two things were and are paramount –
waiting on God’s approval, and
realizing that He, alone, knows the real results.

Christian are you too results oriented?
Might you fail to please God because you desire ‘success’ too much?

Certainly  we can hide laziness, resistance to change, and even lack of accountability behind claims of ‘faithfulness.’ It is not wrong to ask hard questions of ourselves or others, but as servants of Christ we must always include the ‘eternity’ factor.  Ultimately we must listen intently for His direction, remain humble before Him, and hold to the course He sets.  And this is the promise for the faithful: “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:7-10 NLT)

____________

I Would Be True

I would be true,

For there are those who trust me.

I would be pure,

For there are those who care.

I would be strong,

For there is much to suffer.

I would be brave,

For there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all,

The foe, the friendless.

I would be giving

And forget the gift.

I would be humble,

For I know my weakness.

I would look up and laugh,

And love, and lift.

I would be learning,

Day by day, the lessons,

My heav'nly Father

Gives me in His Word.

I would be quick to hear

His lightest whisper,

And prompt and glad to do

The things I've heard

And prompt and glad to do

The things I've heard.

Howard Arnold Walter

Public Domain