Truth or Mercy?

I struggle with a real tension in my Christian life. When should I show mercy to another and when should I tell them the hard truth? Jesus asks serious disciples to carry His message out into the world not just to hang out together in a church sanctuary. That message is one of God’s great love, of humanity’s great sin, and of the gift of life eternal for those who receive Him in faith and follow after Him.

He warned that “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  (Mark 13) The Gospel is great news BUT it runs head-on into human rebellion, calling people to surrender to God and that is a message of offense!

One temptation which all serious Christians face in this culture urges us to take the edge off of the Message, to only speak of the love of God, to ignore sin. The texts about God’s mercy and love are so much more acceptable than those that call us to change our ways and conform to His will, aren’t they?

So, how do we live faithfully to the call of Christ?

First, there must be humility.
Those who love Jesus are sinners saved by grace. We cannot forget His mercy shown to us and assume a place of moral superiority. The weeds of hypocrisy grow in fields of spiritual pride.

Second, we remember that PEOPLE matter.
Every interaction we have must begin with genuine acceptance that wordlessly announces: “You matter to me because you are a person.”  

Some would suggest that loving that person requires us to affirm their choices, making them feel good about who and what they are. There is the real rub. We cannot claim to love a person who is living in open rebellion against God and say to them - “You are fine, just as you are.” 

Third, we avoid taking the role of a judge.
Jesus counsels us that when we interact with those who have sinned that we  “First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”  The call for others to repent and be reconciled to God through Christ is not delivered from a lofty perch. We get down into the dirt of life and offer a hand, show the way, weep with the broken, and give bread to the hungry.

Fourth, we seek to understand and put the Gospel into real life context.
How people act and what they do have a backstory, and Christians do well to listen before they speak, to understand the situations into which they speak.

Jude teaches us that a one-size-fits-all approach misses the will of God. "Build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (Jude 20-23, NLT)

Some need mercy, a genuine compassion that sees where life Is beyond their control, where they are captives of their experience, their past, or their incomplete understanding. 

Others need rescue! We have to stage an intervention. Risking offense, we tell them the truth about the way they live and their ultimate end, judged by God. 

Jude says it’s like reaching right into the fire and pulling the stick out before it’s burned. What an image. And, for such a person, we need a healthy fear of the power of temptation so we don’t get drawn into their disobedience.

Fifth, our message must be offered out of our own relationship with Jesus.
The mission to which Jesus calls us is not just to make church members or to share our particular religious convictions. We invite others to KNOW the One who has given us life and hope.

Our own relationship with Christ must be fresh! We encourage each other, pray real intimate prayers, and remember that we are all saved by merciful grace. Nothing speaks more powerfully than a rich, current, and deep love of God. It makes us shine.

Taking the Gospel into our world is no easy calling. It requires the insight and wisdom of the Spirit, which is given to us all. I hope you agree that real love never just leaves others alone, out of some mistaken sense of privacy.

My prayer – “Lord, keep us in your love and let us be merciful people of healing, sharing Truth, and giving light to dark places in this world. Amen.”

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Hope that holds me together

Somebody once said, "blessed are those who expect nothing, for they will never be disappointed." True enough, but is that really how anyone wants to live? Is the path to serenity paved with apathy?

You might say, "I don't know and I don't care." If you did, you would be among millions of Americans who choose to live a life detached, not truly alive in fact, but simply existing!

Daring to hope creates the possibility of disappointment! 
HOPE creates opportunity for fulfillment and joy!

The true foundation of lasting hope is God’s care.  The ancient preacher says - "Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:5,7 NIV)

Paul was inspired to give us this direction. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17, NIV)

People, even those who are close, may abandon you when you need them most.
Wealth, here today, lost tomorrow, can never provide real security.
But, the Lord sustains hope through times of sickness, war, recession, and even death.

What does it mean to 'put our hope in God?'

We transfer our expectations to His promises -
that He will provide what we need, not what we want;
that His love will never fail or falter,
that  "He is faithful, even when we are faithless;"
that He gives us eternal life through Christ Jesus.

Even professing Christians sometimes get it wrong, thinking they are hoping in the Lord, while in reality making God into a kind of personal magician who is expected to grant them all the joys of this present world, with little or no passion for spiritual things. 

Hope in God enters into our present pain. It does not seek to escape it. More times than I can remember, I have stood with families who have come to grief, with those who have a diagnosis of terminal disease, with people whose lives have gone upside down. I too have known that kind of experience. My choice?  I wait in hope. I trust God.

That choice is not always the easy or simple one! It is made in faith in God, the assurance I know that He can keep us when we hurt, hold us together when life is crumbling, and do what is beyond my comprehension at the moment. This kind of faith does not erase the pain of missed expectations. But, it allows real hope to grow.

Are you struggling to make sense of life today?
Is some disappointment causing you anguish?
Have you given up hope, choosing to live in apathy?

Put your hope in God! In faith, accept the love of Jesus, deep, sustaining, limitless love. Pray that the Holy Spirit will change your heart so that you will come to desire His love and let Him become the reason you live. Actively hand over your doubts and disappointments to Him in prayer. Look upwards beyond your present ache, feelings of lack, and/or fears and a new tomorrow will take shape.

Here's a word from the Word. "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure." (Hebrews 6:11, NIV) "We who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever." (Hebrews 6:18-20, NIV)

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COURAGE!

On Wednesday afternoon, Americans were swept into a storm of words following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Whatever you think of his politics, he was a man of genuine Christian faith, fearless in his convictions, and a leader to millions of America’s youth. What I admired most about him was his courage—his willingness to face opponents directly, answering with humor and wisdom. His boldness inspired countless young Christians to live out their faith, even in the face of cultural contempt.

If we want to live rich and full lives, one of the greatest needs is courage—a willingness to do hard things, to wrestle with convictions, to dig deep for truth. Nobody accomplishes much by drifting with life’s currents or by shaping their values to whatever ideas happen to be blowing in the wind.

But let’s not confuse courage with arrogance or combativeness. Courage doesn’t mean shouting down opponents or charging into every situation ready for a fight. More often, it means choosing to do the right thing, to live the right way, to stay on course despite criticism or circumstances that seem to have gone wrong. Courage resists the urge to react and instead chooses to respond.

In Luke 19, we find the story of Jesus noticing Zacchaeus, a man of short stature who had climbed a tree to see Him. Zacchaeus was a tax collector—an outcast, despised for working with the Romans, and most likely dishonest. Still, Jesus stopped, spoke to him, and invited Himself to dinner at his house. Sitting at a tax collector’s table was not a way to polish one’s reputation—but Jesus did it anyway. Why? Because He saw a man hungry for God, and with courage, He pointed him to life.

What makes the story even more remarkable is that Jesus was just days away from the Cross. He knew the suffering, rejection, and the weight of humanity’s sin that awaited Him in Jerusalem. Yet He kept courageously loving the least and seeking out the lost. Oh, to be like Jesus.

Your life will bring situations that take you where you don’t want to go. People you love will fail you. And, being human, you will make mistakes and live with their consequences. In those moments—will you collapse, or will you “take courage”?

Hebrews 6 offers this assurance: “We who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” (NLT) What a privilege to rest in Christ, to bring before Him what we did not foresee, and to trust Him as our faithful guide.

Is your heart anchored in the unchanging Christ? That anchor creates courage—keeping us from panic when life’s chaos strikes. Christians can run to Christ for solace and strength. In Him, they find courage to face the day and live for His purposes.

Take Courage, Christian. How?

• Pray constantly. Keep yourself God-aware—even in sighs, silence, or waiting. Share your burdens with Jesus.
• Worship regularly. Not just in a church building, and not superficially, but from the heart—renewing your faith in the Father’s love, every day, everywhere.
• Fill your mind with God’s truth. Scripture is an antidote to fear. (Suggested passages: Psalm 37, Ephesians 1, Romans 8.)
• Practice good self-care. Exhaustion fuels fear. Even Jesus stepped away to rest and renew.
• Choose one faith-filled, forward-focused action today.

The Word points us to the example of Jesus. My prayer is that as you read, you will “take courage,” choosing the right path with steady faith.

“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1-3, The Message)

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“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”  --    Theodore Roosevelt

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