Promise for Today - It Ain't Easy

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgiveness. It ain't easy. Whether real or perceived, offenses happen. What we do with them determines how we live from that moment on... unless we choose - yes, choose! - to forgive. Unforgiveness casts a shadow and colors everything we do. Matthew 6:14 NLT tells us, "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you." That sounds easy. However, verse 15 explains, "But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." We tend to want to hold on to the offenses so we can still be angry. The Word tells us that he who angers you controls you. We cannot walk in freedom unless we choose to forgive. It ain't easy. It takes a lot of practice.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to grouse, gripe and grumble? Carp, complain and criticize? Sometimes it's so stinking easy that you catch yourself in the middle of doing it before you even realize you started. I hate it when that happens. Wouldn't it be just as easy to look for the good in something rather than the bad? Wouldn't it be just as easy to smile as smirk? Wouldn't it be easier to love our neighbors as ourselves if we looked for their gifts rather than focusing on their guilt? If we made a practice of giving instead of goading? Oh, I know, I know... that's HARD! It doesn't happen easily unless we practice...

We practice a lot of things in an effort to improve how we look and how we are perceived by those around us. Many people are motivated by not wanting to be judged. These thoughts determine even what we wear. God's Word gives us great instruction for what to wear. Colossians 3:12-14 The Message, "So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."

Wear love. There cannot be love without forgiveness. It ain't easy, but through Christ, all things are possible.

Prayer:

Father,
           According to Your Word, Since we have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, help us to throw off our old, sinful nature and our former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. Help us to put on our new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. And to walk in forgiveness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder - Lest We Forget

Make sure you don’t forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God, 

• the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery;
• the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions;
• the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock;
• the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you. 

If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again.
Deuteronomy 8:11-17 The Message

Lyrics to an old hymn resound in my spirit today, "Lest I forget Gethsemane. Lest I forget Thine agony. Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary..."

How easy it is to forget where we've come from.
How easy it is to forget what God has delivered us from.
How easy it is to see someone else's sin or slip into judgment about it.
How easy it is to forget ALL the sins He has forgiven in our own lives.
How easy it seems to be to forget the ultimate sacrifice of Christ's death so that we might live.

Prayer:

Father,
           Forgive us for the times we become so full of ourselves that we lose sight of the Cross at Calvary. Help us to never lose sight and to never forget anything good that we have or any good that is in us is only because of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder - That's Easy for You to Say

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

1st John 2:3-6 NLT

Oh, the things we say we love - that song! That color! I love that movie! That TV show! Popcorn! I love the beach! The mountains! Ice cream! I love that guy (an actor or someone else we don't know) or I do NOT love him (or her)! You get the picture.

What does that love mean? How is it defined? It's not deep. It's not truly meaningful. It doesn't cost anything. It's easy.

It's NOT the love that God has called us to. It's NOT the love by which the world will know we are Christ-followers. It's not world-changing. It doesn't save lives. It doesn't require a personal investment of any kind. It doesn't take time or energy. There's no blood, sweat or tears involved at all.

We are called to love as Christ loved and gave Himself as a ransom for us. It's easy to look a friend or family member in the eye and say that they must walk in love. Yes, that's easy for you to say. It's a whole 'nother story when we are to live our lives as Jesus did. That we are to love as He loves. That's real love and it will cost you everything.

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray the words from the old song, "I'm going to live the way You want me to live. I'm going to give until there's just no more to give. I'm going to love, love till there's just no more love. I could never, never outlove You, Lord." We cannot do it without You, Father. Give us Your grace and Your strength to do exactly that. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It's So Easy

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT

These days, it's so easy to offend someone without even trying. It's even easier to find people who seem to try to do everything they can to offend others. (If you think I'm joking, try reading an online news article that allows comments at the end.) There's a whole movement whose sole purpose, it seems, is to make inflammatory and or insulting statements - like an equal opportunity offender.

We're not to be like that! People can be so wounded emotionally. It's so easy to want to defend or protect them, but before you know it, you can get caught up in the antagonistic, caustic vitriol of it all. Then it's so easy to become bitter. It's so easy to spew that all over anyone who is around you. Hurt turns to bitterness making it so easy to miss God's grace and forgiveness.

It's so easy to forget that the cost of His mercy and grace was the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The Cross was not easy...

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for all that You've done to make it easier for us to get back into a right relationship with You. We want to live peaceably with others. We want to live a holy life. We want to see You! Remind us that we must forgive in order to be forgiven. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen