Feb 28/Mar 1 - Isaiah 43:18

the Lord says,

"Do not cling to

events of the past

or dwell on what

happened long ago.

Isaiah 43:18

^GNT

 

1

An Account is Opened

 

2

Examine the Account

 

3

Take it to the Bank Manager

 

4

Close the Account

 

5

Don’t Re-Open the Account

 

This is the final step toward forgiveness.

 

And this is one of the hardest and most destructive things in a relationship.

 

Have you ever “fought” with somebody who kept reopening old accounts? “Well, seventeen years ago when we were driving to my mother’s house, you said …”

 

Stop it.

 

Yes, you were hurt in the past.

 

Yes, maybe there’s a frustrating pattern to their repeated behavior.

 

Yes, you certainly want to them to understand what they keep doing so that maybe they won’t do it again.

 

But it doesn’t work.

 

Yes, the other person is certainly a mess. But so are you. We all are. And what’s really messy is you refusing to really forgiving. If you keep re-opening old accounts, forgiveness is not in you.

 

Read that again: If you keep re-opening old accounts, forgiveness is not in you. And that means that you’re an equal villain – if not the real villain – in this relationship. Really. You’re the one who keeps poisoning the relationship.

 

When God forgives sins, he erases the past. The Scriptures tell us that “if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Cleansed. Erased. How thoroughly? “From all unrighteous.”

 

That’s the path to freedom in every relationship. It’s called grace.

 

So notice what I’m saying and not saying. I’m not saying that the other person’s sin is not destructive. Often it is. Nevertheless, unforgiveness is worse.

 

Think about it this way: Forgiveness is the most important thing on earth. Why do I say that? Because that was the whole reason that Jesus came down from heaven and died on the cross. And if he can forgive those who literally nailed him to a tree, you can forgive too. But if you keep re-opening old accounts, is it time to ask if Jesus is in you?

 

Ouch! I know that hurts. You see yourself as a victim. But wounding others back and destroying a relationship (even subtly) is not the path toward freedom. It’s a path to deeper bondage and destruction.

 

The path to freedom is the Via Dolorosa. That’s the road through Jerusalem that Jesus walked with a cross on his back. Some of the sins against us may be bloody, violent, and messy. They may feel like “your cross to bear.” No. Let Jesus come alongside whatever you are carrying. Then hand him the cross. Let him bear your hurt and shame. That’s what Jesus (and our faith in him) is all about.

 

Question of the Day: Are you ready to be free? What do you need to do to quit reopening old accounts?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t want

to wear a handle bar mustache

and be the evil villain of

a melodrama of my own making

 

 

Feb 27 - Romans 12:19a

Dear friends,

never avenge yourselves.

Leave that to God.

Romans 12:19a

NIrV

 

Let’s continue through the process of forgiveness using our banking imagery …

 

1.   When someone hurts us, they’ve incurred a debt. That’s step one: An Account has been Opened.

 

2.   Step two is the need to Examine the Account. Remember, our goal is not to make a list of transgressions done unto us, but to examine why it hurts.

 

3.   Step three is when any hurt, grief, debt, or transgression is too big for you to handle on your own, you should Go to the Bank Manager. God can give you the power and desire to forgive, even when it’s not with in you yet.

 

What then is the fourth step?

 

4

Close the Account

Forgive the person.

 

Yes, it’s hard to forgive. The debt is often large.

 

Yes, it’s hard to forgive. There may still be scars. Forgiving, though, is not necessarily forgetting! Nevertheless, until you forgive the debt, the person in bondage is you.

 

When the sin is big, you want justice. I understand that. But the path to freedom is to leave the justice to God. As it says in Romans 12:19, “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, ‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,’ says the Lord.”

 

Forgiving is not forgetting. And your forgiveness does not release the other person of their greater debt which is to God. Forgiveness, then, is simply handing the case over to a higher court. Think of God as your collection agency! Let him be in charge of settling debts so that you can move on with the rest of your life.

 

And trust God to do this! For example, when King David was caught in his greatest sin, it hurt a lot of people. Nevertheless, David said to God, “Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.” (Psalm 51:4). God exacted a punishment on David. The world didn’t.

 

Let that be true with your hurts. As we said yesterday – and not as a cliché – “give it to God.” Indeed, “dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God” (Rom 12:19). Why? Because until you forgive the debt, the person in bondage is you.

 

Here’s a great irony about forgiveness and unforgiveness: We think we’re punishing the other person when we don’t forgive them. Well … often the other person doesn’t even realize that they hurt you! They go on with your own life. While you, meanwhile, are “smack[ing] your lips over grievances long past … roll[ing] over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come … savor[ing] to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back … [and only really succeeding in] wolfing down … yourself” (Frederick Beuchner).

 

Let me give you an example: What if I get tied up at work and forget to call my wife and tell her that I’ll be late for dinner. She’s polite. She doesn’t say anything. But inside I’ve made her feel unimportant. And then I do it again. And again. I rationalize it: “Hey, I’m working hard for the family!” Nevertheless, while I may be earning a salary for the family, I’m also incurring a debt with my wife.

 

But what happens when my wife is polite? I may not even realize that an account has been opened. I’m oblivious, but my wife is hurting. And the question is: Who’s in prison – me or my wife?

 

Husband and wives … and parents and children … and bosses and employees … and friends with friends … incur debts all the time. Hurts cause distance. But if the other person didn’t really notice (or care about) that distance, then who’s really set free when we forgive? We are.

 

When we close an account, we set ourselves free.

 

Question of the Day: How big of a reason for refusing to forgive is wanting to make sure the other person somehow “pays” for the hurt? Are you ready to be free? Pray for the power to do this: “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God” (Rom 12:19).

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who did show up late

too many times without calling

… and doesn’t deserve a wife

with the spiritual gift            of forgiveness

Feb 26 - Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord

with all your heart

and lean not on

your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

 

We’ve been talking about forgiveness. Using a financial theme, we talked yesterday about taking any huge debts to God – and bank manager – and letting him help us “forgive those who have trespassed against us.”

 

And that sounds so sweet and holy, doesn’t it?! “Just give it God!” But are you like me? Do need more practical advice than just some pious cliché. How does God help us forgive? Really? Practically? Powerfully? How do we “lean on” him and “not on [our] own understanding? How can God – the bank manager – free my heart from someone’s million dollar trespass against me?

 

Let’s answer that in a Trinitarian way – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

1

The Father

 

Forgiveness is the heart of God our Father. It’s who he is. It’s his purpose on earth.

 

As we said before, forgiveness is obviously the most important thing in all the world because that’s the entire reason for God the Father sending his only begotten Son.

 

So first, we can trust that our Omnipotent Lord has the power and the desire to forgive. And here’s what happens whenever “give it God”: Even when you don’t yet have the power or desire to forgive a debt, God does. And when you trust in him – place your whole life in the bank manager’s hands – he will do for you (and in you) what you can’t do for yourself.

 

2

The Son

 

The second thing that we need to know is that Jesus gave us a model for life and health and forgiveness in this world. That’s part of his reason for coming. He gave us a tangible, human path to follow.

 

Now, watch the linking of two critical steps …

 

Do you remember how Jesus on the cross said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”? Well, it is within that context giving and commending everything to God that our Savior also said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (see Luke 23:34,46).

 

Do you see it? There’s a powerful connection to entrusting everything to the bank manager’s hands and being able to forgive.

 

And this is not just nice words and theory! When the first Christian martyr was being led to his execution, he followed this model of Jesus. Acts 7:59-60 says, “While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.”

 

Do you see it? Jesus’ model?! There’s a powerful connection to entrusting everything to the bank manager’s hands and being able to forgive. And there’s a power and purpose to following Jesus’ model too.

 

3

The Holy Spirit

 

There’s also a role that the Holy Spirit plays. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

 

How many of these fruits are necessary in crafting in us a forgiving heart? Do we need love to forgive? Do you need patient endurance to forgive? Do we need to set our hearts on peace? Do we need gentleness and self-control? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. When we entrust everything to the bank manager, the Holy Spirit gives us the tools and desire to forgive.

 

Question of the Day: Are you trying to forgive others on your own power? How is that working? Follow model of Jesus and commit everything into the bank manager’s hands in prayer.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who thinks that God

must be an Allstate agent

… remember the jingle?

“You’re in good hands

with All … -mighty God.”

 

 

Feb 25 - Proverbs 20:22

Do not say,

“I will repay evil”;

wait for the Lord,

and he will deliver you.

Proverbs 20:22

ESV

 

Why do I keep talking about forgiveness? Because it’s one of the hardest things in the world to do … and because it’s one of the most important keys to life … and marriage … and wholeness … and relationships … and even health. (Statistically, bitter people tend to die faster. Forgiveness, therefore, is life!)

 

So … do you want to know how to forgive? Today we’re on step three of five, and if you remember, we’re using a banking image.

 

1.   When someone hurts us, they’ve incurred a debt. That’s step one: An Account has been Opened.

 

2.   Step two is the need to Examine the Account. Remember, our goal is not to make a list of transgressions done unto us, but to examine why it hurts.

 

Today’s verse reflects another financial image for the “cost” of sin. Proverbs 20:22 essentially says: “Don’t ‘repay’ evil.”

 

Actually, that’s the first part of a single piece of advice. What’s the second part? “Instead of repaying evil, ‘wait for the Lord,’” the scriptures say. “Trust in the Lord to act.” “Count on him to heal.” Or perhaps we could simply say, “Give your hurts and problems to God.”

 

Wait. Let’s us our financial terminology: Step three in the process of forgiveness is …

 

3

Go to the Bank Manager

 

Imagine walking into a bank. If there’s a problem with your account and the amount is small, the teller at the window may be able to handle your problem. “My account’s off by three cents,” you may say, and the person at the window says, “Let me see what I can do.”

 

But what if your account is off by a million dollars? What if the debt is large? What if the hurt is huge? A simple teller can’t fix a million dollar problem!

 

So what does he do? He takes you to the bank manager.

 

Now, in our modern world, we’re accustomed to branch banks. A branch manager has some authority, but not much. The real authority is thirty levels above her at some corporate board room in New York. No. I’m talking about an old fashioned bank. When you went in an old bank and you asked to speak to the manager, you were often talking to the guy who owned the bank himself! And he had the power to forgive even a million dollar loan. And do it whenever he chose!

 

So when the debt is big, our job is to go to the bank manager. And God, of course, is that kind of bank manager. He owns the bank! And he can help every one of us tellers forgive even the greatest debt.

 

Yesterday, our job was to tell God why the transgression hurts. That was step two. Today, step three: We ask him to handle this account. We say, “God, I can’t do it on my own. Handle this hurt for me. Help me forgive.”

 

Tomorrow we’ll talk about how God can help you do this. But for right now, just do it! Ask him to help you heal your heart and reconcile this debt.

 

Question of the Day: See below.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who owns

enough stock in the right bank,

that the bank manager knows me

by name … and helps me

with my messiest accounts

 

Question of the Day: Consider the person(s) you are closest to. What debts have they incurred that you’re having a hard time forgiving? (And I’m not just talking about your beloved. Unforgiveness toward and lack of trust in anyone makes it hard to trust everyone … including your spouse. Therefore, what debts are having a hard time forgiving?) Ask God to help you heal your heart and reconcile these debts.

 

 

Feb 24 - Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have

forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:12

ASV

 

When someone hurts us, it’s like a “debt” has been incurred. Sin indeed has a “cost.” Therefore, this week we are using a banking analogy to reveal the process of forgiveness.

 

Yesterday we focused on the first step – what it feels like when someone trespasses against us.

 

1

An Account is Opened

A debt has been incurred.

 

Today we focus on the second of five steps on the journey toward forgiveness …

 

2

Examine the Account

 

When someone has incurred a debt with you, the next thing you need to do is examine the account.

 

Now, there’s a right way and wrong way to do this. And this is crucial!

 

The wrong, painful, and destructive way to examine the account is to essentially keep a list of all the wrongs that a person has ever done to you.

 

Do you do this? When you fight, do you tend to bring up every hurt in your relationship from the past seven years? That’s the wrong way to examine the account!

 

I have a friend who, for a long time, kept a literal record of wrongs. It was a secret journal, a treasured protection. This person would have agreed with Christian author Frederick Buechner. He says, “”Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”

 

That’s the wrong way to examine an account! You are wolfing down and imprisoning yourself. My friend is an example. While my friend clung to this list, bitterness, resentment, and stubborn self-justification filled their hearts. When they finally threw away this list, they were suddenly set free … and they were suddenly used by God in a rich new ministry!

 

So … what do I mean when I say “examine the account”? Here’s a positive way: “Try to figure out why it hurts so much!”

 

·         Did your husband’s forgetting to call and tell you he’d be late make you feel unimportant?

·         Did your wife’s harsh words make you feel unloved?

·         Has a friend injured you – physically or emotionally – and as you are left to pick up the pieces alone, do you feel abandoned?

 

Examine the account. Unloved. Unimportant. Forgotten and abandoned. Why does it hurt you so much?

 

The closer a person is to us the more their actions are likely to hurt us. Indeed, the deeper our attachment, the sharper their wounds. For example, if another driver is perturbed with me and shoots me a rude gesture, it might frustrate me for a moment. But if my best friend or my wife or my parents give me a similarly rude message through words or gestures, it may sting for days … or weeks … or years! An account has been opened. Now … why does it hurt? Examine the account. “It’s because I thought they loved me and I thought I could trust them. Am I nothing more to them than their harsh designation?”

 

Do you see the point? Examine the account: Why does it hurt you so much?

 

Question of the Day: see below

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t want to be

a skeleton at the wrong feast

 

Question of the Day: What are the things that the person closest to you does that hurt you the most? Now ask: Why does it hurt? (Remember, you’re not making a record of transgression; you’re examining your own sensitivities. Understanding the hurt, you’re preparing your heart to forgive. Pray for God give you the power to be set free from the things you’re hanging onto “to the last toothsome morsel.”)

 

 

Feb 23 - Colossians 3:13b

and, if anyone has

a complaint against another,

forgive each other; just as

the Lord has forgiven you,

so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:13b

 

When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, how do you say “Forgive us our sins”? Do you use the word “sins”? Or do you say, “Forgive us our trespasses”? Or do you say, like others, “Forgive us our debts”?

 

I usually say “trespasses”; nevertheless, I think “debts” may be a more helpful way to think about sin and forgiveness.

 

Debt, after all, is a powerful to talk about the cost of sin to a relationship. And banking provides a powerful way to describe what it takes to truly forgive.

 

If you’d like to improve your ability to forgive, I urge you to practice a five-step transaction – covered over these next five days.

 

1

An Account is Opened

 

The first step toward forgiveness is realizing what’s happened … and what you’re feeling.

 

When someone hurts you, they’ve opened an account. They’ve incurred a debt. They owe you something.

 

If the debt is small – someone accidentally stepped on my toe – they owe me an apology.

If the debt is larger – someone totaled my car – they may owe me a few thousand dollars in restitution.

But what if the debt is huge? What if we’ve been bloodied and bruised? What if someone has robbed us or someone we love of innocence? What if someone has stolen a life?

 

Do you get the point? When a trespass occurs, a debt is incurred and an account has been opened. And until that debt is paid off and that account is closed, your relationship with that person is not right. Why? Because you feel like they owe you something.

 

We’ll talk about how to forgive these debts in coming days, but for today, it’s time to sit with today’s question …

 

Question of the Day: What is the biggest debt someone has with you? What are some of the little debts that the person closest to you is incurring? Pray for God to ready your heart for this five-step process of forgiveness.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who surely

owes more

than he is owed

 

Feb 21-22 - Colossians 3:13a

Bear with one another

Colossians 3:13a

 

I saw a grizzly once. We were in Alaska. She was fishing near a river with her three cubs. I’d swear she was as big as a Volkswagen.

 

If you look at the dictionary, bears have two things to do with marriage.

 

One … Don’t be a big, mean, snarling animal.

 

Two, you probably guessed, requires a totally different meaning of the word.

 

When the Apostles tell us to “bear with one another,” we need to understand, first, that these words are addressed generally to all Christians in all circumstances (and not just to married couples). All people of good faith and good character are called to “bear with one another.”

 

Nevertheless, we could say that this admonishment applies especially to married couples. Why? Because marriage is so daily! We life so close to each other that we can’t help occasionally stepping on one another’s toes ... and feelings.

 

So what does it mean “to bear with” someone? The New Living Translation renders this simple phrase with eight powerful words: “You must make allowance for each other’s faults.”

 

Wow! That’s not exactly the exciting part of marriage, is it? Nevertheless, it is precisely what it takes to make a marriage work.

 

We must make allowances for the other person’s faults. Again and again. Day after day. Why? Because our spouse is making allowances for our faults. Again and again. And day after day too.

 

Making allowances is not settling for less. It’s the path to gaining more! When you accept your spouse for who they are, you receive from them the best of them.

 

Conversely, when you’re the bear – continually complaining about your spouse’s shortcomings – you constantly pour anxiety and pressure into the marriage. And as you tear them down, you continually get less of them and less from them.

 

Question of the Day: Are you better at “being a bear to” or “bearing with” those who you are closest with? What do you personally need to do to build one another up?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’d rather be

a teddy bear than

a grizzly complainer

 

 

Feb 21-22 - Colossians 3:13a

Bear with one another

Colossians 3:13a

 

I saw a grizzly once. We were in Alaska. She was fishing near a river with her three cubs. I’d swear she was as big as a Volkswagen.

 

If you look at the dictionary, bears have two things to do with marriage.

 

One … Don’t be a big, mean, snarling animal.

 

Two, you probably guessed, requires a totally different meaning of the word.

 

When the Apostles tell us to “bear with one another,” we need to understand, first, that these words are addressed generally to all Christians in all circumstances (and not just to married couples). All people of good faith and good character are called to “bear with one another.”

 

Nevertheless, we could say that this admonishment applies especially to married couples. Why? Because marriage is so daily! We life so close to each other that we can’t help occasionally stepping on one another’s toes ... and feelings.

 

So what does it mean “to bear with” someone? The New Living Translation renders this simple phrase with eight powerful words: “You must make allowance for each other’s faults.”

 

Wow! That’s not exactly the exciting part of marriage, is it? Nevertheless, it is precisely what it takes to make a marriage work.

 

We must make allowances for the other person’s faults. Again and again. Day after day. Why? Because our spouse is making allowances for our faults. Again and again. And day after day too.

 

Making allowances is not settling for less. It’s the path to gaining more! When you accept your spouse for who they are, you receive from them the best of them.

 

Conversely, when you’re the bear – continually complaining about your spouse’s shortcomings – you constantly pour anxiety and pressure into the marriage. And as you tear them down, you continually get less of them and less from them.

 

Question of the Day: Are you better at “being a bear to” or “bearing with” those who you are closest with? What do you personally need to do to build one another up?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’d rather be

a teddy bear than

a grizzly complainer

 

 

Feb 20 - Colossians 3:16b

Teach and admonish

each other in wisdom

Colossians 3:16b

 

Uh-oh. This piece of Biblical wisdom could be a recipe for marital disaster!

 

Ladies, let me tell you secret: Men don’t like asking for directions.

 

Wait! I’ve got to tell you a story! As I was writing this, I got interrupted. Help was needed in the kitchen. My bride needed me to use the blender.

 

Confession: I really don’t know how to use the blender. There are more buttons than just “on” and “off.” There are options like “crumb” and “puree.” And the only thing of which I was pretty sure was that I shouldn’t “liquefy” the vegetables thrust in my direction. And yet, as I stared at the vast array of buttons, I knew that total and liquefying destruction was a distinct possibility.

 

So … I just stood there.

 

Finally I looked up and said, “How do you use this thing?”

 

My bride was glad to help. In fact, she came over to me, gave me a playful hug, and said, “Did you know that women find it sexy when a man asks for directions?!”

 

“Really?”

 

Women, here’s what you need to know: Men don’t like asking for directions.

 

Men, here’s what you need to know: Women find it sexy if you do!

 

But here’s the real question … in all seriousness: If most of us – men and women – don’t really like to be told what to do, how can we possibly “teach and admonish each other,” even if it’s “in wisdom”?

 

When we’re children, we’re always in school. Some of it’s formal schooling – sitting at our little desk before a paid teacher. Most of it’s informal learning – the little lessons mom teaches throughout the day. “Remember to wash your hands.” “Don’t cross the street without looking both ways.”

 

That’s when we’re children. And whether we like it or not, learning is our job.

 

By the time most of us graduate to marriage, though, we’re at least in our college years. Education now is voluntary. We choose to go to classes … or not. And if learning is what we choose, then we pay the university for the privilege.

 

Here’s the point: When we’re adults, we choose whether to be in a learning environment, and if so, we “ask” someone to teach us. And that’s how it works best in marriage too.

 

If we “teach and admonish” our spouse – when they’re not asking for it – they’re likely to feel like they’re being treated like a child. (Because that’s what we do to children. We say things again and again whether they want to hear them or not.)

 

Women: Men don’t like being treated like a child. It feels like a lack of respect.

 

Men: Women don’t like being condescended to either!

 

So … if most of us can be a little thin-skinned, how are we to fulfill the Biblical call to “teach and admonish each other in wisdom”? It takes two things – two people being equally committed to trusting and learning and growing.

 

·         Trusting is assuming the best of the other person. Their advice is not because they don’t respect us; it’s because they love us and they are trying to bless our lives.

·         Learning is an attitude of the heart. Will we have curious minds and teachable hearts?

·         Growing is a commitment to keep getting better, and we’ll never grow unless we’re humble enough to be coached.

 

Question of the Day: see below

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who asked for directions

… once

 

Question of the Day

·         Getting Married and Newlyweds: Do you tend to encourage your beloved … or admonish them? Do you treat them with respect? And do you assume the best of them, even when they are “encouraging” you?

·         Married: Do you tend to encourage your spouse … or admonish them? Do you treat them with respect? And do you assume the best of them, even when they are “encouraging” you?

·         Not Married: In what relationships are you committed to trusting, learning, and growing?

 

Feb 19 - Colossians 3:15

let the peace that 

comes from Christ 

rule in your hearts

Colossians 3:15

 

What is peace?

 

The Urban Dictionary defines peace like this: “a brief interlude between wars, during which the prudent study the lessons of the last war and prepare for the next one.”

 

Sadly, how many marriages follow that pattern?

 

Yes, rubbing up against each other constantly, as in marriage, causes a little friction. Nevertheless, this definition of peace invites us to ask: What truly defines our relationship? Is it the harmony and teamwork? Is it the frustrations and explosions? Or is it the up and down nature of our life together? 

 

Indeed, are we mainly just limping through puddles between the storms? Are we walking on egg shells not sure what will trigger the next outburst? Are tired and defeated and too often just going through the motions?

 

That’s the state of too many marriages. 

 

But here’s the curious thing: No one goes to the altar thinking, “Yep, that’s going to be us, too — a veneer of peace between the skirmishes.”

 

God offers an alternative: “the peace of Christ.”

 

What is it?

 

·         First, true peace starts with love. And it loves unconditionally, just as Jesus Christ loves us.  

·         Second, it’s the kind of love that sacrifices. It washes feet. It tends to one another’s leprous wounds. It is compassionate in spite of faults. It even lays down one’s own life for the other. 

·         True peace celebrates the best in the other person, just as Jesus celebrated, blessed, and restored the woman at the well (see John 4). 

·         True peace is forgiving. You spouse will occasionally hurt you, but chances are that they won’t literally nail you to a cross! So if Christ can forgive even that, then perhaps we should work daily to adorn ourselves with his heart of forgiveness. 

·         Heavenly peace is supernatural. You can’t do it alone! To achieve true peace, you must make your relationship with God the strongest reality in your life ... and then you can hope to achieve the fullest measure of peace, hope, and joy with a person who is just as imperfect as you (and just as in love with you).

·         Finally, it is a daily discipline. You must choose to love. You must choose to forgive. You must choose to assume the best of the other person. You must choose to not take offense. And if you want Christ’s peace, you must do this daily. Hourly. Constantly. 

 

Question of the Day: Love. Sacrifice. Assuming the best. A forgiving heart. Daily discipline. And a connection to God’s supernatural help. Which of these do you best? Which of these do you do worst? And which of these must you work on first to bless your most important relationship(s)?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants peace

... therefore, I must surrender