Courtesy of Wordle.net

So, we’re well into the new year, and I’m still trying to refine my personal goals. First though, I must make a true confession:

I am not Superman. I am human.

Sure, you’re probably not overly surprised by that. However, at some level I’ve been acting for far too long like I am somehow Superman. Although I’m a minister and understand all too well the dangers of compassion fatigue, I have allowed my life to become completely and totally unbalanced. How do I know?

MY PROBLEM

I work an ungodly number of hours each week, often ‘forgetting’ to grab lunch and frequently staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. to work on a project. Sometimes I don’t make it to bed at all.

I don’t spend sufficient time with my family — totally focused and engaged with them. Sure, we’re often in the same room, but the ‘electronic leash’ called the iPhone manages to occupy my time and compete for my attention. And I frequently find myself browsing the internet on my phone while browsing a separate page on my laptop. That’s insane.

I don’t take good physical care of myself. We’ve already determined that I don’t always eat meals as I should. What I do eat is usually not that great for me nutrition-wise. We’ve also determined that I don’t get adequate sleep and rest. And I can’t overstate how much of a toll that takes on me in a multitude of ways. It’s no wonder that I’ve developed a number of health issues over the past several years. Fortunately, there’s nothing real serious going on that I’m aware of, but the stress of life exacerbates every little problem. My doctors have warned me that I must slow down and take care of myself.

MY SOLUTION

All of this is just to say that rather than listing a whole lot of resolutions that I’ll probably just end up breaking after a short while, like many people, I’ve decided to focus on just one word for this year. That word is BALANCE.

Now I’m sure that sounds all well and good. I’m sure you’re all for me making some changes. However, this perfectionist is going to have to accept some stark realities. So are those who associate regularly with me.

MY ACTION STEPS

In order to achieve my goal of leading a much more balanced lifestyle, I am going to have to make some choices that — for me — are pretty big ones:

• I will disable the audible e-mail alert on my phone.

• I will not bring my phone to the dinner table. It cannot be welcome there.

• I will not always get work done with the speed and level of detail to which I and those around me have become accustomed. We’re all just going to have to deal with that disappointment.

• I will make a concerted effort to get proper nutrition, exercise, and rest.

• I will delegate some responsibilities to others who are perfectly capable of doing the work.

• I will take time to slow down and spend quality time with my wife and kids. (It’s a well-known fact that ministers often have some of the most dysfunctional children. May that not be my legacy as a father.)

• I will learn to tell people ‘No’ — especially when their need simply evidences poor planning or lack of forethought. Not everything is my problem.

MY EXAMPLE

I am committed to doing whatever it takes to restore balance and health to my life. After all, how can I effectively counsel others to live balanced lives if I’m not modeling that kind of lifestyle? This is not about will-power; it’s about making good choices — one after the other — with God’s help.

BALANCE. It is absolutely non-negotiable for me. I must never let myself get to this point again. Ever.

IT’S YOUR TURN!
What word do you need to focus on during this calendar year?

Did you like this post? If so, you might also be interested in these previous posts:

• A life without regrets?

• Some help with resolutions

• 10 secrets to keeping those resolutions

Self-evident. Really? These familiar words from our Declaration of Independence seem to hold less merit with each passing year.

Today Southern Baptists across this nation recognize ‘Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.’ A national day to acknowledge the value of human life was first set aside in a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. That, of course, was eleven years after the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. The principal decision repealed all state laws prohibiting abortion.

Now, some 39 years after Roe v. Wade — and more than 50 million abortions later — many in the Christian community continue to pray for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Of course, with an increasingly liberal set of supreme court justices, such an ambitious goal seems unlikely in the near future. Still many individuals, churches, and pro-life groups continue to wage war on behalf of the unborn.

Perhaps no one more deeply regrets the high court’s decision than Norma McCorvey, better known as “Jane Roe,” the plaintiff in the case. In her book Won by Love, McCorvey explained her changed view on the issue of abortion:

“I was sitting in O.R.’s offices when I noticed a fetal development poster. The progression was so obvious, the eyes were so sweet. It hurt my heart, just looking at them. I ran outside and finally, it dawned on me. ‘Norma’, I said to myself, ‘They’re right’. I had worked with pregnant women for years. I had been through three pregnancies and deliveries myself. I should have known. Yet something in that poster made me lose my breath. I kept seeing the picture of that tiny, 10-week-old embryo, and I said to myself, that’s a baby! It’s as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth — that’s a baby!

I felt crushed under the truth of this realization. I had to face up to the awful reality. Abortion wasn’t about ‘products of conception’. It wasn’t about ‘missed periods’. It was about children being killed in their mother’s wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion — at any point — was wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear.”

McCorvey, now 64, has since been re-confirmed as a member in the Catholic Church. She is an ardent supporter of the pro-life cause.

Having served as a licensed therapist for a number of years, I have personally witnessed the damage that abortion does — emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Increasingly, there is concern in the medical community about physical harm as well, including a possible link between abortion and breast cancer.

Of course, only God knows the full scope of the impact of abortion. However, in my therapeutic and ministerial counseling with women, I have seen first-hand the anguish, torment, and far-reaching effects of abortion on family relationships. I only know that what many Americans want to view as a choice is altogether inconsistent with both the words of Scripture in Psalm 139:13-16, and the Judeo-Christian values that our nation’s founding fathers sought to serve as the cornerstone of our republic. Consider these words from President Reagan:

“Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. No serious scholar, including one disposed to agree with the Court’s result, has argued that the framers of the Constitution intended to create such a right.”

Reagan argued that it is impossible “to diminish the value of one category of human life — the unborn — without diminishing the value of all human life.”

Perhaps the most amazing thing about God is His ability to forgive the sin of those who call upon the name of Jesus. If you have had an abortion, you can still find forgiveness in Him. If you are considering abortion, please reach out to a local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Their staff can help you find solutions that preserve both the life of your baby and the integrity of your emotional self. (Click here to find a center near you.)

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

• Pray for those who may be considering abortion.
• Find a way to volunteer or otherwise contribute to a Christian family ministry or local Crisis Pregnancy Center. (Diapers, formula, baby clothes, and bedding are always in demand.)
• Consider adopting a child or serving as a foster parent or respite care worker.
• Become involved in your local or state pro-life movement, and be a voice for the unborn.
• Pray for an end to legalized abortion in America.

On this Sanctity of Human Life Day, let’s pray and work together for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to be equal rights for both the born and the unborn.

IT’S YOUR TURN!
Does your church participate or somehow acknowledge Sanctity of Human Life Day? If so, how? Do you have other thoughts or comments to share on this subject?

Did you like this post? If so, you might also be interested in these previous posts:

• Doubly Grateful

• Under the Microscope

• Tonight’s ‘Secret Church’: highly relevant

Don’t you just love it when God speaks to you through the most seemingly insignificant and every-day, run-of-the-mill stuff of life? I do — regardless of whether it’s a message I really want to hear. Something about those revelations just speaks to my heart as if to say, “Garrick, you belong to Me, and I care enough about you that I don’t want you to miss this!” The God of the universe in just a matter of a few seconds delivers a generous helping of knowledge that one can’t help but be a bit blown away.

I don’t know about you, but there are certain tasks around the house that I enjoy more than others. If I’m completely honest, I tend to let a lot of little things slide — especially when I’m consumed by the details of major projects at the church. One of the tasks I find myself ignoring is that of replacing light bulbs. For some reason our cars and our house love to eat light bulbs. Whether it’s tail lights, headlights, incandescent lights or fluorescent ones, we get plenty of opportunities to change bulbs in this household.

Well, one day last week I came in to find that not only was one of the long fluorescent bulbs out, it was also broken. This happened to be a fixture that I quite honestly know very little about. Michelle and I looked at it for a while but couldn’t figure it out. Not all that consciously, I kind of put that little project on hold — you know, waiting for just the right time when the moon and stars align and the family and work calendars are completely in sync. Like that ever happens. As a result of that decision — a.k.a., bad choice — we had to leave the kitchen light off all weekend. It wasn’t too big of a deal. We just used the light over the eating area as our sole source of light. I guess you could say that there was ambient lighting in the actual kitchen, but I’m not sure a Vent-A-Hood light and that wimpy little light on the fridge qualify for mood lighting.

Fast forward to Tuesday. I came in from the office, knowing I’d have just enough time to watch a little news and enjoy dinner with the family before heading out to puppy training class with Maggie. When I entered from the garage and stepped into the house, I was nearly blinded by the light in the kitchen. It seems that while I was slaving away at the office, the ‘light bulb fairy’ paid a visit. She apparently found a do-it-yourself video on YouTube to guide her through the process of fixing the broken light and installing the new bulbs.

Now you know how it is when you replace a bulb. It always seems brighter because you get used to it being a little more dim. But when I came in on Tuesday afternoon, the kitchen was lit up like the sun at high noon! I told Michelle that our kitchen now has better lighting than the operating room during my last surgery. You see, not only had we become used to the lesser light from the broken bulb, but we had also failed to notice that another part of the light was burned out.

As I thought about this today, I just kept feeling God say to me, “This is how your life is when you leave Me out . . . when you put Me on hold. You just get so accustomed to the dimly-lit room that you fail to notice the crumbs, the stains, the debris from the chaos of your busy life.”

I’ve never really felt convicted by a light fixture before — and I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly the source of my conviction now. But God used this little every-day matter to grab my attention. Several life applications come to mind. Failure to take immediate action when we realize there’s a disconnect between us and God can have profound consequences:

• We risk minimizing rather than resolving the problem. This is a trap that comes in the form of rationalizing the problem or pretending that it will just magically take care of itself with no energy or effort from us required. The truth is that in time our kitchen was only going to get darker, making everything more difficult.
• We risk adapting to rather than responding to the situation. Such passive adaptation can be purely the result of indifference. However, left unchecked, it can prove dangerous and costly. Things could easily go from misreading a spice bottle to severely cutting a hand.
• We risk settling for less rather than expecting His best. So many of the ways God blesses us are directly related to the way we prepare our hearts. In the case of a poorly lit kitchen, it wouldn’t take long to experience a really bad-tasting dish, all because we misread the recipe.

Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (ESV) God wants us to have light both physically and spiritually.

Whatever is causing poor visibility in your spiritual life, let this be a reminder to do whatever it takes to get back on track now so you won’t have to pay a much higher price later. God has given us the Word to illumine our path — and has put the light of Christ in our hearts. May we never ever get comfortable living in darkness when He has called us to shine with His marvelous light.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Brandon Heath’s very cool video of his song, “The Light In Me.”

IT’S YOUR TURN!
What is God teaching you lately through the ordinary things of life?

You know how the Doppler effect kicks in with a motorcycle or freight train? You hear the sound coming in the distance . . . then it gets really loud when it’s right beside you . . . then it fades off into the distance. Well, I think there’s a little bit of Doppler in the way we greet people too. Think about it. How often does someone ask you how you’re doing — only to walk right past you without skipping a beat? If we’re honest, it happens pretty often. If we’re doubly honest, we can probably say that we’ve been guilty of doing the same thing to others.

Life is hard. Times are tough. Worries are rampant. Every time you turn on the news, there’s something else to be concerned about. Rising costs. Falling home values. Broken families. Sometimes the burden of care becomes too great. If it weren’t for the power of Christ at work within me, there would be absolutely no way I could function in this world.

People today bear a lot of hurts, wounds, scars, sorrows, anger, confusion. You get the point. Every day we have a responsibility to help someone move closer to God. A warm smile, a gentle touch, and a friendly hello can go a long way to make one’s day a bit brighter. We never know how God is going to use us from one minute to the next, but we can be assured that He cares deeply about people — and wants us to care too. My wife, Michelle, recently said it this way:

I want to leave people better than I met them. I want to bring joy, peace, and gratitude to the people I encounter on a daily basis. I want them to walk away feeling better. Sometimes this requires a simple smile. Other times it requires kind words, forgiveness, and/or a listening ear. It isn’t always easy, or convenient.  It may require me giving up my way – or losing an argument.  But, in the end, it is sharing God’s love with them.

As you go through the rest of your week, I encourage you to make time for people. Don’t just offer a trite, rhetorical “How are you?” Instead, take time to listen to people. Take time to connect on a personal level. Take time to bask in the interruptions of life in order that they might become ministry opportunities.

I’ve long heard the statement, “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” Will they see Jesus in you today?

IT’S YOUR TURN!
How do you feel when someone takes time to show interest in and concern for you? How can you be more sensitive to and available for those in your workplace, neighborhood, or church?

New Year’s Resolution Guide
                                       
IT’S YOUR TURN!
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, how do you keep on track toward your goals? If not, why not?

Regret

Although we sometimes hear about a life lived ‘without regrets,’ we know there’s no such thing as that. We all have regrets that often coexist with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, grief, and even anger — anger at oneself . . . anger at others . . . even anger at God. As Christians we are particularly prone to experience regret, especially over things said or done after our point of salvation — when we knew the right thing to do and intentionally chose to go in a different direction.

Regret can be a powerful force in our lives, distracting us from the reality of life in the present and taking us back to the past with retrospection and hindsight that amounts to chasing after the wind. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if life had an ‘undo’ button? Or at least a ‘reset’ button? Sometimes we experience regret from the time an ungracious word rolls off the tongue. Sometimes we listen not to the gentle spirit of God but rather to the lying and conniving voice of Satan who, as with Adam in Eve, craftily persuades us to tune out the potential consequences of our choices and simply live for the moment. The truth is that our society encourages and to some extent rewards hedonism. If you doubt it, just watch most any ‘reality TV’ show from ‘Big Brother’ to ‘The Bachelor,’ and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

People of all ages and life stages experience regret. Children and teenagers today live at the speed of light and are bombarded daily with multiple competing messages and worldviews. And I don’t just mean text messages. Think for a moment about the messages kids get from such things as billboards, commercials, photos, friends, parents, teachers, the internet, etc. We know that many of these messages point them not in the direction of life but rather in the direction of destruction. Many kids today are completely overwhelmed by the pressures and stressors of growing up too fast and being too isolated from the adults in their lives. Pair social isolation with an overdose of modern technology, and you get a climate that is practically devoid of extended times of peace and quiet during which we are most likely to hear and discern the voice of God. Unfortunately, a large number of these kids are merely following the haphazard examples of their way-too-busy parents. Faced with a complex and divergent set of messages and a hurried lifestyle, kids often find themselves making choices that they will regret for the rest of their lives.

As I look back on this calendar year, I regret to say that I too have regrets — not only for the things I said or did but also for the things I didn’t say or didn’t do that I know I should have. I regret the times when I failed to treat my wife and kids with kindness and respect. I regret the harsh words spoken in anger and frustration to those I love. I regret the times when I passed judgment on others with little thought about my own dirty laundry.

I regret not spending more time seeking God through prayer and Bible study. I regret the missed opportunities to spend time with others, to encourage those in despair, and to share the love of Christ with those who need to hear it. I regret many of the moments that I focused on myself rather than the needs of others. I regret things I ate, things I watched, things I read, things I listened to. More than anything in the world, I regret listening to the lies of Satan, spoken through a variety of mediums, that said simply, “Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine. It’s a gray area. It doesn’t matter what you do.”

You see, one thing we can count on in life is the predictability of the evil one in his dealings with believers. He knows he cannot have us, but he sure can minimize our witness and our effectiveness as followers of Christ. Satan looks for our points of weakness, our emotional vulnerabilities, and our sins from the past — and he pounces like a lion waiting to devour us. But his pounces are often carefully masked as seemingly innocuous opportunities rather than potentially life-altering temptations. He taps into our shame and guilt and forces those things to the forefront of our minds, where we then turn our focus back to the past with its sorrow, shame, and regret. This is the cornerstone that enables a cycle of shame and guilt that can greatly hinder our ability to accept forgiveness from God and extend forgiveness to ourselves.

My challenge to you in this coming year is to remember that God is in the business of healing, restoring, and transforming lives. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He gives us the opportunity to experience new life — abundant life here on earth and eternal life in heaven with Him. And even if you’ve done some pretty awful things that grieve you deeply, be assured that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV)

As you think through your own version of 2010, I challenge you to honestly acknowledge your sins and regrets to God. Ask his forgiveness for anything that may be unconfessed and is still weighing you down mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Visualize yourself actually transferring those burdens into the capable hands of a gracious and merciful God. He sent us Jesus that we might experience freedom, yet so often we choose insecurity, doubt, and bondage. Perhaps there is someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness; that can be a freeing thing indeed.

God does not want us to live stuck in the miry pit of our past. He wants us to live with His power in the present, with an eye on the future in anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ. I’m reminded of the lyrics of an old song that speaks poignantly of God’s faithfulness and power:

There is no problem too big God cannot solve it.
There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it.
There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it.

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,
I know, my brother that He will carry You.

As you look forward to the new year, you can be sure that you’ll generate new regrets. It happens. We’re human. But bear in mind that His grace is sufficient for those who believe. Another song puts it this way: “I know many times I’ve been out of His will, but I’ve never been out of His care.” I don’t really know if that line passes the sniff test of the world’s great theologians, but I know those words have spoken to my own heart through the years. Be assured that God has a purpose and plan for each one of us. I don’t know what that looks like for you, but I know that it includes the freedom and peace that comes when we discover new life in Christ — and daily seek counsel from His Word. Perhaps you can use a fresh start in some area of life. Be encouraged by these words from the apostle Paul:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 3:13b-14, NIV

I won’t wish you a year without regrets, but I will wish you a year of good health, personal growth, and Christ-based freedom. May 2011 be a banner year for you, a year in which you focus more closely on the things that matter most. May the love and joy of the Lord richly abound in you and flow through you in the year to come.

Perhaps you’re here for the first time and curious about this ‘new life’ that comes through Jesus Christ. Feel free to contact me, and I’ll be glad to visit with you.

IT’S YOUR TURN!
Assuming that you take some time to reflect on the past year and think forward to the new year, what does that process look like for you? (i.e., journaling, discussing with a friend, etc.) Do you need to confess and seek forgiveness from God? From others? Do you have someone to hold you accountable for any personal goals that you set?

Upon waking up at 7:45 a.m. yesterday, instead of my usual ‘Good morning’ greeting to my wife, I simply said, “I’m gonna throw up.” And I did. Unfortunately, that set the stage for a less-than-ideal holiday. The kids enjoyed opening their presents and seeing the things that Santa brought. Michelle cooked up a coffee cake, a fresh batch of party mix, and a birthday cake for Jesus — which, as it turns out, I was really not able to eat.

I’d have given anything to have felt better on Christmas Day because I really wanted to enjoy my family to the fullest extent possible. Since we had no family or friends visiting, in spite of all the decorations and preparations, Christmas became just another opportunity for Michelle to singlehandedly parent the children — while I lay in bed, just trying to stay warm.

Of course, perspective is important and, I think, key to understanding life. The reality is that despite my sickness, we are still among the most blessed people in the world. Consider this:

• While we were enjoying our traditional minestrone soup on Christmas Eve, millions of people around the world went to bed hungry. Again.
• While we were opening an exorbitant number of gifts, all beautifully wrapped, millions of people around the world had nothing at all to open.
• While we were contemplating whether to keep or exchange that less-than-fashionable piece of clothing, millions of people around the world struggled to stay warm.
• While we were reading the Christmas story from the Bible, millions of people around the world had never held a Bible.
• While we were in our comfortable, climate-controlled and elaborately decorated homes, millions of people around the world were among the growing homeless population.

The truth is that most Americans do not just live in excess; we are absolutely spoiled rotten. The other truth is that, if I’m totally honest, I usually don’t see the vast needs of others in the world — because I choose to not see it.

It’s not comfortable.

It’s not real.

It’s exaggerated.

As I think forward to the year 2011, I am determined to look at the vastness of needs around me. I’m determined to lead my own family to leave their comfort zone and be part of the solution to the problems in this world. I’m determined to be less focused on my needs, my wants, and my comfort, and to focus more on the many practical needs of others.

More than festive, lighted decorations . . . more than a five-star Christmas dinner . . . more than pausing just for a few minutes to think about Jesus’ birth, it is following Christ’s example of humility and selflessness that most glorifies Him — not only at Christmastime but throughout our lifetime.

So, rather than harping on the fact that I was sick on Christmas Day, I choose to thank God that I had a warm place to stay, food to eat, a Bible to read, and a family to love.

I am blessed among men in more ways than I could ever begin to count. And I choose to be grateful for His blessings on me and my family.

It’s Your Turn!
On what things in life do you perhaps need a new perspective?

I took a few minutes of my time and cast my votes in the 2010 mid-term election. It truly didn’t take more than 10 minutes, and apart from phone calls, letters, and emails to our elected officials, it’s the ONE thing every one of us can do to make our voices heard. My prayer is that by exercising this right, we can say good-bye to many of those ‘representatives’ who for the past several years have shown an increasing antipathy for ‘We the People’ whose votes put them in places of power. I wouldn’t go so far as to speculate that this election is America’s only hope, because we know that with God all things are possible. However, I do believe that our country is on a trajectory that will lead to absolute ruin — socially, morally, and financially — if some major changes don’t begin to happen quickly.

Still, whether you think like I do — or whether you’re one of the ones who thinks everything in the US is just peachy — I urge you to exercise your right to vote. It’s a right that has been secured by the blood, sweat, and tears of generations of Americans. And it’s a right that, if not protected, might someday be taken away.

I know, you’re just one little person in this big ol’ country. And while that is true, I still believe that one person can make a difference. Regardless of the weather, regardless of your energy level, regardless of the fact that in many cases we really do end up choosing the least stinky of the two or three candidates — get out and vote! Make a difference today.

As Edmund Burke so wisely put it, “The only thing necessary to the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

IT’S YOUR TURN!
Do you still believe that one person makes a difference? Why do you choose to vote — or not vote?

I have counseled countless individuals through the years who have suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of friends and family members — people they should have been able to trust. While Christ’s example of forgiveness establishes the pattern for our own lives, there are many things that are quite outside the realm of our influence and control. Chief among them is the fact that while God is able to forget as far as east is from west, He has designed our brains to remember. And that design is partly for our own protection. Another factor beyond our control is the capacity to somehow undo damage that has been done.

I submit that it is entirely possible to forgive someone (that is, to set the offense aside and hold them responsible no more) without restoring the relationship to its prior level of trust and intimacy. Forgiveness, after all, is really not about the other person; it’s about the one who was offended. It is ultimately a gift we give ourselves — the freedom to move on in light of the new reality of life with a scar of some sort to help us remember the risks associated with human relationships.

I would go a step further and say that there are certain situations in which forgiveness and relationship restoration are simply incompatible goals. As parents, for example, we are charged with the safety and protection of our children — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Some offenses cut so deep that any fantasy of a three-strike rule for the offender must be immediately abandoned. To do anything else would be foolish, stupid, and wholly irresponsible.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Many offenders are masters of deception, smooth talkers, and incredible manipulators of truth. They will say and do absolutely anything to again exert their power and convince others that any natural consequences of their sin are unfair, unjust, and unwarranted.

I wish more than anything that these things were not true. I wish that the building blocks of life, once broken, could always be used to restore every relationship to its highest level of previous functioning. The truth is that fairy-tale endings are reserved for the movies, where a team of highly skilled writers, producers, and actors work together for hours on end to achieve an optimal outcome. The problem is that no relationship is perfect. No person is without sin. And no offense is too great to receive forgiveness.

Scripture says that so far as it depends on us, we are to be at peace with others. Sadly, that sometimes means forgiveness without restoration or reconciliation . . . a far cry from that fairy-tale ending our hearts yearn to experience and our souls long to see.

Forgiveness for most is a process, not a one-time action. With practice we hopefully learn to do it better with time. In the meantime we must accept its limitations just as we accept its liberty to move on.

Interact with Us!
What are your thoughts on forgiveness? Have you ever experienced a situation in which relationship restoration was not possible?

Men do it. Women do it. Children do it.

Even in the presence of good company, worry can leave you feeling restless and alone.

It has been said many times that most of the things we worry about never happen. And that may be true. But those of us who struggle with worry somehow feel a sick sense of control over those things that often top our ‘worry’ lists. Things like health, finances, relationships, death, war, intergallactic collisions. See? It’s just the little things that keep us up nights.

In His teaching on worry, Jesus said this:

This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? – Matthew 6:25-26 (HCSB)

Paul, in writing to the church at Philippi, said:

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (HCSB)

That wonderfully devoted missionary, Corrie Ten Boom, not only influenced the lives of those with whom she shared Christ personally, but even in her death, her words come alongside believers today, reminding us of the importance of simplicity in the Christian life. Her common-sense approach to worry puts it in an everyday framework: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”

Whatever it is that concerns you most today, lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Place it in the hands of the One who already knows the anxious state of your heart and feels compassion for the burdens you bear. Spend some time thanking God today for His loving care. And whatever you do, don’t let the worries of your tomorrow ruin the quality of your today.

INTERACT WITH US
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What things cause you the most worry/anxiety? How do you handle those concerns?