Category Archives: Relationships

To whom do you pray?

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I’m reading through the psalms lately and really appreciate the (sometimes brutal) honesty of the psalmist when he talks with God. He is as exuberant in his joy as he is crushed (but not destroyed) in his painful sorrows. He tells God how discouraged and broken-hearted he feels. He lets God know he feels abandoned and forgotten. He even gets angry with God. But in all situations of his life, good and bad, he remains faithful and turns to the Lord. He prays just as you and I might when troubles overcome us and we have nowhere to turn:

“Hear my cry O God. Hear my prayer. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I am. You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength. Let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Let me dwell in your tent forever.” Psalm 61 (selected verses)

Note how he addresses the Lord by who God is:

  • A high and solid rock, a place to stand firm.
  • A refuge from the dangers and storms of life that beset us all.
  • A strong tower that provides both defensive and offensive might.
  • The shelter of his wings, reminding us of a mother bird that shields her young.
  • A tent that lasts forever.

I am constantly reminded of how much I too desperately need an unshakable foundation for my faith and my life. How about you? I need a refuge of safety to protect my mind and spirit from being beaten down by the storms in my life and my own propensity to worry and fret. I find that looking down at just the work before me makes me limited in my perspective and unaware of the real dangers and needs around me. I too need a strong tower, a place of refuge and high place from where I can see more clearly through God’s perspective. I usually think of a tent as being a temporary dwelling, like my earthly body that lasts until I come to my permanent home in heaven. But the “tent” of God is not a temporary shelter but the house of the Lord forever!

When my children talk with me they call me Dad because that is who I am to them. My siblings call me brother and my mom calls me son. My wife calls me beloved and my friends call me friend. My aim is to be called faithful by God. Our name is how we are revealed to others. God is also known by his character and how he reveals himself to us. As you come in prayer to the Lord today, how will you address him? Have you found him to be your:

    • Cornerstone
    • Firm foundation
    • Redeemer and deliverer
    • Healer
    • Teacher
    • Mediator
    • Friend
    • Creator
    • Abba, daddy
    • Shepherd
    • Daily bread and living water
    • Provider and protector
    • Banner over your life
    • Shield
    • Lord and Savior

When we end our prayers to God with the words, “In Your name” we are really acknowledging who he really is and how he reveals himself to you and me. We can pray confidently in the name of our Lord God because it is the name that never changes and is always dependable.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

 

 

 

 

 

The one blog post I hope everyone reads

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“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”  Psalm 1:1-3

 

Truth be known, I have walked in step with the wicked. I have stood in the path of sinners and sat in the company of scoffers. (What is it that makes us think that belittling and mocking others makes us better people?!)  I’ve been in these places, and likely so have you. Maybe our selfish pride continues to lead us to frequent those dark places. But there’s good news:

 

We don’t have to stay where we are.

 

Every single day we are given the opportunity to choose a new path for our lives. Less making fun of people we don’t like, more understanding and compassion. Less apathy and more concern that insists on acting itself out in some small way. Less frugalness and more generosity. Less worry and more faithful prayer. Less criticism and more encouraging words and actions. Less attacks and more embraces. Less jaded outlook and more hope. Less seeing ourselves as hopeless and more seeing ourselves as hope-filled through the grace of God. Less sorrow and more joy, even in the midst of sorrow. Less wasted time in meaningless activity and more time spent intentionally – on purpose and on mission – in keeping with our most dear life dreams. Less dreaming of a good life and more living it fully every single day. Less of nearly everything and more love.

 

We can bloom where we are planted but we can also plant ourselves where we can bloom. We can choose to be like that tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit and with leaves that do not wither and always prospering even in times of drought. We do this by acting out our beliefs. You believe the bible to be true? Act on it! Consistently and persistently and relentlessly confront fear with assurance, worry and doubt with faith, anxiety with peace, bitterness with forgiveness, apathy with action, judgment with compassion, temper with grace, regret with remembered joy, my way with God’s way, and disdain with love.  If you believe it’s better to take the high road in conflict, take it. Believe and act on that belief. Demonstrate what you believe by the way you live each moment.

 

“The ONLY thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6

 

Do you believe it? Be intentional; put it on your agenda. Make it your purpose to share love in your thoughts and actions today.

 

If life isn’t measured by the number of breaths we take but truly by the number of moments that take our breath away, what can you do today, each day, to create those special moments? They are your life legacy. As I think back on nearly fifty years with my best friend, 43+ years my bride, I think of shared adventures, silly moments, shared tears, encouraging hugs, steadfast devotion and encouragement in difficult times. I think of forgiveness and gentleness, attentiveness, and shared joys shared in a passion for life – both present and everlasting. I think of children we’ve brought into this world and loved and children across the world we’ve come to love. I think of nurtured friendships that have survived the distance of thousands of miles and passing years. I  think of quiet walks through meadows, working the gardens in our life, and quietly soaking in the beauty of nature, God’s creation and the expression of his joy.  

 

How about you? What will you do today to create the legacy of your life? May it be guided by your faith, expressing itself in love.

 

“Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

 

 

 

Praying people “out” of heaven?

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A friend of mine said, “We spend way more time praying people out of heaven than into heaven.”

 

We are often quick to pray away suffering and pain, when God might choose to use that very difficulty to mature us and draw us and others closer to himself. Paul wrote about his own sufferings, “I want you to know that this has actually happened to advance the gospel.”   (Philippians 1:12) What the enemy means for evil, God uses for good – in all things. (Romans 8:28)

 

I am thankful for the steadfast prayers for my health recovery. I would love to see this more than three year journey through cancer end. And I’m glad to also pray for relief for others who are suffering. It’s scriptural to pray for others.  But when Jesus taught us to pray, it was always in his name; thy will O God be done, not mine.

 

If we are to live with heaven in mind, we should also pray with heaven in mind.

 

I’ve seen a number of times at a funeral when people who previously ignored God, made life-changing decisions to follow him and to live as their believing friend did. So how do we pray with heaven in mind?

 

We start by acknowledging that God’s ways are higher than ours. As we ask God if it would please him to spare our friends and loved ones from pain and sorrow and death, let our hearts sincerely say, “but not my will but yours be done.”

 

We can’t leave things in God’s hands if we insist on holding them tightly in our own.

 

Another approach is to pray scripture for ourselves and others. That is always God’s will.

“May your (my, John’s, Mary’s) love abound more and more.” Philippians 1:9

“May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3

“So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:6

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

“I ask God to help you live a life worthy of the calling you have received, to be completely humble and gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love. May he guide you to unity and peace with others through his Spirit, to live with one body and spirit, in hope. May he equip you for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith. May you not be blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, grow to become in every respect mature in Christ. May your life grow and build itself up in love.”  – Based on Ephesians 4:1-16

 

And let’s not forget to pray people into heaven. That is, to ask God to intervene in their lives, through circumstances, a winsome friend’s testimony, a divine word from the Spirit of God, or “whatever it takes” to bring their name to appear in the Book of Life.

 

Pray for God’s will be done, in heaven as it is on earth.

 

 

 

Litmus test for Christianity?

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In recent news, Pope Francis jumped into the USA presidential campaign by saying Donald Trump is not a Christian because of his views on immigration. When reporters pressed the pontiff about Trump’s plan to build a wall along the southern USA border to keep out illegal immigrants, Pope Francis responded:

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”

 

What strikes me about this news story is neither a reflection on the Pope or The Donald. I don’t know either of them and certainly am no judge of what is in their hearts. What strikes is that it resonates with so many of our social and spiritual issues today where we are eager to build walls rather than build bridges.

 

Do black lives matter or do police limp es matter? Of course, all lives matter! How is it in such a developed civilization we still think that the color of a man’s skin speaks to their value as a human being? But “Black lives versus all police” creates a hostile division where unity is needed to foster better resolution that involves working together to finally end racism. Especially in election years, the polarization between Democrats and Republicans cause some to question if they can even be friends with or trust someone who thinks differently about political issues. We’ve had people unfriend us because we suggested asking God’s guidance on selecting a candidate versus voting for what benefits them personally.  We’re tempted to join the bandwagon of warring against the 1% to benefit the 99%. We see similar walls built between the green revolution and those who support “drill baby, drill.” We think we’re justified in labeling people, “Management” or “union”.” We write them off as “Catholic”, “Protestant”, or “Evangelical.” We somehow think that God has handed the right to judge others to us.

 

When end it comes down to “us versus them” or “me versus you”, the world becomes a very small and divisive place.

 

We might agree with Pope Francis  that anyone who makes it their aim to exclude people and foster division in communities is at odds with the Christian message of speaking truth and building unity. Jesus expanded our definition of who our neighbor is and told us to love even our enemies. The message of Jesus is about building relationship bridges that can bear the weight of the gospel story.  It is not about spewing hatred or mocking our opponents. Though we see a number of Christians doing just this on Facebook, email, and personal conversations, it’s not consistent with the gospel message.

 

But does that make us not Christian or imperfect sinners, the “sick” Jesus came to save?

 

When we become full of judgment and self righteousness, it leaves little if any room for building meaningful relationships that lead to understanding. Isn’t it a dangerous position to assume that someone is not a patriot because they voted differently from you? Or that they’re not a friend if they made tough decisions with which you disagreed and maybe suffered? Wouldn’t it be better for us to exile all such negative judgments from our minds and mouths and instead leave them to God, our one and only perfect judge? Shouldn’t we do the same before thinking about “sharing” those destructive views with others?

 

We  should address differences but we can’t and shouldn’t judge what’s in the heart of another person. We can and should make our own judgments on their words and actions. The simplest biblical standard on salvation is “believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). But real belief/faith acts on what it believes: “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)  I can’t say “I love my wife” and at the same time ignore or belittle her. The profession of true love always gives birth to actions. Paul writes, “The only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love.” In other words, true Christianity is not just an intellectual ascent, but a “live out loud” lifestyle of exuberant love and generosity, and humble Spirit.

 

Maybe you’re a subscriber to the philosophy that “good fences make good neighbors.” Personally, God’s mandattes speak more to me about building bridges than building walls. Issues matter. Some issues matter eternally. But the only litmus test for the Christian disciple is what Jesus gave us, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me.” Even if we disagree with one another, let’s not use other issues as a litmus test to discern whether someone else is “Christian.”

 

And if there were such a test of Christianty. . . which of us would pass it perfectly?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who changed your life?

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Who were the people who most influenced your life? What is it they did that made such an impact on you that it changed your life? It might have been a mentor, teacher, pastor, friend, parent, or someone outside the realm of your daily life. Likely it was someone who saw things in your life differently than you could.

 

I can think of a number of people who impacted my life. Some of them were brief encounters and others are people who have walked alongside me for longer periods of time. One of the shortest encounters happened when I was putting in a window in my house in Washington, Iowa. An itinerant pastor, maybe a church planter was walking by and offered to help me. The thing that struck me was that he wasn’t pushing to recruit me to his church. He just stopped by to encourage a stranger and lend a helping hand. It taught me to remember to look for ways to encourage and help others without having an agenda of my own.

 

I remember the abundant generosity and joy of living that Tom and Lucy Aycock demonstrated while focusing intently on pursuing – and celebrating – God.

 

I think about Pastor Carlton Christensen who mentored me spiritually in such a gentle way. Without criticizing where I was in my journey he gently showed me how to get on the right path. I also remember his compassion in helping me put a starter in my car…on Christmas Eve day…in the bitter cold temperatures. Pastor Christensen taught me the importance of being real and helping others even if it came at personal cost.

 

I remember co-teaching with Dr. Terry Penniman at the community college. On one lunch break we stopped at a local DQ Brazier. I was eager to get our food and visit about our upcoming class, but Terry was busy complimenting the new manager on how the restaurant looked. Terry taught me the importance of noticing others and speaking value into their lives.

 

My dear bride of the last 43 years and 7 months continues to teach me the art of being gentle with others, of slowing down, and the importance of laughter. And oh, she has taught me so much more.

 

I could list several others who have influenced my life in profound ways. I remember Danny Hodges saying we all need to be in positions of being influenced and influencing others in positive ways. His challenge was that we each should have a Paul, a Barnabus, and a Timothy in our lives. His reference was to Paul is an older, more mature person who could mentor us. Barnabus refers to a fellow sojourner who might share our path for a period of time, likely someone who shares our struggles, a friend in whom to confide. And Timothy refers to those people in whom we invest by pouring our wisdom and experience into their lives. These people will probably change over the course of your life. Ideally, a balanced life that is bent on maturing would have all three.

 

How about you? Do you have a Paul who could mentor you in the challenging parts of your life? Or a Barnabus with whom you can share mutual trials and celebrations? And are you investing your life in a Timothy, a younger person or one who is newer to the spiritual walk?

 

These are the relationships that make a legacy life, a life of great purpose and passion. Ask God to guide you in purposeful relationships that contribute to your legacy.

 

And never is heard a discouraging word…

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imageBrother Bruce Ray visited us at the hospital to encourage us. He even sat through my leg biopsy and, unlike me, he didn’t wince once!

 

It seems to be an essential element of living  well. We  all need encouragement. Some will encourage us to follow misdirected ways. But we all have the opportunity to encourage others and ourselves in positive, even life-changing ways. I’m reminded of the story of the high school girl who, on the way home, dropped all her books. As she stooped to pick them up, a classmate – actually a stranger to her – bent down to help her. “Why are you helping me? No one ever helps me, or even knows I am here.” As they walked together along the sidewalk, the first girl confessed she was going home to kill herself because there was no purpose in living. But she confided in her new friend that she had changed her mind because of the seemingly small act of encouragement of someone who dared to care and give her hope. For her, there there might not have been a “tomorrow.” That’s why our focus should be on encouraging others today, while time remains.

 

Encouragement is a strong theme in the bible as an example of how we should live our lives. Leaders are called to encourage their “troops”and we are urged to encourage each other. God encourages us by listening to our cries, IF we have faith to believe him at his Word. One of the reasons Jesus gave us his own Spirit was to encourage us in our darkness, most confusing and painful times. We are encouraged when we are reminded of our reason for hope and perseverance.

 

We are encouraged by visits and by visiting others if we free ourselves from feeling “interrupted.”  Sometimes encouragement is the very purpose of our day as we encounter others. Rather than thinking of such reunions as “coincidences” you might think of them as “God incidences.” We can sometimes encourage others “accidentally” by what we unintentionally say or do, but more often it is an intentional act and we prioritize our time and others resources just for that purpose.

 

Encouragement strengthens us and gives us hope. It renews our faith. It becomes light in the darkness of our sorrow. I wonder, have you discovered how cultivating your thankful heart brings encouragement to your soul? Thanking others often does the same for them. If you were to make a list of all the ways you feel encouraged by the words, actions, or the simple presence of others, you probably have a good start on a list of how you can intentionally encourage others yourself.

 

We chase careers, hobbies, life dreams and pursuits. What if you get to the end of life and discover it wasn’t about those things at all, but instead the goal was to be an encourager, one who equips and shines the light of hope on their path? It’s a higher calling than many others we might pursue.

 

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

Surprise! – Medical update

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Surprise! That’s what my brother and sister yelled out from behind the curtain when I came through my hospital room door last Saturday. It wasn’t a complete surprise; I knew they were coming to visit me in the hospital (more below on that), but they arrived before I could return from one of my multiple trips to X-Ray/Radiology. Still, it was fun to celebrate with a cheer of “Surprise.”

 

Do you like surprises? Only if they bring good news, right? Surprise! You’re getting a raise. Surprise! The medical tests came out great! Surprise! Your child called just to tell you he loves you. We all like those kind of surprises!

 

During my transplant consultation in Iowa City last Friday, the doctor looked at my lab results and decided  (surprise) I needed to have emergency inpatient admission THAT very day for a day or more. We hadn’t come prepared to be admitted and besides, we thought it more reasonable to be treated closer to home if really needed. Surprise! Because of the complexity of my issues, the hospital in Des Moines wouldn’t admit me. Then further tests resulted in (surprise!) my stay will be 5-6 days … Or more.

 

Now, a Spirit-led response would have been to to take a calming breath and ask for God’s leading. It might have been like a novel I read years ago, where a faithful couple were in their humble home and heard a knock on the door. The wife answered the door and called nonchantly to her Spirit-filled husband saying, “Henry, the Angel of the Lord is here to see you.” No fear or sudden shock. They both lived expecting the Lord to show up in some way every day, so when he showed up visibly on their doorstep, it was no surprise. “Hi Lord, have a seat. Would you like something to drink or maybe some fresh cookies?”

 

That’s what a Spirit-led response might have looked like.. Or it might have been a picture of you excitedly receiving a surprise visit from a good friend and warmly ushering them into your home, eager to hear what they had to say.

 

Have you ever considered how history would have been forever changed if Adam and Eve, when confronted by the deceiving serpent, would have simply said, “Wait. Let me check with my Heavenly Father about that?!” WE have that same choice when unpleasant situations surprise us.

 

Had I made that choice, I would have ushered in peace, joy, and assurance. But instead of choosing to be led by God’s Spirit, I let myself be led by how I felt. I was tired from the long day and worn down by the inability of multiple specialists to diagnose and treat my painful ailment. In the sudden change in plans, I chose to invite a frustrated response to the situation. I allowed irrational “logic” and feelings to jade my perception of the situation. I didn’t consider maybe THIS is the place God would answer my prayers.  Instead, I allowed this frustration and sense of prideful, “I know what’s best” to rise up inside me. Oh, it wasn’t a knock down drag out drama. But in choosing to go my way I allowed an hour of peace escape my reality, until I opened my eyes to God’s perspective.

 

Don’t we often find that dilemma when life throws an unpleasant surprise party for us? There’s a simple  (but not easy) process to help handle these. It takes repeated discipline to stop, pray and listen to God’s quiet voice, and respond quickly to his way. Part of that discipline is training ourselves to hear God’s voice in quiet times. Now, I’m not going to beat myself up over this situation and neither should you if you find yourself insisting on your way instead of God’s way. Instead, let’s repent and make a renewed commitment to stop, pray, listen, and respond. That’s a path to finding God’s best in any situation.

 

Be blessed!  By the way… do you know someone who could use a little daily encouragement facing life’s battles? Click “forward” below and share the joy and hope Jesus offers for honest, victorious living!

 

God loves us in our mess

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imageThis FB photo struck a chord with me, especially the last quote:

“(God) doesn’t (only), love some future version of you; He loves us in our mess.”

 

He loves the messy parts of our lives where faith meets doubt and confidence meets fear. He understands our struggles with actually living out what we believe. He invites each of us to be completely honest with him, to tell it like it is – that sometimes we are angry with him, or disappointed, or we feel he is so distant. He gets it.  But when we’re done venting and crying, let’s also cry out to him,

“Lord, I don’t want to stay this way. I want to feel your presence, I want to feel the warmth of your embrace, of drawing close to you. Despite how I feel right now, yet still will I praise you and put my trust in you. For you alone are worthy of praise.”

 

Yes, God loves you and me in our mess. We don’t have to get cleaned up to come to him. In fact we never could. If we could get our act together on our own power, what was the purpose of Jesus dying on the cross for us? We can’t do it, but Christ in us can! And the truly great thing is, if we cooperate with his Spirit, he won’t leave us where we are. He will transform your life and mine in ways more wondrous than you can imagine, even if your circumstances don’t change.

 

image So let’s give it up to the one who sees us where we are, who hears our every prayer, catches each of our tears, who has your name written on the palm of his hand, and relentlessly reaches out to draw us all closer to him. He’s calling you right now, in the messy parts of your life. He loves the messy parts along with everything else. He’s a big God. He can handle it. And so can you…if he’s in charge.

 

 

Mocking and sarcasm

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Whether it be sports, politics, religion, or any other divisive arena in life, there are those who love to mock their opponents or anyone who disagrees with them. We learned it as children and sometimes carry it with us as adults. Whether it’s the Facebook posts we share or the opinionated lives we live, mocking others with a sarcastic attitude is a prevalent activity.

 

We see it in many cross sections of society, including some Christians who fall into this trap. But is it right behavior for Christians? It may be permissible, but is it beneficial? When looking at how you and I should conduct our lives, a good place to start is asking what the Bible says. I searched the Bible for the word “mock” and found 72 references…NONE of them commended by God. Always, mockers are portrayed as wicked and evil. Never are they presented as worthy or righteous.

 

Another place to look as an example of how we should behave is the life and character of Jesus. Where do you find that Jesus mocked and made fun of others? I don’t find any. Oh, for sure he sometimes called them out, particularly the hypocritical religious leaders who violated their responsibility to the people and to God, but he didn’t stoop to mocking them with sarcastic attacks. He simply presented the truth. Shouldn’t we do what Jesus did?

 

You might think to yourself, “Hey lighten up. It’s just a little fun.” But it’s more than that. It grows on you and starts to become your identity. People come to expect you to be witty, mocking, and sarcastic. It changes who you are. Putting others down never lifts you up. I know because that used to be my life; characterized with a biting wit,  based on poking fun at people instead of presenting a solution, mocking instead of making a difference as God’s advocate, being sarcastic instead of sincere.

 

There’ nothing wrong with having fun, but let’s not do it at the expense of others, even our enemies and opponents. It’s not scriptural and it isn’t beneficial for any of us. We want to live lives focused on and honorable to God. For our own sake and the sake of those watching us, let’s say “no!” tomocking and sarcasm!  If friends ask what’s up, tell them you’ve decided it doesn’t flow with the bible.,maybe you’ll be a wake call to someone else.

 

“It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” Matthew 15:11

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

 

What does it mean to receive?

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Imagine someone who has fallen overboard in an ocean voyage. Surrounded by darkness and the peril of the deep, they cry out for help. Over and over they cry out, “Someone, please help me!” And then a life preserver is tossed to them. Receiving it into their arms, they shout for joy, “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!”

 

Happy ending, right? The one who was lost to the depths was found and brought to,safety. But let’s go back in the story. What if the one in distress didn’t receive the life preserver? What if instead, they shouted, “Oh thank you. Thank you so much, but I am not worthy of being saved. You don’t know the secret and shameful burdens I’ve carried for so many years. I’d rather die in these dark waters than live and have my sins revealed.”

 

Does such a story rewrite seem inconceivable? I can tell you it happens more than we know.  I witnessed it ten years ago. She said, “I know you want me to accept Jesus but I am just not worthy.” Despite opening the bible to passages that reveal truth that confronts that lie, she would not grab onto the life preserver; she wouldn’t receive the gift that was offered.

 

The promise is this:

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

 

I suppose we often think about this in relationship to that time we were “saved.” But years later, as we walk with Jesus, one step at a time, three words continue to speak to us in our daily battle of surrendering our will to God’s. Three words:  received, believed, right.

 

Receiving isn’t just acknowledging a gift and then putting it on the closet shelf. It means embracing it with such joy you don’t want to let it go.

 

Believing is not just an acceptance that something is true. If I understand correctly, the text actually means “keep on believing.” We can receive the gift of Jesus’ salvation and the promises of a transformed life, filled with power to be an overcomer in life’s hardest struggles. But if we do not keep on believing in times of the toughest of all battles, what help will we have? What good are promises if we don’t believe them and instead go back to doing things our way?

 

We sometimes think the US Constitution gives us the right to be happy. But what it actually says is, we have the right to the pursuit of happiness. The right of pursuit is not the same as actually being happy and content . . . unless we are talking about our relationship with the one and only true God who loves you whose promise IS always true, who does reach out with his very Spirit to guide you and me through the confusing emotions and self demeaning thoughts. He gives us the choice (right) to question him and to choose to receive his perfect gift, believing in all situations that his peace is better than your worry and anxiety. His truth is more reliable than all your doubts. His love covers a multitude of sins – forever. His contented spirit allows your faith to survive and thrive regardless what difficulties come your way.

 

Having the right to be God’s child is not the same as receiving and believing that inheritance is yours. It’s not the same as acting like God’s own adopted child. When trials come your way, face them with the faith of actually being God’s child.

 

Be blessed.