The Power of Forgiveness

You may remember the 2003 MLB playoffs when a loving fan of the Chicago cubs attempted to catch a foul ball that could have been caught by one of the players. Steve Bartman was then booed and later blamed, by many, for losing the National League pennant, something they hadn’t won since 1945. This led to much hatred toward Bartman and his family. Police officers had to escort him home and protect his house that night.

Over a decade later, the Cubs finally won the World Series last October. To show forgiveness to Bartman, this July the Franchise issued him an official championship ring welcoming him into the Cubs family. He showed his appreciation in one of the first public statements made since the event saying, “I humbly receive the ring not only as a symbol of one of the most historic achievements in sports, but as an important reminder for how we should treat each other in today’s society.” Forgiveness is a powerful thing!

Not only is forgiveness something that is needed in our society, it is commanded for us as Christians to be forgiving people. We see benefits for both the forgiven and the forgiver. When we hold on to grudges it can damage us physically, emotionally and spiritually. Paul encourages Christians to show forgiveness in Ephesians 4:31-32, “ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven.”

The motivation for our forgiveness is Christ’s forgiveness toward us. Romans 5:8 reminds us, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us! When we became a Christian, and if we walk in the light Christ is faithful to forgive us (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9). In response to His forgiveness toward us we are to in turn forgive others. Let’s all take the example of Christ and grant forgiveness to those who have mistreated us!

Blessings,

Jeremy

Stones On A Path

Stones on a path can do one of two things. First, they can be used to form a path. Along the edges of a hiking trail, neatly arranged rocks can show the correct way. Stones can also form a path in their natural position, such as large rocks in a river used to safely cross while staying dry. In these cases stones form the path we take and help us to reach our destination.

On the other hand, stones on a path can become an obstacle of stumbling. Unevenly strewn rocks on a path can go unnoticed and obstruct your way, and at times may even cause us to fall. The very first time I did a trail run, I tripped over an unnoticed rock. After falling, I came to my knees and noticed my face came inches from a cactus!

Many struggles and trials we face in our spiritual life are like stones. They have the opportunity to help us along our journey, or they can become stumbling blocks, obstructing our path. The difference depends on how we decide to use them. A lot of times we can look hindsight at past trials to determine if we used them to strengthen our faith and bring us closer to God or have they hindered our faith and our relationship with God? Depending on how we answer that question will help us to use future trials to form our path of faith rather than trip us up.

James tells Christians in James 1:2-3, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." In Jame's view, trials can help form a path toward complete faith. Joy is a choice. With every trial we need to make the choice to allow it to form the path of faith, rather than obstruct it.

Blessings, 

Jeremy

Watch what you say!

At camp last year, I did an object lesson for the boys in my cabin. A boy volunteered to squeeze an entire tube of toothpaste onto a paper plate. The tube emptied with ease leaving a huge pile on the center of the plate. I then requested another volunteer to put all the toothpaste back into the tube. He struggled for several minutes trying various methods. He tried picking it up and shoving it in, using toothpicks, and he even tried putting the paste in his mouth and blowing it into the hole. Every method proved impossible to get all of it back in. No matter how hard he tried, there was still toothpaste on the plate, the ground, the outside of the container, and even on the face of the boy.

Harsh and hateful words are similar. Once we have said something unkind to someone, it is impossible to take it all back. Yes, there can and should be forgiveness, but damage is already done. Not only do unkind words hurt the other person, they often leave the offender with regret and remorse, as well as broken relationships in many cases. Much care and thought should go into what we say to others. James speaks a lot on the dangers of the tongue. He gives a great rule of thumb to consider when choosing our speech. James 1:19, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” We need to slow down and think before we say something we may regret.

James tells, and most of us realize, how difficult it is to tame our tongues. He says it is like a wildfire with the ability to do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. As Christians, we must learn how to control the things we say to others. Let us take the advice of Paul and improve the way we speak to each other. In Ephesians 4:29 Paul tells Christians, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Blessings,

Jeremy 

A Place of Safety!

In February, our family began a new adventure by raising nine laying hens from chicks. After keeping them inside for six weeks, it came time to move them to the coop. The transition to the coop is a fascinating event. For two weeks, they are locked in the coop 24/7. After the transition period, they can roam freely in the yard throughout the day. On the first evening of freedom, the most amazing thing happens. The very moment the sun dips below the horizon, all nine chicks immediately head into the coop, take their roost and can be locked in safety through the night. In two weeks, they learn of the haven they have.

As I watched this phenomenon of learned behavior, I thought of the spiritual haven we have in the Lord. The 23^rd Psalm speaks of the safety we have when we walk with our Good Shepherd. He is the one who keeps us safe through the storms of life. In the same way chickens learn, we learn of the safety God provides. As the Bible instructs parents in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Let’s all remember the safety of the Lord that we have learned, and go to him first in times of trouble.

Blessings,

Jeremy

Influenced

A while back my sister came to visit and brought her dog, Lola. Lola and Bear (our dog) quickly became friends. One day, after being let outside, Lola and bear decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. They were shortly returned by our neighbor. This was out of character for Bear, as he's always stayed close by, even with the gate open. After Lola left, bear took off again and wasn't returned. Thankfully, after frantically searching and posting on social media, we found bear at the city pound.

This event immediately reminded me of the power of influence. We are always being influenced! Paul warns the brethren in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived, Bad company corrupts good morals." This does not mean we should keep ourselves from anyone who is not a Christian, for this would go against the principle of shining the light. However, we need to be alert to what and who we are allowing to influence us. No one is immune to negative influence. Even the apostle Peter allowed the Judaizers to have negative influence on him in Galatians 2:11-12. Paul says he had to publicly rebuke Peter. In the same way, if we let our guard down, we can succumb to peer pressure.

We must also remember, as powerful as negative influence can be, positive influence is equally as powerful. We need to surround ourselves with those people who influence us to be the people God desires us to be. We also must seek to be a positive influence on others by shining our light in a way that men will see our good deeds and glorify God (Matthew 5:16). 

Blessings,

Jeremy 

Eager to share!

Recall something you have been eager to do. Maybe it was a vacation you had planned, or a movie you waited months to come to theaters. If you are married, hopefully there was an eagerness about your wedding and the life you would spend with your future spouse. Our eagerness is typically a reflection of the value we place on that for which we wait. 

In Romans 1:15, Paul says, “I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul has an eagerness about preaching the Gospel. He continues to further explain the reason for his eagerness in verse 16 saying: “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The value of the Gospel is its power to save! Because of that power and salvation, Paul says he will NEVER be sorry for preaching it. Have you ever said or done something that later you were ashamed of and had to apologize for? We all have, but Paul knows that preaching the Gospel will never be something he is sorry for! 

Do we have the same eagerness that Paul had about preaching the Gospel? If the answer is no, there might be something wrong with how we value the Gospel. First, we must look at the power that the Gospel has. It is powerful because it is from God! Secondly, we must look at our salvation. Do we value our salvation as we should? The Gospel gives us the opportunity to escape the wrath of God and to live forever with God in eternity. There is nothing in this world that even comes close to the value of our salvation! I hope we all can stand up and boldly say that we are eager to share the Gospel and are not ashamed to do so! 

Blessings,

Jeremy 

"I Have to." or "I Have To!"

Growing up, when my family went to a restaurant, my parents made us order water to drink (because of cost). I hated water! Often my response would be, "I have to drink water, ugh!" It wasn't until years later that I gained an appreciation for water. It happened during wrestling season my freshman year of high school. In order to make weight for the very first match, I (In a very unhealthy decision) withheld liquid intake for over 24 hours. Upon stepping off the scale, I gasped, "I have to have water!" I didn't go for a Gatorade or a pop, I bolted for the water fountain. Experiencing and realizing the true necessity of water completely changed my attitude toward it.

In the same way, we may be tempted to have the "do I have to, ugh" attitude toward serving the Lord. It can be easy to view our service to God as an obligation over a necessity. The impression is given, in Revelation, this might be the attitude Jesus addresses with the church in Laodicea. If we view our relationship with God in this way, we will not be devoted in the way we should.

Rather, we need to develop an attitude similar to the Psalmist in Psalm 42:2 "My Soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?" Do I thirst for God, do we have an attitude that says, "I HAVE TO serve God"? We need to develop a longing and desire to serve God and His Kingdom!

Blessings,
Jeremy