God’s Gift in Our Struggles

Hebrews 5:8-9 -- God’s Gift in Our Struggles

Son though [Jesus] was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

I just finished reading Ken Grimwood’s Replay, a novel about a 43-year-old protagonist, Jeff, who finds himself dead and reborn into his 18-year-old past. The interesting twist is that Jeff remembers everything about his future and has an opportunity to make changes; he gets an opportunity to redo the poor choices of his past. What a fascinating concept! The novel, however, takes a selfish turn. Jeff chooses to lie, cheat, and scheme his way through the "replays" of his life. Gratuitous sex and gambling, for example, are part of his new life plan. And the results are bleak.

I can’t help fantasizing about what I would do differently if God gave me the gift of a do-over. There are many moments in my past where I made selfish, immature, dangerous, and destructive choices. And many times I dream about changing those choices. It is this fantasy, moreover, that attracted me to Grimwood’s book. But the more I read, paused, and examined the self-destruction of Jeff’s “replaying” the past, the more I realized that even through our poor choices, failures, and foibles, God blesses us . . . abundantly.

Replay conveys an important theme: Live life in the moment. No matter how many times Jeff finds himself dying and being reborn as a young man, the reader notices a pattern: Do-overs lead to just as many disappointments. Life, instead, is about making best out of living, even when it is riddled with our human faults. And if we look carefully at life, examining where God is present, we can choose to recognize God’s grace and blessings in any situation. We can make a moment of failure and defeat a moment of character building and spiritual strengthening.

Replay reminds me to look at the blessings in any situation -- yes even the most painful ones. Because in faith, God can bring promise and renewal through the most evil moments. Easter is a clear reminder of that.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Have You Ever Seen Jesus Christ?

John 20:18 -- Seeing Jesus

Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.

Many say that seeing is believing, but how many of us have seen Jesus in the flesh? Have we ever seen Jesus as he is, God in the form of a man who is glorified and risen? Few can say they have, and those who claim this are rarely believed. But if we look closely and open our spiritual eyes, we can see Jesus plainly. He appears as the everyday love present among us.

I see Jesus in my family. He is in the giggling smile of my children’s faces, in the squinting laughter of my wife’s eyes, in the warmth of a hug, and in the cadence of rhythmic breathing as a tired child nods off in my arms. Jesus is here if we just look with our hearts.

It is too easy to go through life tuning out the beauty and richness of the present moment. It is in the present moment, however, that we find truth, love, hope, and blessings. I pray that we all open our eyes more often and see the love that envelops our day. Then we, too, can proclaim that we have seen the Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

What Does True Greatness Look Like?

Luke 22: 26-27 -- True Greatness?

Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves.

Jesus flips the cultural paradigm of servitude and leadership. True leadership, Jesus teaches, is service. The disciples, during this part of the Gospel of Luke, are arguing about who among them is the greatest. And this argument, if we are honest with ourselves, is one we often observe today. We often think, Do I make enough money, have enough stuff, or possess enough authority? Am I the one who calls all the shots?  

Being the parent of a teenager is one of the biggest challenges we face. And no matter how hard we try, there is always that disciple moment when we realize that we get it wrong. Being the exalted authority figure who lords it over others is not the way. Service, love, and self-sacrifice, however, are the keys to humble parenting. When I want to scream, I need to listen. When I want to dictate, I need to pause and pray. Even in the most trying parenting situations, we are called to be servant leaders. And it takes God’s grace and our cooperation to make that happen.

As we enter into Holy Week, let us all pause in prayer thanking God for the many blessings he gives. And let us all be a little more like Jesus to others. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Gossip's Grip on My Life

John 8:7-11 -- In the Grip of Gossip

As [the Pharisees] stood there asking [Jesus] questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”

“No one, sir,” she answered.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”

I am often seduced into the negativity of gossip. And even though I pray to be better at this, to be strong and avoid denouncing others, I give in and “have at it.” Now, I may not come out with piercing accusations, and often I am not the catalyst. My modus operandi, however, comes in the form of affirmative nods, smiles, and statements like “I know what you mean.” I am a champion of sideline smirks, complicit in the quiet bad-mouthing of many.

Throughout Scripture, Jesus models the opposite approach, an approach of loving forgiveness and acceptance. Although he sees sin for what it is, he condemns no one -- not the woman caught in adultery nor the Pharisees trying to trap him and condemn her. All are forgiven. None are judged.

Jesus reminds me that I, although far from perfect, can do better. I can stop the cycle of gossip, stop the high-mindedness and quiet affirmation of others’ faults, and stop the silent judging of others’ sins. I can, instead, embrace and follow the way of Jesus -- the way of love, forgiveness, and acceptance of all.

As Paul says in Philippians 3:12-13:

I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. . . [T]he one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.

Lord Jesus Christ, please grant us the grace of humility so that we can truly love our neighbor as ourselves. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan