Faith to forgive

I am recognizing more and more as I work with people who are in conflict that unforgiveness is at the root of their troubles.

I was recently reading from Mark 11:22-25, which is related to this topic. The passage starts off with a bang: “Have faith in God.” We can have faith in God that his promises are true, that he does not lie.

As I read on in the passage, Jesus said that if we simply believe and refuse to doubt, we can move a mountain. Now, Jesus is not encouraging us to try and move large objects. His point is that mountains can move in our lives when we pray according to his will, purpose and plan. And when we pray, he said, we should do so with confidence.

Jesus then warns us of an ever-present danger that will hinder our prayers of faith: unforgiveness. He says that if we are praying and are reminded of someone we need to forgive, we should stop praying and forgive that person immediately. We are to do whatever it takes to forgive that individual. Other related passages say that we are to go to the offending (or offended) person and make things right.

Jesus is saying that God’s will is for us to freely offer forgiveness to others, just as God has offered it to us. Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” It may take a great deal of faith for us to release someone through forgiveness. This may be the mountain that you must move.

If we carry unforgiveness, it is we who suffer. Our relationship with God suffers. Our relationship with others also becomes strained because of the latent anger within us.

Is God revealing someone whom you need to forgive? Don’t bury it or put it off. Instead:

• Have faith in God.
• Consider those whom you have not forgiven.
• Confess them to yourself and to God.
• Tell God about your hurts and release them to him.
• Personally receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
• Verbalize your forgiveness to God for those who offended you.
• Release yourself and the one who offended you.

God will not judge us for where we are, but for what we refuse to become.

Imagine the possibilities!

Forgive or forget it

I have been working on a message for our church that deals with generosity of the heart. In the message, I will ask the question, “What is the one thing God will not do?” If you have read the Lord’s Prayer recently, you will find that the answer to this question is this: God says he will not forgive us if we do not forgive others. That is pretty sobering.

I didn’t see the extreme before until now. I could tie the very hands of almighty God by simply not forgiving. That doesn’t seem fair at first glance. When I hold back my forgiveness I actually put myself in bondage.

It reminded me of the time many years ago when I took my first church in Fort Apache, Ariz. I worked my tail off for three months for this pastor and he up and fired me with no just cause. I carried the bitterness around with me for years. I was in denial because I would self-righteously say I had forgiven him, but it kept coming up in conversations. My wife finally had enough and told me to get over it and move on.

She was right as usual. I realized that I could not forgive until I personally asked for his forgiveness. I had dragged the hurt around with me for over 10 years, defaming them in the process. So I loaded up the wife and kids and spent hours driving to the pastor’s community. I thought it would be great for them to meet the kids and catch up. When I got to the door I was greeted by an elderly gentleman who happened to be the one who had fired me. He said, “May I help you?” I told him who I was and that I had once served under his ministry and I wanted to get a few minutes of his time. He looked at me with bewilderment. He said that he had no recollection that I had ever served there. He said, “You must be mistaken,” and he called his wife. She also said she had no recollection of our time with them. Even with that response, I asked them for their forgiveness, which they hesitantly gave.

I had dragged these people around with me for over 10 years and they did not even remember me. As I walked away I thought, “Who has been the fool all these years?” It had been me. My unforgiveness had kept me in bondage, but now I was set free. I walked away delivered. I had been obedient, but my obedience did not release them. Instead, it released me. I went back to the car and had a joyous afternoon with my family. It is amazing what can happen when we finally let go!

Imagine the possibilities!

Touching lives in a "Ghost Town"

I am not necessarily recommending this movie, but I just rented “Ghost Town.” This comedy is about a rude, lonely and insensitive bachelor dentist who cannot stand the people he works with or his patients. He has a near death experience which gives him the unique ability to see and interact with ghosts. These ghosts are people who are wandering New York City waiting to be released to their ultimate destiny. Despite his window into the spiritual world, the dentist doesn’t treat the ghosts any better than the living.

The ghosts keep trying to communicate to the dentist that unresolved personal matters are keeping them in limbo. They seek his help in making them right. As long as these issues are unresolved, their destinies are on hold.

The dentist had a unique opportunity to help both the living and the dead resolve issues that were keeping them from moving on to their potential and destiny. I know it may sound crazy, but I think God had a spiritual lesson for me in this movie. Since I am a child of God, I believe God wants me to see and feel for people as he sees and feels for them. He wants my heart to break over the same things that break his heart. He wants me to help people find their ultimate meaning in Christ.

If this is true, then I need to pray not only for daily encounters of the divine kind, but I need to ask God to reveal people’s unmet needs. Those needs are keeping them from moving on and experiencing Christ’s abundant life (John 10:10). They need to know that their needs are met through Christ.

I don’t want to be like the recalcitrant dentist who refused to get involved with people and their needs. So I pray, “Lord let me see your people, both the lost and the found, with your eyes and feel with your heart so I will respond with you love, care and compassion.”

Imagine the possibilities!

Still while moving

As I journey this year I want to know the face of God in a greater way. Scripture says that if I really want to know him, I have to become “still.” That is difficult for me. I realize that when my heart becomes crowded with the cares of ministry, finances, family and life, my spiritual “ears” get plugged up. In order for God to get my attention, he can no longer speak in the “still small voice.” He has to interrupt my routine with difficulties and adversities. I now realize that God allows them according to my need.

I have wondered what it means to “be still.” Is it just sitting and meditating like a monk at a monastery? I know that stillness should include some of those times. But what I think it really means is that I need to slow down enough to see and know the face of God in every situation, even when life is busy. Every situation is an opportunity to know God better. When I relate to God from a posture of humility and dependence, he can change me from the inside out. He changes me not just for the purpose of change but so that I can know him better. I am realizing that my busyness is an act of arrogance on my part. Who made me God that I should be so busy?

Paul wrote that our spiritual perception is murky, like viewing a cloudy image in a mirror. I want to see God clearly so that I can reflect him more accurately to the world around me. I think this is what Jesus was alluding to when he said that we “are the light of the world.” In order to be illuminated by Christ, we must first be still before him. In knowing God, we become fully alive and bring light to the world around us.

Imagine the possibilities!

Fear vs. trust

Do you ever feel fear? I know I do. The Bible says “fear … is the beginning of wisdom.” It also says “fear not.” I wish it would make up my mind. Both are right. Actually the Bible says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” And since we can put our total trust in God, we can “fear not.”

I have a doctor’s appointment for a health problem and I’m battling fear instead of fearing not. You can say believing is the beginning of trusting. It all depends on what or in whom you believe. By the way, God’s trustworthiness is not contingent on whether we actually trust him. Our unwillingness to trust does not change the fact that we can trust him completely. We do not have to fear any evil.

I know my fear is in direct proportion to my trust. The more I trust, the less I fear. The more I fear, the less I trust. It’s not rocket science. Trust says that nothing comes into my life that does not first come through the hand of God. I realize that he will not allow anything in my life that he will not give me the courage to confront as I walk with him. Trust defeats fear. It is not trust in myself or doctors (although he uses them), it is in God. So life, bring it on. I will show you my faith by my trust, not my fear.

Imagine the possibilities!

A familiar face?

I am not very good with names, but I hardly ever forget a face. While I have a friend who remembers everyone’s name, I have a hard time hanging on to this information. I make excuses about why I can’t remember names, but I am coming to the conclusion that I don’t remember names because I don’t really know the people behind them. But if I know you, I won’t forget your name or your face.

This caused me to consider my relationship with God. While I know his name, “God, Lord, Savior,” I am not sure I am that familiar with his face. Faces tell us a great deal about people’s personality, age and attitude. The same is true of God. Although I cannot see God’s physical face, I can get to know him personally similar to the way I can get to know another human being.

When Moses saw God up close, Moses had to cover his face because of the intensity of God’s radiating glory. As a result, Moses’ face beamed with divine radiance (see Exodus 34:29-35). God is most glorified in me when I seek his face. I wonder how often I have missed knowing God because I am seeking other things, even good things. I must realize that the face of God is found in encounters of the divine kind. It is important that I seize the moments I have to get to know God in a personal, genuine way.

I wonder if that is what Christ meant when he said, “Let you light shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven.” That light is the face of God shining through us.

Just about the time I got my last line typed, my 2-year-old grandson ran by me laughing, having a joyous time. God’s Spirit whispered to me, “That is my face. Can you see me?” God’s presence was evident in the innocence and pure joy of a child.

The next time my grandson came around, I grabbed him and hugged and kissed and told him how much I love him. I heard the Spirit of God whisper again, “Thank you I love you too!”

Let’s seek his face in every circumstance.

Imagine the possibilities!

Finding satisfaction

I was recently intrigued by a quote from pastor John Piper: “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.” Wow! What a statement. This is my prayer for this coming year. You cannot have one without the other.

You could also turn it around and say, “I am most satisfied in God when he is glorified in me.” Or you could say, “God is most glorified as I find my satisfaction in him and I am most satisfied when I give God all the glory.” There is so much truth in so few words! There really is no true glory apart from him.

I thought, “How do these words motivate me to change, to live at a higher level of faith and power?”

I was reminded of Paul when he wrote that all other worldly loyalties must not compete with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. He said he would have to count them as rubbish in order that he may gain Christ. He did not say that all that he had accomplished or inherited was rubbish. However, he would not find his satisfaction in these things (Philippians 3:7-11).

Like Paul, I will never experience complete fulfillment in this lifetime until I find my complete satisfaction in an intimate relationship with Christ. I must understand that I will never be completely satisfied until I identify with Christ both in his death and his resurrection. The paradox for me is that when I do this I’m really gaining everything.

Christ wants the work he is doing in me to overflow into the lives of those around me. I want to please my Father this year by becoming more like Christ. That will give him glory and that would satisfy me to overflowing.

Imagine the possibilities!

Confidence in God for the year ahead

I will never use my blog to ask for support for our ministry, but I will use it to give thanks. God is always faithful and he will meet every one of our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. With God it is never a provision issue. For us it is either a vision issue (seeing what we cannot yet see) or a faith issue (believing that God can and will do what he says).

When it comes to God, we can truly believe that the check is in the mail because he will and can do what he promises.

Our ministry has been running about 15 percent below budget for the last few months. Someone recently said that our shortfall was due to what is happening with the economy. When I heard this, it disturbed me to think that my provision would be conditional to earthly circumstances. I just don’t believe that. It is a lie from the evil one. Satan continually brings doubt. I have to combat his lies with the truth by saying, “God promises this. I believe it and I will make my decision accordingly.”

John 6:6 reads, “He (Christ) was testing them (his disciples) because he already knew what he was going to do.” Jesus had told his disciples to go and feed 5,000 families. He commanded them, “You feed them.” God wants to do miracles in our midst. He wants to do miracles through us. I am not going to flunk God’s test. I look forward to the encounters of the divine kind. God says, “Try me and you will find me willing and faithful.”

This year will be the greatest year of our life and ministry. I can’t yet see what God is going to do, but I know it is in the mail. Our ministry was running a deficit, but we recently received an unanticipated gift of $10,000. You too can put your confidence in the One who sees it all, knows it all and can provide for it all. To him we give thanks for what he is going to do.

Imagine the possibilities!

Investing in what is priceless

I was looking through some old baseball cards and I found a picture that stood out among them all. It was mixed among players like Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGuire, Pete Rose and Barry Bonds. It was a picture of my son when he was about 8 years old in his A’s uniform. It brought back a rush of memories.

It reminded me of the MasterCard ad campaign that lists many purchases we could make, but calls the time we spend with our loved ones “priceless.” I finally found a commercial I can agree with.

That picture of my son is truly priceless. I guess as I get older, people become more important than money or things. I tell my kids, “Have all the babies you want. I only have so much money, but I will always have enough love.” Whether they know it or not, people desire love and attention over material possessions. Too many of us use people and love things instead of the other way around.

My son is now 29 years old. He has his own daughter. He must have taken 100 pictures of her during Christmas. He knows what is priceless. We must invest in relationships in order to have priceless memories that will echo now and for a lifetime.

Imagine the possibilities!

You can have a fresh start in 2009

As I reflect on moving into 2009, I hear people wishing each other a “Happy New Year.” There was a great celebration on New Year’s Eve as the ball dropped in New York City. Cathy and I have our own tradition. We watch the grandkids as my daughter and husband celebrate with friends.

Do you ever wonder, as I do, “What is the big deal?” It is just another year. One day it is 2008 and the next day, within the same 24 hours, it is 2009. Do you know what I think? I think for one day at least people realize that they get a fresh start, a new beginning. Their circumstance will not necessarily change in the 24 hours, but it seems they get to start life all over again. I like to say that they get a “do-over.” We hope that we can forget and forgive their past and look forward and celebrate a better future. Remember, when the past lives in the present it robs us of our future.

For many, 2008 was far from happy. Happiness is always based on happenings. Many people are carrying fear, worry and anxiety into a new calendar year. I want to carry over a renewed hope of knowing without a doubt that there is a God who is in complete control and will and able to finish what he has started. He never says, “Oops!”

So in 2009 I want to trust in and depend on God more. I want there to be less of me and more of Him and others. I want to serve, love and cherish my wife, my family and friends more than ever. I want each day to be a celebration of God’s grace, love and mercy. If it ends up being the year Christ returns or I get promoted, I will have no regrets because I gave it my all. I can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith and now there is an eternal crown waiting for me.”

Imagine the possibilities!