Month: January 2020

Not Knowing

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

It’s easy to deny the truth. Especially when it’s painful. Especially when it’s right and I’m wrong. I want to run in the opposite direction. Away from the truth, so maybe then I won’t have to face it. The truth isn’t real if I don’t acknowledge it. Right? But what if I really don’t know the truth? What if the truth hasn’t been shared with me? What happens then?

She doesn’t believe in eternity. She says she thinks about what happens after death. But she doesn’t believe in an afterlife. Her husband is frightened to even think of it. They don’t know the truth about eternity. They’re living a life against God’s truth. And they don’t know it. Are they living a lie?

He says he’s a good person. He believes that being good is good enough. He doesn’t seem to think he needs God in his life, so he’s living life on his own terms. And he thinks that’s enough. Does he know that being good can send him to hell, because being good alone isn’t good enough for heaven. Only God knows his heart.

She says you love who you love. It doesn’t matter who. You just want to find someone to love. Someone who will love you. It doesn’t matter if a man loves another man. Or if a woman loves another woman. That’s what she says. I wonder if she know what God’s word says about that kind of love. If she does, she’s denying the truth.

How many people are there left in the world who can actually say they don’t know they are sinning against God?  How many?  Do they deny the truth?  Or have they never been told?

Do we acknowledge the truth even if it hurts? Do we follow the truth even if it isn’t popular or politically correct? Do we stand up for truth even though we may be persecuted? Can we honestly say we don’t know the truth?

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34

When Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers were just doing their job. Oh. It’s easy to say that. Were they just doing what they were told? Or were they willing participants in his arrest and torture? I wonder if some of them followed him from a distance. I wonder if some believed his story. I wonder if they knew what they were getting themselves in for on that fateful night. Did they know they were taking down God Almighty? Would they have dared to arrest him had they known?

How could they not know what they were doing as they found him guilty of a crime he didn’t commit? Who is the guilty party here, anyway? They may have known the truth. They may not have. But those guards didn’t know they were part of God’s ultimate plan. They didn’t know what they didn’t know.

As Jesus hung on that cross, he asked his Father to forgive those who had tortured and crucified him. He begged for mercy for those who lied and found him guilty of a crime he didn’t commit. Instead of asking for punishment to fall on his accusers and abusers, he asked for God to rain down his mercy on their souls.

Heavenly Father, I pray that those who don’t know the truth or choose not to believe it will come to an understanding of the truth. Open their wills to seek and to know you. Penetrate their hearts with your love. Open their ears to hear the message of salvation. I ask that you will have mercy on their ignorance. They don’t know that you came to forgive them. To save them from their sins. I pray that the truth will set them free. Father, have mercy.

Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance. Acts 3:17

Rough Week

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It was a rough week at work. One coworker just can’t quite get her act together. The job petrifies her. And it shows.  Her discomfort makes others uncomfortable. She’s slow to get her work done. She manages her time poorly. She avoids the hard stuff for as long as she can. And then she’s sweating bullets trying to get her work done accurately and on time. This week, her discomfort put someone else in a precarious position, and he snapped at her. She deserved it. Didn’t she? But she didn’t deserve the public dressing down.

Another coworker also had a tough week.  He comes in all cocky and macho. But his work habits speak of insecurity and lack of discipline. Oh. He’s quick to talk of his military combat experience. His PTSD. But his work ethic and dishonesty cause discomfort and lack of trust in his coworkers. He’s a tough one to work with. 

There’s another who struggles with insecurity. She doesn’t believe in herself enough to stand up for herself. She just doesn’t think to do that. She doesn’t even trust herself. She will point the finger of blame at someone else if she is challenged. Her lack of self belief causes others to doubt her.

I get it. It’s a tough job to do. You either get it or you don’t. And if you don’t, then where does that leave you? Not in a good place. That’s for sure.

I find myself torn down the middle. Wanting to snap at these people who are struggling. Yet at the same time, I remember when I was in their shoes. Not sure if I could cut it. Now that I know I can, I want to remember the struggle of beginners. Because it is a real thing. Struggling in a place where you’re not sure you belong can cut you to the core. I know.

But I find myself getting impatient. You can only claim the “new” card for so long. And I find myself wanting to say words to them that aren’t mine to say. I find myself caught in a place that I don’t want to be. I don’t want to be that person who snaps at others. I want to be helpful. and kind.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6

We all have issues that we try to keep hidden from others. Sometimes those hidden issues cause public problems. If they’re never addressed, trouble follows at every turn. It isn’t pretty.

Insecurity is a real thing. We all suffer from it. We try to hide it. We cover it up with false conceit. We over-exaggerate our words and actions. We tend to either talk too much or not at all when we’re insecure. We’re caught between a rock and a hard place.

Insecurity causes one to become defensive if they feel threatened. They may throw a friend under the bus when they’re just trying to protect themselves. Insecurity weakens your defenses to the point of not trusting yourself. 

I say go to God. Share your insecurities with him. Your doubts. Your fears. He knows them. He sees you. He hears your words and your thoughts. He loves you. He fights for you. He defends you. But in order to grow in your faith in God and in yourself, you must fight the fight. Defend yourself. Stand up for what you believe. Do your best. Don’t try to do things on your own. Depend on God for strength. He will provide.

Second Place

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It was the game of a lifetime for these college players. The number two team was slotted to play the number three team. The number three team had won the national championship the previous year. No one wanted to play them in the playoffs. But here we were. We were playing them. Dumb luck.

The game started out well. It was going in our favor. We were ahead. And then we weren’t. Bad plays were called. Mistakes were made. At the very last play of the game that could have signaled our win, the other team caught the ball in the end zone. We lost.

We won’t play in the national championship game this year. Once again, we lost out in what was billed to be the game of the season.

Oh. There’s always next year. That’s what they say. Whoever they are. But after a winning season, this loss is a huge blow. A sting to the ego. A wrong that can’t be righted.

To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 5:19

Someone else came in second place another time. I wonder if he even knew he was in the running. He didn’t ask for it. But, all of a sudden, there he was. He was in the running to replace Judas as the twelfth disciple. Judas had made some serious mistakes that cost him his life. Someone must replace him. That’s what Scripture says.

So a search was made of all those men who had faithfully followed Jesus from the start right through the end of his human ministry. They were to choose someone who was with them the entire time. Someone who was faithful. Which man would be chosen to replace a traitor? Who would want to fill those shoes? Was that an honor or a curse?

Oh. The remaining eleven prayed about who should be the replacement. And then they rolled dice. After praying, why did they gamble on the outcome? Was that a thing they always did? Was that the custom? Regardless, that’s what they did. They chose Matthias. Not Joseph Barsabbas.

I wonder how Joseph B. felt when he wasn’t chosen to replace Judas. He had been one of the seventy who were called disciples. But he somehow couldn’t break into the ranks of the top twelve. Maybe he wasn’t concerned about that. Maybe he was. We’ll never know. Did he think that he had escaped notoriety by not being chosen? Did he think he was safe from mistreatment and persecution? Did he think he would fly under the radar? Was he relieved or heartbroken?

Joseph Barsabbas. Who was this man, anyway? He may have been the brother of James. One can never know these things for sure. Legend says that he went on to become a bishop. And just as the other twelve disciples, he also died a martyr. Did he know that he would meet a death similar to all the other disciples? Death at the hands of others. At the hands of those who were against his beliefs.

First place is what seems to be the top goal. Number one or none. Why is number one always the goal? No one wants to be thought of as a loser. But losers may have something to prove. Perhaps to others. But mostly to themselves. It’s not for all to win. Sure. Disappointment can set in. And move into resentment. But losing isn’t the end of the world. It can be the start of the next best thing.

I can’t call Joseph B. a loser. After all, becoming a bishop is not for the faint of heart. He was a bishop in a very important city. Sometimes not being chosen is the best thing that can happen in someone’s life. Life and happiness shouldn’t end just because a dream is left unfulfilled. Just because hopes are dashed doesn’t mean new hopes can’t thrive.

Second place. Not being chosen. It’s just that. A closed door. Time to look for the place that’s right. That’s better. That’s the perfect fit. Find the next thing and move on. After all, whatever happens is God ordained. What is better than that?

Bravery Counts

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

The neighbor described her as a tough looking Lab. She is half Mastiff and half Lab. So the toughness is evident in her stance. In her hulking chest. Her bark is pretty tough, too. Animals cower at it. People back off at the sound. Her bite? Well, she’s never bitten.

She’s a protector of her caregivers. The one who feeds her is always guarded. She would probably offer her life as a substitute if needed. Let’s hope it never comes to that.

She loves her people with all she’s got. When one of us is not at home, she shuts down. She will lie on the bed as if she’s lost her best friend. As if she has no energy to move another muscle. But as soon as he comes home, she has boundless energy that is unmatched. She moves through the house with a smile on her face. Her pack is together. As it should be. All is well.

But then it happens. He sneezes. And that sneeze knocks the socks right off of her. You would think that that sneeze could blow a house down. As soon as she hears it, she runs for the one who feeds her. She needs protection. She is shaking like a leaf in the worst storm of the season. She can’t quite calm down until she has been comforted and consoled. This hulk of a dog cowers at the sound of her master’s sneeze. All efforts to act tough and protective are thrown out the window with a single sneeze.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

As a Christian, why do I cower when my Master makes an unfamiliar move near me? When he makes his presence known? When he asks me to move out of my comfort zone? Why do I run for cover hoping he won’t find me? When he isn’t asking the impossible of me. He’s only stretching my faith and my trust. Why don’t I see that?

Why don’t I trust that he is with me even when the frightening sneezes of life throw me off guard. When those life sneezes send me cowering to my favorite hiding place. Why don’t I believe that he is in control, even when it seems all hope is lost. When life seems hopeless, the hope of life has my back. He carries me through those storms of life when I have no fight left.

He’s never failed me. He’s never forgotten me. He’s by my side. I have to remind myself that whatever happens in my life is God’s will. Otherwise, it wouldn’t happen. So it may be a life lesson. It may be a reward. It may be a reprimand. Regardless, it is the right thing for me at that moment. I have to place my trust in Him in all situations. Even though I can’t see the road ahead.