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Just this morning I read a verse of scripture that was easy to agree with intellectually. My problem is practicing what I believe about the verse. I am sure that you could quickly recite verses that cause you the same contradictions. They are words that are lived by faith, and accomplished only by the hand of God. Quite frankly, our minds agree with the words, but in our heart and with our hands we struggle with them. It’s my opinion that the experience of most Christ followers is too much intellectual assent and too little purposeful application when verses seem contradictory (although they never are). Test yourself with the following:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. — II Cor 4:18(a)

We live by faith, not by sight. — II Cor 5:7

For when I am weak, then I am strong. — II Cor 12:10(b)

Paul, the writer of II Corinthians, was a man who had struggles just like us, but he lived with purpose. He embraced his weaknesses and lived in single-minded devotion to the will of God. I don’t think for a moment that he never failed at living by faith. What I do believe is that he grasped the significance of eternal realities, and therefore lived with his eyes firmly fixed on the unseen.

Our culture drives us to live by sight, and only speak about our faith. I am convinced that with just a quick moment of introspection we would all agree that on issues of faith, living by sight is far more comfortable and appealing. But that is not the way God has designed for us to live! He wants us to live with hearts that trust Him for what we cannot see at this moment. Remember “by faith Noah…”, “by faith Abraham…”, “by faith Joseph…” and “by faith Moses?”  (read Hebrews 11 and the 11 others that are specifically named)

Think about what you are battling just today. You may be searching for a new job, praying for your home to sell, praying for a son or daughter to return to their faith, or asking God to move a mountain in your life. Have you noticed the tendency to become sight driven by your concerns? Paul’s example challenges us to be faith driven.

All Christ-followers have built their hope for eternity on faith. Doesn’t it make sense that we can live daily with faith in the One who redeemed us? Sure, it may sometimes seem like a contradiction to live by faith, fix our eyes on the unseen and believe that our strength is in our weakness. But when the Father saved you, the rules for living changed. Note your life through these words from A.W. Tozer:

“A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for one whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest; and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge. The man who has met God is not looking for anything; he has found it. He is not searching for light, for upon him the light has already shined. His certainty may seem bigoted, but his assurance is that of one who knows by experience his religion is not hearsay. He is not a copy, not a facsimile. He is an original from the hand of the Holy Spirit.”

Could I challenge you, even for just one day, to look at every obstacle through the eyes of faith? Although it may sometimes seem that God has designed our experience in faith to be one of contradictions, that is only true through the eyes of our human understanding.  He can be trusted.  Just know that in that trusting the Father, life is going to appear confusing and backwards at times.  But when we live by faith, embracing our weaknesses and trusting our Father’s directions, we never need to fear.

Read scripture, breathe scripture, walk scripture, trust scripture.  Live by faith, not by sight.

We all know a prodigal. Somewhere in every family tree, a prodigal can be traced. Even those who have very little knowledge of Scripture have heard the parable of the prodigal son. As I have been meditating on the meaning of this parable over the last couple of days, it became evident to me that I have always focused too much on the son who wanted his share of his father’s estate. The prodigal (wasteful) son took his inheritance, moved to a distant land and wasted his money on wild living. When I think of this story, it is easy for me (and I am sure you also) to focus on someone who has just made a mess of life. And the natural conclusion to my thinking is that they will never change. Focusing too much on the son caused me to negate the graciousness of the father, and miss the point of the parable.

In his masterful work, Knowledge of the Holy,  A.W. Tozer starts the book with bold words. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. And make no mistake about it, we all have thoughts about God. When our minds drift heavenward, do we think about His sovereignty, power, love and grace….or do we spend our mental moments thinking about disappointments, unanswered prayer and a myriad of other self validating thoughts? I believe we have all had some moments with grandiose visions of the Father, and also times of “does He really care about me?” When we refuse to live with a firm conviction of His power and care for us, we are dethroning God in our minds. And subsequently, when we see a story like the parable of the prodigal son, we miss the great emphasis on the Father.

I have read over the last couple of days that this parable could be called the parable of The Loving Father or the parable of The Forgiving Father. Those are obvious words when we consider the text and how the father responded to his wayward son. “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.” It seems from the context of this parable that the father wasn’t just willing to take his son back, but he was looking for him. He takes off running and embraces his son. You would be interested to know that in the Middle East, older men did not run. But it was his son, and protocol didn’t matter.

There is no question that the father in this parable represents God who absolutely rejoices when a sinner repents. “This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!” There is nothing…no nothing greater than when a repentant sinner turns to the only One who can redeem him. But when we just focus on the prodigal, we easily overlook the power and grace of the Father. Good works, trying harder and turning over a new leaf will never change a heart. Only the Father through His Son can bring redemption, peace and eternal life. Our parable told of a waiting father, the Father waits with open arms to redeem anyone who comes to Him.

Take a moment to think of the prodigals in your family. Do your thoughts go to, “they will never change?” Maybe it’s time to reflect on your Father; who hung the world in space, gave His Son for our redemption and has the power to change lives today. Could it be that speaking more with the Father and less trying to change your prodigal is in order? If you really believe that the Father can change lives then keep your mind and heart focused on Him.

Everywhere I looked this week, pain or hurt has draped the landscape. And it just kills me when I can’t turn the clouds to sunshine and make everything right. As you have scanned the horizons this week, you may have also wanted to reach out and give someone a hug and tell them everything will be better. Life will always have pain, disappointment and hurt that we can’t heal. And in those times (like this week), knowing that God really does care brings peace like nothing else can.  Please accept my weak (at best) attempt to convey His care.

It was about three years ago now when I had one of those I’ve never seen that before moments. The author was referencing a Scripture passage that conveyed the Father gathering tears in a bottle. How could I have never seen, or remembered reading that verse? An adventure of understanding Psalm 56:8 began.

The text of Psalm 56 takes us to a time when David was seized by the Philistines at a place called Gath. Even a quick read of the chapter will paint a portrait of the dire straits he was facing. Men were pursuing him, mercy was needed and yet his words showed great trust. But what about those tears in a bottle?

Psalm 56:8 (ESV)
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

From the masterful work of Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David we find words about the tears and the bottle.

“The custom in old times was, when a person was ill or in great distress, for his friends to go see him, and take with them a tear bottle. Then, as the tears rolled down the cheeks of the sufferer, they were caught in these bottles, sealed up, and preserved as a memorial of the event.”

Great care was shown for the sufferer. Greater care is shown by the Father when tears flow. He is aware of how we feel. David would have understood tear bottles and how they were used. Let your mind’s eye view a portrait of David in great difficulty, with tears running down his face. In my view of the portrait, I can picture God’s tear bottle catching each drop. Understanding all the riches of Psalm 56:8 would take more than a brief post.  However, viewing the landscape of God’s care is easily seen.

Can you relate to tossing and turning through a sleepless night? Have you ever had tears fill your eyes when pain or emotion overtook logic? In those moments, how did you view the Father’s care? Although you and I may have great security in our relationship with the Lord, often in those tear bottle moments we don’t picture the Father’s care. The pain and hurt overwhelm us. But viewing the landscape of David’s difficulty from a slightly different angle gives us the dimension of depth that can be gleaned from David’s life. I can see tears, a tear bottle and trust. Let the Word from Psalm 56:3-4 complete the picture.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I
trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

In the most difficult of times, even when tears may flow and sleep may be hard, David has given us two fresh brush strokes that can be used on the canvas of our lives. Trust Him when logic would say otherwise, and praise when fear would be the normal response. Embrace the current landscape of your journey by realizing that David’s example can be followed. And never forget the truth that in your tear bottle moments, God cares deeply for you.

When the next tear falls from your eyes, remember the tear bottle, and that He cares!

Do you ever feel like quitting?  Have you ever had thoughts of confronting your boss and letting him have a piece of your mind, right before you hand in your resignation letter? But in a moment of mental clarity you decide quitting isn’t the best choice. We also teach our children that quitting isn’t right, no matter how bad the coach or teacher has treated them. No matter your life stage, you have wanted to quit, taught your children life lessons about not quitting, and viewed from a distance as others made disastrous decisions to give up on a marriage or to leave their job. Quitting is a powerful emotion that we all have to battle. In one of the most critical spiritual disciplines, prayer, quitting also has a strong emotional pull.

If you have attended church for very long, you may have heard the parable of the persistent widow in Luke chapter eighteen. Christ in his wisdom used this parable to show the disciples the need to pray and not give up. The disciples needed to hear good counsel: keep praying and don’t give up. In our heart of hearts, we all know that we have backed off or even stopped praying about certain issues. Sure there may be times of mouthing words, but I am talking about really seeking after God’s design on matters of concern to us. Looking back at my prayer journals would probably show some issues that were once important, that I regretfully gave up on. You may have gotten discouraged at His delays, angry over the outcome of your pleadings, and disillusioned that you prayed so hard and nothing seemed to happen. He understands our struggle, and gives us great counsel; keep praying and don’t give up.

Christ’s parable about the persistent widow gives us incredible insight about never, ever giving up. The unjust judge that she confronted was finally bothered to the point of giving in to her. Never compare the judge to our Lord, because the context gives us a completely different picture. But the parable uses the widow’s  tenacity with an unjust judge as a great analogy of persistence in prayer. The widow was battling an adversary, and pleading with an unjust judge. Our Father cares deeply about our battles, and it is anything but unjust. Nevertheless, Christians become easily dismayed and don’t follow the great counsel, keep praying and never give up. In studying the two verses following this parable, I am challenged and convicted.

Luke 18:6-7
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”

Intellectually, there is no doubt in my mind that you believe God will honor persistent praying. But we all struggle with the discipline to keep praying when He seems to put our requests into delay mode or a loved one is not healed, or our finances don’t quickly turn around, or our child continues to reject Christ no matter how long we’ve prayed. We all have reasons not to pray, but His counsel is, keep praying and never give up. I can’t tell you why God delays, but I can tell you that He loves you, He does heal, and He will honor those who cry out to Him day and night. Is there anything that you need to cry out to the Father about right now? Do it, and keep doing it. Never give up!

Sir Winston Churchill in 1941 used the following words: “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty. . .” You and I should take his words to a new level: never, never, never, never ever stop praying. Great counsel indeed!

We should have known that night that our daughter’s career would be in the performing arts. It was one of those “discipline your child” moments. Mom and dad were both in the bedroom with our daughter (it must have been a big problem) to give her a spanking. Our two-year old was lying on her bed as we tried to explain things to her, when with a loud voice she yelled, “you sinners!” Now you can imagine our reaction … hysterical laughing … and she did not get the spanking, by the way. Where those words came from we will never know, but calling someone a sinner is rarely meant to be positive. My twenty-eight year old memory was unearthed while reading the parable of the two debtors this past week.

In the passage that is on our reading schedule for this past Monday and again today, we read that Jesus is invited to dinner at the home of Simon the Pharisee. It is a fair assumption to say that the Pharisee was a critic of the Savior instead of a disciple, but Jesus came anyway. A woman enters the scene and shall we say that Simon is not impressed with her. But her acts of love toward Christ are genuine and sincere. Simon’s words were certainly not positive of her when he said, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. From my study, this woman had a less than stellar past, but something had changed.

Sandwiched between the lines of this story is a parable of two debtors. One debtor owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty (A denarii was one day’s wage for an agricultural laborer). In any event, neither of the debtors had the ability to repay the moneylender, and he forgives both their debts. Christ’s challenge to Simon was which of the debtors would be more grateful? Simon’s answer was, the one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. His obvious lack of courtesy toward the Savior was contrasted against the loving care of someone who was exceeding thankful. Her forgiveness was reflected in her love. It is my opinion that Simon was not a follower of Christ and didn’t understand forgiveness.

Looking at the parable of the debtors and Christ’s encounter with Simon and this sinful woman is wrought with lessons for us. But let me just share one important impression that I received as I sat a while with the text.  Love toward the Savior and a thankful heart are evidence of forgiveness (saving faith). Certainly those in your world like Simon don’t really understand forgiveness, and it shows in their lack of love and gratitude to Christ. I am also burdened that many who have been forgiven (know Christ as Savior) have lost their passionate love for the Savior. Correspondingly they are still grateful for His grace, but it doesn’t dominate their journey.

Our daughter was right. Her mom and dad were sinners….saved by grace! And that grace changed us. What Christ did for that woman who Simon called a sinner, birthed a thankful heart that was undeniable. That is what forgiveness does! Her love for Christ came from a heart that was forgiven. Does your love reflect a grateful heart … and a life that has been forgiven? If so, thank Him right now for His grace to you. If you are like Simon, but want to know His forgiveness….send us a note at Journey onWord.

Last week was spent traveling with a great friend and business associate. Our commonality in business and especially faith made the week more bearable for me. During one of the rare times during the week that we weren’t together, I passed through an intersection that had disadvantaged people wanting help. One of those requesting help with her sign was a young pregnant woman. To my shame, I characterized her life with less than loving judgement and kept going. I guess I had forgotten that I was raised in a home ravaged with alcohol, and saw my father (though very loving) have his career and life cut very short. I have thought about that young pregnant woman since last Tuesday, and I realize that my quick judgment was callous to her pain, and blind to her spiritual potential. When you look at those on the curb, or those in your life, do you look with eyes of judgment or spiritual potential?

Ten years ago another great friend and former work associate was anything but a Christian.   It would have been easy to doubt that he would ever see the Light. But in a great way, God changed his life.  And I often tell him, one thing you can’t deny is “the testimony of a changed life.” He has been transformed from a worldly and self-centered man to one who possesses a passionate faith and who is a selfless giver. Was he ever too far gone?! … not for God! I knew him as a casual friend at that point, but had no thoughts that one day his joyful faith would consistently challenge mine.

Every person reading this post has sung the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace” countless times. But if we had known the author early in his life, there is no doubt that we would have doubted he would become a man of faith. We would have definitely passed by this dude on the curb. John Newton was a ruthless slave trader, and captained his own ship. It was during a violent storm at sea that he had “a great deliverance.” His life was remarkably changed and generations have benefited from that change. Note the first verse of Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

John Newton knew grace and knew that God had “sav’d a wretch like me.” Even though we don’t doubt God’s ability, would we have been calloused to Newton’s pain and blind to his spiritual potential? With judgmental eyes it would have been easy to look at a vile, ruthless slave trader and never envision what God could do. For me (and maybe you), it is too easy to pass by the hurting and forget that except for the grace of God, that could be us.  I am thankful that God stretched out his arms of grace, and changed that wretch called Newton into a redeemed servant of God. God has used him to touch the world through his great hymn. And just think, you and I may have just passed him by!

Now, my purpose is not to challenge you to stop traffic when you see a pregnant woman holding a sign looking for help. But I would challenge you (and me) to be less callous to the hurting and blind to their spiritual potential. And if that includes stopping traffic, then do it! Also, think about those in your life that need the Lord. Have you ever doubted if they would trust the Savior? The personal story of my friend and the historical tale of John Newton are evidence of God’s incredible life-changing love. He gave His best, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for all of us, and all our sins. The truth is we are all sinners, wretches if you would, and are only changed by faith in Christ.

So today, if you know Him, give thanks that “you were blind, but now you see.” And don’t doubt that those on the curb and those you love can have their eyes opened too. Pray with faith for them, and never doubt. I trust and pray that one day you will smile when that person that once was lost, is now found.

I love it when God intersects your everyday with your study of the scriptures.  It’s like the touch of His hand on your shoulder reminding you He is ever-present in the hours, minutes and seconds of your life.  I had two such reminders this past week, while reading ahead in preparation for writing on the parable of the Sower.

As I read each gospel account several times through, I was honestly struggling to hear what God might have me share relative to the parable.  Jesus plainly explains the parable, so that was obviously not needed.  Using the three parallel accounts to more fully understand the parable was not really an option either.  Apart from a bit more detail on the reference to, and narrative of the prophecy of Isaiah sandwiched between the parable and its explanation, there is no significant difference in the three gospel accounts.  And I wasn’t settled as I considered writing on Jesus’ words to the disciples as to why he speaks in parables.  There is ample room to comment on His use of Isaiah’s words and the common context of their audiences.  But in starting and stopping multiple times, I found only a pile of proverbial crumpled up papers beside my delete button.  Enter the collisions with my everyday last Thursday evening and Sunday morning, and early this week things began to take shape.

Thursday evening I was helping my oldest son record his thoughts about a recent youth group trip.  He recorded his words, and I was in charge of inserting pictures and processing it into a format that could be incorporated into a larger slide show presentation.  What a gift to hear your child speak their heart!  I found a quiet space and listened to it several times.  In an especially moving section of his comments, he described how he had been reading his Bible every day since returning from the trip and was “highlighting the verses that I either do get or don’t get.”  We’ll come back to that in a minute.

Fast forward to Sunday morning in a classroom of first through sixth graders and an amazing conversation that started when one of them asked, “what does it mean when someone says that sorry isn’t good enough?”  I went child by child and asked if those words had ever been said to them, and if they had ever asked the person saying them what they meant.  Every single one of them said ‘yes’ to the first question, and ‘no’ to the second.  None of them knew what it meant.  None of them had ever asked.

In processing that classroom conversation in the days since, I heard the echo of my son’s words: “highlighting the verses that I either do get or don’t get.”  “… or don’t get.”  “…or don’t get.”  How many times have I highlighted verses in my Bible, phrases, sentences or whole paragraphs in books that speak to me?  How many times have I underlined a verse, phrase, sentence or paragraph that I didn’t get?  And how many times have I underlined a verse that I didn’t get and asked the Spirit what it meant?

The gospels have multiple references to times when the disciples didn’t get it.  How many times as the Cross was coming into view, did they not get it?  In the gospel narrative of the parable of the Sower, we clearly hear and see an instance where they didn’t get it … but they asked … and Jesus answered.  I think I am going to start modeling my son more often and start to underline the verses I don’t get, and then I am going to start asking.

Two sacred collisions in the everyday of this past week that illustrated the truth that sometimes we don’t get it … and how important it is to ask.  Thank you Father, Son and Spirit for revealing through these events and scripture, the truth that you love your children coming to you to ask questions.  And even more, love the conversations that result.

Do you ever wonder what people think of you? Of course you do! We want people to respect us, value our opinions, and hopefully see that our faith works. But we are often tentative to share the most important aspect of our life – our faith! This week I was challenged from a distance about being an ambassador of my faith. One of my clients, a missionary to another country, was asked about his profession in completing a life insurance application. His answer probably stunned the underwriter but explained the passion and goal of his life. He responded, “telling people about Jesus,” which is now emboldened in his life insurance policy. Bold words for sure, but words that matter for….eternity!

Consider the small world that surrounds you on a daily basis. The people in your world, whether it is at work, in your home, in social settings or with neighbors, all get an opportunity to see your faith in action. Acknowledging that all these people view our personal journey is daunting, but it’s absolutely true. On a daily basis others will determine if we mean what we say, practice what we preach, and generally live according to our faith principles. What a great opportunity! What a solemn responsibility!

Many would say to me, “I’m just a silent witness,” or, “I don’t want to push my religion on someone else.” The truth of the matter is, everyone around you likely knows what you believe and how you view the core issues that make life worth living. My purpose is not to instruct anyone to start parading their faith, but rather to start embracing who you are. If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, God’s design is for you to represent Him well. And never forget that those in your small world may just be seeking what you have…. a relationship with God, through Christ.

Great counsel was given in the book of I Corinthians by the apostle Paul. It frames our responsibility well. Since it’s a given that our lives will be on display, let’s use His directions as our pattern.

I Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

In our small world, being spiritually alert is imperative. Living with indifference will hinder the cause that we are called to represent. It is interesting that the above verse talks about standing firm in the faith. Our world wants, and often demands that all paths be acceptable. Truth is relative and dependent. That worldview is diametrically opposed to the Bible, and therefore false. In our small world of relationships, never shy away from standing firm in your faith. It may be daunting, but the truth is the truth. Embrace the opportunity to be salt and light.

To stand firm and really make a difference, we must do everything in love. Strong faith, administered with a loving heart is a powerful witness. So, since others have sized us up anyway, why not embrace the challenge of practicing our faith. My client’s words to an insurance company really are a summary statement for all Christ followers; we are to tell people about Jesus.

Ask the Father for the boldness to tell others about what and who changed your life!

Asaph presented himself in an honest way. And you would be interested to know that his words reflect feelings you and I have undoubtedly experienced. Now you are probably wondering who in the world is Asaph? You also may be wondering how his words could ever resonate with your life. But I promise you, they do. Asaph was a Levite who served as a musician and worship leader at the sanctuary during the reign of David. If you were to take a quick trip through the Psalms, you would find his name attributed to twelve of them (Psalms 50, 73-83). But how did he give an honest presentation of himself? At the beginning of Psalm 73, his candor leaves no doubt about a personal struggle. By the end of the story (chapter), he regained his spiritual equilibrium and challenges every serious reader.

Please read a few words of his struggle from the Message, and see if you have ever had similar feelings. I know I have! No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted.  But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made, who have not a care in the whole wide world. Have you ever looked at godless people and wondered, “Why don’t they suffer? Everything seems to go right for them.”

He continues his honest struggle for several verses, and I was especially struck by the following words: What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody’s tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what—   a slap in the face every time I walk out the door. Whether you would be honest enough to verbalize those words or not, you, like me, have no doubt had the same pity party. We’ve tried so hard, and can’t figure out why life is so difficult. Before falling too far into the black hole of pity, Asaph considered how younger believers would respond if he turned his back on Jehovah. He went to the sanctuary and regained perspective and his spiritual equilibrium.

His closing words take me from relating to his self-pity to being challenged by his absolute desire for God. He says, You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth. What a far cry from pity? It is my opinion that most Christ followers get excited about God and heaven, but most can’t honestly say, you’re all I want on earth. Truth be told, what we want is for God to bless our plans, give us a good life (not too hard), protect our kids, and we’ll try to serve Him. Asaph, however really got it … a singular, all-consuming focus on God. You may call it radical, but I call it the place of greatest blessing.

Asaph ended this marvelous chapter conveying his nearness to God. I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!It is fair to tell you that I have mulled over the last line for a couple of days now. Why? Because I believe Christ-followers have stopped telling the world about the wonderful things God has done. There is so much time spent on personal agendas and self-pity that we have lost perspective on the marvelous things our Lord has done. And I also believe that when He becomes all I want on earth, my focus on self changes to telling the world what my Lord has done.

Today I walked in a sea of a thousand faces. Before you think I am writing a poem, understand that a friend and I went to a professional golf event. From their faces, you would have thought that life was grand for all of the golf patrons. The truth is however that everyone at the tournament had a long list of “why did I do that” or “I wish things could have been different” on their life resume. Viewing mistakes on a golf course pales in comparison to looking back at your life with regret. Great golfers would never overcome bad shots by re-living them. And we won’t overcome our failures by dwelling on them.

Each one of our lives is littered with failures we wish we could take back.  God understands those moments, and meets us with open arms when we come to Him with our failures.  But we so often get in the way, choosing to focus on regret, and what was not accomplished, instead of embracing and accepting the boundless grace He so freely offers.

If you took an honest look at your life right now, would you remember failures and weak moments too easily, while forgetting the marvelous grace that has been poured on your life?  If you are prone to look back with regret, please reflect on words penned by  author Brennan Manning.  He shares in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, a prayer in which he heard a word from the Lord one morning:

Little brother, I witnessed a Peter who claimed that
he did not know me, a James who wanted power in
return for service to the kingdom, a Philip who failed
to see the Father in Me, and scores of disciples who
were convinced I was finished at Calvary. The New
Testament has many examples of men and women
who started out well and then faltered along the way.
Yet on Easter night I appeared to Peter. James is not
remembered for his ambition but for the sacrifice of
his life for me. Philip did see the Father in Me when
I pointed the way, and the disciples who despaired
had enough courage to recognize Me when we broke
bread at the end of the road to Emmaus. My point,
little brother, is this: I expect more failure from you
than you expect from yourself.

You and I have failed before and we will again, of this you can be certain.  But be even more certain of the truth that the Father will not stop loving us. If you are carrying the weight of yesterday’s failures, your today is weaker because of it. God is full of grace, and will absolutely give you and I freedom from our failures. I don’t think Peter ever forgot denying His Lord, but that failure didn’t define him. If your mind quickly races to thoughts of why did I do that or I wish things could have been different, could it be that you are letting  your yesterday define today?

As you begin another week, try to think like those golfers that I watched today. They look at a bad shot, forget it and hit the next one with confidence. You and I can live with confidence also, in spite of our failures.  Confess them to Christ, embrace your weaknesses, risk new failures (remember He already knows we will), and accept His grace.