Holding Grudges

   Have you ever made a promise you didn't keep? Did anyone ever break a promise to you? It doesn't matter if it is a small promise or a big one, when a promise is broken so is trust. Many times people remember when someone does not keep a promise. But as Christians what are we called to do?

   We are called to forgive those who wrong us. But many times we have a grudge against the person who broke the promise. Sometimes we try to forget those broken promises but we keep it in the back of our mind what that person did.
   When we hold grudges like that it is like a filing cabinet. Way back, at my church, a little skit was put on. An old lady came walking down the aisle with a huge filing cabinet. She interacted with the pastor and we found out that this lady had kept a record of everyone who ever wronged her. She kept holding grudges against those people because she didn't want to get burned.
   Imagine if you were to keep a record of all the wrongs anyone has committed against you. How big would your filing cabinet be? I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to carry that cabinet around. In fact, carrying that around doesn't do any good. It doesn't keep those who wronged us in chains, it just keeps us in chains. We are the one who carries around the anger, resentment, and hate. Meanwhile that person who wronged us may not even know what he did.
   Instead of having a huge filing cabinet what we need to have just one page in a file folder that says: Jesus' love paid it all. And has the words of Ephesians 4:31-31.
   So do you carry around a filing cabinet? What can you do to get rid of those grudges? Will you choose to remember that all is forgiven in Jesus?

   Mark 11:25, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 18:21-22
   Image from here. 

Through Heaven's Eyes

   Have you ever wondered if everything you do is worth it? I know I have, because I do a lot for others and I enjoy doing it. However, it is sometimes hard to keep helping others when you feel like it doesn't make a difference.
   When I start to feel this way I think of a song from The Prince of Egypt called "Through Heaven's Eyes." Some lyrics are, "A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shines, can never see its purpose, in the pattern of the grand design." Our story isn't a whole tapestry. Our story is only one part of the tapestry. We are part of His story. While we are here we have a choice: do we want to be part of God's story and shine brightly for him, or do we want to try to do things for ourselves?
   The song goes on to say: "So how do you measure the worth of a man, in wealth or strength or size, in how much he gained or how much he gave, the answer will come to him who tries, to look at his life through heaven's eyes." Many people try to measure their worth through possessions or success. However, those things are only temporary. We do not take any possessions with us after we die. Many times people compromise to gain success. That is not what we are called to do. We are called to love others and reflect God's glory.
   Finally, the song says: "No life can escape being blown about, by the winds of change and chance, and though you never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance." This life is not going to go the way we planned. God has got better plans for us. We can step back from our lives and not do what God calls us to do. We can kick and scream all we want but God's plan comes about (Jonah). Or, we can walk with God and join the dance of our lives. We don't know what steps God will call us to do, but if he is with us guiding our steps we cannot lose.
   We are not on this earth for a very long time. It may seem like forever when we are here but it is only a short time. We can choose to live this life for ourselves and then rot in eternity. Or, we can choose to follow God and make a difference in the lives of others.
   So, do you believe that your life is part of His story? Will you live your life to reflect his glory? How can you take steps to follow God and help others today?

   1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 John 2:15-17, Proverbs 3:5-6

   Image from here.

Does Revenge Really Make You Feel Better?

   There is a new TV series that has come out based off of the movie Big Hero 6. In the movie a boy, named Hiro, gets together a team to try to unmask a man who started a fire that killed Hiro's brother. In one scene, the man who killed Hiro's brother is unmasked. In a fit of rage, Hiro orders Baymax, a robot built to help people, to destroy the man who killed his brother. The man escapes, and Hiro is so upset. He wanted revenge on this man. Then he realizes that killing this man will not make him happy. Baymax was built to help people and Hiro wants to help others too. Killing someone would not be helpful.
   In another story, there was a man who owned a small portion of land. Another man wanted to buy that small piece of land because he was going to build a hotel on the next lot. The man who owned the small piece of land refused. So the other man built his hotel anyhow.
   The man who owned the small area of land was so upset that he decided to build a house on the small area of land to block the view of this hotel. The man tried to rent out the house to some tenants but very few people could fit in the house. It had the smallest appliances and only one person could be in the hall or go up the stairs at a time. The man who built the house ended up living in that home with his wife because he ran out of money. His attempt at getting revenge just ruined him.
   Finally, in a story you probably know well, two brothers were making a sacrifice to God. The older brother, named Cain, gave some of his harvest. The younger brother, Abel, gave the first born of his flock. God accepted Abel's sacrifice, but not Cain's. Cain was so upset that he killed his brother Abel. It did not make Cain feel any better; in fact it made him feel worse! He had to leave his family and live on his own.
   In all of these cases, revenge destroyed, or could've destroyed, these people. Revenge does us no good. God is the only one who can judge us. It is not our job to judge others. It is our job to forgive them.
   Think about a person who may have wronged you. Did you forgive that person? If you didn't and you still harbor a grudge and want revenge, then you are the one in chains, not that person. You are the one who will be destroyed, not that person. We need to forgive those who wrong us, otherwise we will not be of use to God. We will not be following God's example and will not fulfill his plan for us.
   Romans 12:19, Matthew 5:38-39, Mark 11:25
  Image from here.

The Train of Choices

   Imagine you are walking down the street. Suddenly you look over and see a train blowing its whistle. Down the tracks you see a car that has crashed on the tracks. The family in the car seems to be safe but they cannot get out because the doors are jammed.
   You look over at a different set of tracks and see a construction worker working on the track. Then you turn your head and see a track switch. If you do not pull the lever then the family will be killed. But, if you do pull the lever, the construction worker will be killed.
   A millions thoughts rush through your mind. You try to yell to the construction worker but he doesn't hear you. You think, "is it God's will that the family dies? Should I just step back? Or, should I save the family and let the one construction worker die?" In a split second you pull the switch.
You continue to yell, but the worker doesn't hear you. The train is closer now and it is just about to pass you. Suddenly you realize that the worker is someone close to you (friend, family member, etc.). You frantically look at the switch. You still have time to pull it and save your loved one, but then the family would die. What do you do?
   I first heard about this story in my philosophy class. My professor posed these questions to us. Obviously this exact situation may not happen in real life, but what if something like it happened? What if a new family came to church and then a terrorist group came in. Then they gave you the option of choosing between your family member's death or that new family. You have no idea if that family is saved. Hopefully you know if your family member is saved. What would you do?
   Here's the moral of the story. Talk with your family to make sure you know they are saved. Even if you know they are saved, talk about what you would do if something like this would happen (maybe not with little kids). It will be a difficult conversation but we have a calling. Once we became Christians we were called to follow the Great Commission. We know where our family members are going but we do not know for sure where others are going. It is our job to make sure that everyone knows the word of the Gospel. That way, if this situation ever does happen, we can say with confidence I know where I am going and where my family is going. Then we will be with God in Heaven.
   So what would you have done if you were in that situation? Will you take it upon yourself to talk with your family about what you would do in this situation? Will you follow the Great Commission and spread the good news so that none will perish?

   Matthew 28:16-20, John 14:6, Proverbs 3:5
   Image from here.

Freedom Isn't Free

A little boy playing by a river,
He is having a good time and close to his caregiver.
He chooses to inch closer to the water,
Which was just enough to make him totter.
The boy falls in,
He screams because he's in a tail spin.
His father jumps in and grabs him,
They make it to the edge through it was starting to look grim.
The boy is unharmed,
The father who took most of the blows is far from charmed.
Freedom isn't free.

An old man swings on a bench,
He thinks back to a time when he was in a trench.
He was safe and having fun with his buddies,
One friend had just told a joke that was funny.
Suddenly a grenade appeared,
A sight which is truly feared.
The man did not have time to react,
He just tried to brace for impact.
The dust settled and he saw his friend,
Over the grenade was dead. He wept because his friend was a godsend.
Freedom isn't free.

A young girl sits in her room,
She's reading her Bible so she can bloom.
She opens up to a page,
Which makes her fill with rage.
It tells the story of a man who was falsely accused,
Which caused him to be bruised.
The people chose a murderer over him,
Which made the girl's head spin.
Then the man was put on a cross,
He could have called angels to save him because he was their boss.
The man chose to die for our sins but rose again,
And forever that man will reign.
Freedom isn't free.

You are free to choose,
Will you follow the man who died for you and rose again, or will you snooze?
If you choose to follow your sin,
I guarantee you, you will not win.
Freedom isn't free.

You have a choice,
How will you use your voice?
Will you follow Jesus who bought your freedom?
Freedom isn't free.

John 8:36, 1 Peter 3:15, John 11:25

Image from here.