Free From Condemnation

How would you like to rid yourself of all that guilt you are carrying around? How would you like to dismiss the accusations made against you by others? Would it be nice to be free of the burdens you carry with you each day?

Carrying around the guilt of our past can be a heavy burden. We may regret saying some things we have said to a family member, friend, or co-worker. We may have done something we wish we could take back. We may have thoughts we would like to be rid of forever.

Living with the guilt that comes from bad decisions in our past can weigh heavy on our hearts and minds. Even small things pile up and become a heavy load. Each time we said something we wished we could take back is like putting a rock in a backpack. Some of them are small, some are medium sized, and some are large. But they are all rocks, and the weight continues to get heavier.

When we make bad decisions that have lasting consequences, we carry that weight. Some decisions may impact the rest of our lives. We regret those decisions each time we are reminded of them. That regret may turn to depression. But we can also use it to motivate us.

The Apostle Paul tells the church in Rome there is no condemnation for us if we are in Christ. We no longer live by the rules and laws of this earth, which is death. Our sins are forgiven, and we are set free. As we learn to live more by the Spirit, we become freer. We no longer experience the same regret nor carry the heavy burden, rather we learn the lessons we need to learn and move forward in freedom to do better in the future.

I pray we all choose to live in Christ. I pray we live by the Spirit of God. I pray each one of us know that we are set free when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Be rid of your guilt. Live no longer with regret. Learn the lessons. Live in freedom. Live by the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Heritage

Do you have a family heritage you live by? Do you plan to leave a heritage behind for your family? What does it mean to you to have a heritage or leave a heritage? Have you considered how long it takes to build a heritage?

Whether we realize it or not, our family has a heritage. Typically, we think of heritage in a positive light. But heritages can be negative as well. If our own heritage is negative, it can take years to reverse it and turn it to a positive heritage.

To leave a positive heritage for our children and grandchildren, we must consciously think about our actions, behavior, and attitude. Heritages are not built on words alone, though words are a good place to start. Yet, those words are empty unless we follow them up with actions, behavior, and attitude.

To build a good heritage takes commitment and discipline. There will be times when it will not be easy. The easy path will be to shortcut, cheat, or otherwise a bad action. We may think of a heritage as a legacy. We may think of it as how people remember us when we are gone. But our heritage is also part of who we are in the here and now. Our reputation is part of it. It is how people think of us day-to-day.

We may tell ourselves we don’t care how others think of us, but we would be lying to ourselves. Now, that does not mean we must worry over it. Yet, most people who say they don’t care are not positive in their actions, behavior, and attitude. They are being self-centered, doing what they want rather than what they should. We can care what others think while not allowing ourselves to worry about it by doing good. We can have a good reputation and leave a positive heritage when we choose God’s way over our selfish way.

I pray we all take time to think about our heritage. I pray we decide to leave a positive heritage. I pray each one of us will take the necessary steps through actions, behavior, and attitude to create a positive heritage. Consider your heritage. Determine to have a positive heritage. Commit yourself. Develop discipline to be positive.

Psalm 119:111-112

Your decrees are my heritage forever; 

they are the joy of my heart. 

I incline my heart to perform your statutes 

forever, to the end.

Foolish Decisions

Have you made foolish decisions in the past? Have you given up something that would turn out to be very valuable later to satisfy a short-term desire? Was it done out of laziness? Was it done because you did not want to wait? How do you feel about it now?

Sometimes we make snap decisions. Far too often they don’t turn out well in the long run. Making decisions in a hurry and with limited information can be extremely costly. On the other hand, we cannot allow ourselves to experience paralysis by analysis.

Esau made a very bad decision. He gave up his birthright for a bowl of stew. We may look at it and say it was silly of him. Couldn’t he have waited long enough to fix a meal? Therein lies the rub. He was hungry. He was tired. He didn’t feel like fixing a meal, and certainly didn’t want to wait. But it is hard to believe he would have starved had he waited another thirty minutes.

We may scoff at Esau, but we sometimes do the very same thing. Personally, I have tossed something on a shelf or in a drawer with the thought that I will put it back where it belongs later. It never seems to happen, and I spend significant amounts of time looking for it the next time I need it.

I know people who will spend their money on something that looks nice in the moment, only to experience it being cheaply made and not lasting but a few months (or less). Had they saved their money and waited until they could buy something of quality, they would be able to keep it for years. Unfortunately, it becomes about the moment, what they want, and having no discipline nor desire to wait.

There are times God wants us to wait. He is teaching us a lesson in patience. Our part is to take a deep breath…and wait. When it is the right time and if it is right for us, we will receive what we desire. This requires faith and patience. God is always teaching us. We merely need to learn.

I pray we all strengthen our faith. I pray we practice patience. I pray each one of us will look for the lessons God is teaching us and learn from him. Don’t allow the moment to overrule the long run. Be wise in your decisions. Be patient. Trust God to provide. Strengthen your faith.

Genesis 25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.

Twins

Have you had an internal struggle? Have you experienced giving birth? Do you know a set of twins? How much are they alike? How are they different? Can you imagine having a set of twins fighting it out before they are even born?

Twins are somewhat common, yet they are unique. We see brother and sister twins. We see identical twins, whether male or female. We even see twins that do not necessarily look much alike. Just like other siblings, twins may fight amongst themselves, especially when they are young.

Rebekah had a set of twins who fought before they were born. Their fighting got so bad she was ready to die. I cannot imagine what it is like to have a baby kick inside you. Therefore, imagining two of them fighting inside is beyond comprehension. Yet, that is exactly what Rebekah experienced. So, she reached out to God.

God’s response to her is prophetic. There would be two nations that would come from her. The elder son, Esau, would eventually be the father of the Edomites. Though he may have forgiven his younger brother, Jacob, later in life, the Edomites continued to hate Israel for centuries.

Jacob took advantage of his brother in distress. Yet, he became the one who ruled over his brother. Israel continued to be the stronger nation long after Esau and Jacob had died. There were many more battles between those two nations.

We, too, can have a lasting impact on our families, one that lasts long after we are gone. It comes through our actions, behaviors, and teachings to our children and grandchildren. What we teach them when they are young, they will remember when they are older. Biases we teach children become very difficult for them to give up when they become adults. Perhaps we should be very judicious in what we teach, even in the small, seemingly inconsequential things.

I pray we all desire to have a positive impact long after our life is over. I pray we seek to teach our children and grandchildren well. I pray we are judicious in deciding what we teach them. Seek to be a positive impact. Be judicious in your teaching. Be thoughtful in your actions. Seek to have behavior beyond reproach.

Genesis 25:22-23 The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, 

“Two nations are in your womb, 

and two peoples born of you shall be divided; 

the one shall be stronger than the other, 

the elder shall serve the younger.”

Give Up Your Burden

Are you weary? Do you feel as though the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Are you carrying around a backpack full of rocks? Do you wish you could rid yourself of some of it? What if you could rid yourself of all of it?

We carry around a lot of baggage. Far too often we carry it unnecessarily. We carry guilt from years gone by. We carry failures that date back to our early school years. The things we carry that we no longer should!

I still remember having borrowed a dime from a fellow student when I was in sixth grade and never repaid. At times, it has bothered me. I have since come to let go of the guilt, even if I still remember. But we often carry far weightier things than not repaying a borrowed dime. Things we can never repay nor fix.

Some of us may be carrying around the weight of a failed marriage. Others may be carrying the weight of bankruptcy. Still others may carry the guilt of unfaithfulness to our spouse. We cannot go back in history to fix those things. If we could, the church surely has many things it would like to go back to do differently.

Jesus tells us to bring all those things to Him. He says we should take on His yoke and give ours up. Jesus’ yoke includes grace, mercy, forgiveness, and an eternity spent in the presence of God. Yes, His burden is light.

I pray we all give our weight of guilt over to Jesus. I pray we lay our burdens down at His feet. I pray each one of us will exchange our heavy burden for the yoke of Jesus Christ. Come to Jesus. Give Him your burdens. Give Him your guilt. Take His burden. Jesus’ burden is light.

Matthew 10:40 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Complete Knowledge

How well do you know people? Are there people in your life you know very well? Are there others who you do not know well at all? Have you ever contemplated the amazing number of people who live on this earth? Have you stopped to think of all the people who live in your town?

We don’t often stop to think about how many people live in this world, if ever. In fact, if we live in a city of any significant size, we likely don’t think about all the people living in the city. We encounter people regularly whom we know nothing about.

On the other hand, there are people we are very close to. We are close to family members. We have grown up with siblings whom we know very well. We know our parents and their preferences. We know our children. Yet, we do not know anyone as well as Jesus and the Father know one another.

When Jesus speaks of the Father and Son knowing one another, he is referring to complete knowledge. He is talking about their very thoughts being the same and known to one another. Because of this intimate knowledge, the Father has turned all authority over to the Son. When Jesus says “all” He means every single atom in the universe.

If read incorrectly, it can be disconcerting when we read that Jesus chooses who to reveal Himself to. However, the meaning is everyone that comes after Him. It means everyone who lives after Jesus’ time on earth…everyone who chooses to get to know Him. Therefore, if we choose to know God, Jesus will reveal him to us.

I pray we all choose to know God. I pray we know that Jesus has all authority to reveal God to us. I pray each one of us will earnestly seek to know God intimately. Choose to know God. Choose to know Jesus. Choose to follow Him. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. Seek to know God intimately.

Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Wedding, Funeral, or Neither

What is your preference? Do you prefer a somber, repentant worship service? Do you prefer an upbeat, joyous worship service? Do you prefer a more traditional worship service? Do you prefer a more contemporary worship service? Do you reject one or the other?

We see worship services that span the spectrum from the extremely somber to the extremely celebratory, and anywhere between. We see worship services that are very traditional, following a liturgy that has been handed down over generations or seemingly spontaneous outbursts of joy.

Unfortunately, we too often despise, degrade, or turn our noses up at worship services we do not care for. We may even believe the people who participate in them are not truly worshiping God. We have forgotten lessons Jesus taught about worshiping God. It is not about the actions but about the heart. It is not about following a set of man-made rules but about faith in Jesus.

Jesus is frustrated with the Jews when He speaks the parable in today’s passage. He tells them they rejected John when he was speaking of judgment coming. His message was the funeral dirge that called people to repentance. The people did not accept his message. They did not mourn their sin and repent of it.

On the other hand, Jesus speaks of a joyous celebration, a wedding dance. The people reject the possibility that it could be so easy as participating in the wedding celebration to gain the rewards God is ready to provide. They reject the gifts of hope and salvation. They refuse to participate.

The people wanted Jesus and John to fit their preconceived notion of religious rules. They wanted them to fit the traditions the rabbi’s and priests had dictated. Have we fallen into the same beliefs and behaviors? Are our expectations much the same, that Jesus must fit in our box?

I pray we worship God in whatever setting we find ourselves. I pray we do not reject different types of worship activities. I pray each one of us come to worship service to worship God rather than man-made rules. Worship God. Worship in spirit and truth. Accept all manner of worship activities. Celebrate the coming Christ.

Mathew 11:16-17 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; 

we wailed, and you did not mourn.’”

Positive In Jesus

What is your assessment of yourself? How do you view your actions, behavior, attitude? Do you compare yourself to others? Do you compare yourself with the commands of God? Is your assessment low? Is your assessment high? Have you given thanks to God?

We make assessments of ourselves quite often, whether we realize it or not. We compare ourselves to others. We revisit and assess our actions, behavior, and attitude, comparing them to how we think we should act or how others acted.

Our self-esteem is built as much by how we view ourselves as to how others view us. Our own assessment, many times influenced by others, determines what we think of ourselves. We hear all manner of messages about the power of positive thinking and how we are to ignore the negative comments by others. Though those may help us, there is a more powerful way of thinking that can have a far greater impact.

When we compare ourselves to God’s commands and realize how far short we fall, we can be downtrodden and depressed. Yet, our thinking can be turned to positive with one more quick thought and action—giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ.

God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. Jesus loves us so much that He died for us. Yes, we fall short. No, we will never be perfect on our own. But through Jesus we are perfected in the sight of God. Through Him we can feel the love of God. Through Him we can have a positive outlook on life. The reason most don’t is they don’t really know Jesus…they simply know of Him. For a real positive outlook on life, we must get to know Jesus intimately.

I pray we all recognize who we are. I pray we know that God loves us. I pray each one of us will seek to know Jesus intimately and see our attitude become a positive one. See yourself for who you are. Know that you fall short. Know that God loves you. Be thankful for Jesus. Be set free in Him.

Romans 7:24:25a Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Stay With The Herd

How easy it for you to be convinced not to do something good? Does it take a lot of convincing or is it easy to be sidetracked? Do you have an internal conversation about the merits of doing good? Does it come down to what it may cost you?

Doing good may cost us something, though many times it is not financial. I’m talking about the daily decisions to do what we know we should within our families, our work, and our churches. We know we are to do the best we can, as though we were doing it for God (Colossians 3:23).

Despite knowing we are to do good, to work hard, to put our best foot forward, we sometimes do not. We may simply be tired. We may not have the time. We may think about the cost to us. We may be selfish, refusing to do the good we know we should do. All of this plays out in our mind, whether we acknowledge it or not. We allow worldly concerns to convince us not to do the good we should do. Our minds are the battle ground. Perhaps that is why we are told to renew our minds (Romans 12:2).

Paul warns us, through his own confession, that when we want to do good, evil is close at hand. Satan wants to stop us from doing good, whether it is being kind to family and friends, giving something to someone in need, or attending worship services or Bible studies every time the church doors are open.

Satan tells us we must put ourselves first, not God. He wants us to believe we are the most important person on this earth, not the risen Christ. He wants us to be a loner, unwilling to meet with other Christians. Satan is trying to steer us away from the body of Christ like a wolf steers the young calf away from the herd.

The only way to combat him is to ask the Holy Spirit to be our guide. We must be disciplined enough to follow Jesus. God allows us free will. However, when we come to him for help, he is always there. It is only by relying on God that we can truly do the good we know we should.

I pray we all recognize Satan’s tricks to cull us away from God. I pray we choose to follow Jesus. I pray each one of us will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in all situations, at all times. See Satan for who he is. Recognize Satan’s tricks. Ask God for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Choose to follow Jesus.

Romans 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

Doing What You Don’t Want

Do you sometimes do the things you don’t want to do? Do you not do what you know you should do? Have you lost the battle within when fighting against the sin that haunts you? Do you know you are not alone? Have you turned to the One who can remove it from you?

We all do things we know we shouldn’t some time or another. We may even be battling a particular sin that we continue repeating, even when we are striving desperately against it. We may feel as though it is a lost cause. But there is One who can help.

We may try to do what we know we should. We may lose that battle as well. Even with the best of intentions, we sometimes fall short. Yet, we are not alone. Even the great Apostle Paul struggled in this battle. He fell short at times. He writes to the church in Rome about it. He confesses that he struggles, fails, and yet knows that God continues to bless him.

However, we should not mistake his account for condoning continued sinning. No, Paul does not condone sin, rather he merely states the realistic state of our current situation. There is a war going on for our souls. There is a battle for our minds. There is skirmish after skirmish going on for our faith in Jesus. Satan knows he cannot simply tell us to stop believing in God and expect us to do so. Therefore, he creates these little skirmishes and minor battles to whittle away at our faith.

Paul lets us know, even when our fleshly bodies fail, we are to continue to hold on to the grace of God in our spirit. He informs us that sin has no hold over us. If sin has no hold over us, neither does Satan. We may need to remind ourselves of these facts regularly — hourly, daily, or weekly. Do not allow Satan to whittle away at your faith. Even in failure, continue to believe in Jesus and trust in His word.

I pray we all continue to strive against sin. I pray we ask Jesus to fight the battle with us and for us. I pray each one of us will continue to hold on to our faith, even if we fail from time-to-time. Confess your sin to Jesus. Ask Jesus to help you. Hold on to your faith. Trust Jesus. Trust God’s Word.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.