Tag Archives: Others

The Hardest Person to Forgive

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Forgiveness is a hard thing. It really is. I once read that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Only the strong can forgive.

It can be very hard for us to forgive others. They may have wronged us badly. We struggle mightily with sometimes. And, we all understand.

We must, through, learn to forgive. I tell folks the quote that I’ve heard. Unforgiveness is me drinking a poison, and expecting it to kill you.

Our lack of forgiveness only harms us.

And I think we all know that. Even if it’s hard.

Others are often not the hardest to forgive. Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves.

We can forgive others. It’s really, really, really tough to move past our failures sometimes. Sometimes we think we have done too much.

Gone too far.

Failed too loudly.

Surely there is grace for you. But, not for me.

We all think that. Listen to what 1 John 2:1-2 says:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

We have an advocate. Jesus. He is the forgiveness for our sins He paid the price. He paid the ransom. He has done it.

We are forgiven. We are.

Listen. It’s not just we.

You.

(Insert Your Name Here) is forgiven. You are. Jesus Christ has purchased your freedom and forgiveness.

You are loved. You are forgiven. Today.

Today, may we live like the loved, forgiven children that we are!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Living for Ourselves?

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Yesterday we talked about how sometimes in life we want judgment for “them” and grace for us. Paul talks in Romans about this concept and we are reminded not to judge.

I mean, who are we to judge? God is the only judge, not us.

So then, does that mean I am free to live as I want and do as I want, and who are you to say anything to me about anything that I’m doing? I am free to do as I want in this life. Only God can judge me.

Well, maybe. But let’s not take this freedom thing too far. Let’s seriously consider what our actions do and how they affect others. Read what Paul says in Romans 14: 13-15:

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.”

As Christians, we don’t just live for ourselves. This life is not just about us. It’s not just about what we want to do. It’s also about our families, our workplaces, our churches, our communities, and how we affect other people.

Your life today will make an impact on someone else; the way that we live, work, play, laugh – who we are – will affect others.

May we never be a stumbling block to someone else. May we never live in a way that dishonors God, that harms a neighbor, or that keeps someone from knowing Christ.

May I never live in such a way that that my life is a stumbling block to someone else.

So, yes, today we have freedom. We can do as we want. We can live as we want. I am not to judge you and you are not to judge me. God is the only the judge.

But our lives affect each other. Our lives shape each other. Our lives have an impact on each other. And on the world.

May we live in a way that brings glory to God. And may we never be a stumbling block to someone else.

May we never live just for ourselves.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones

The Way Grace Works

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Grace is being given something that we haven’t earned, or don’t deserve.

It is a true gift. Grace is God’s true gift to us. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. It’s not something that we can make God give us. It’s something, that is we are good enough, God will give us.

It’s simply His undeserved gift to us.

We all love it when we get grace. We when we get God’s undeserved mercy for ourselves. But what about then “they” get it? Whoever “they” are, when “they” get grace. And we all have a “they.”

Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 20:10-15:

Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

Is He not able to give grace to whoever He wants to?

There are no levels of degrees of grace. None of us deserve it. Not me, not you, not “them.” None of us.

All of us are offered it. Me. You. And “them.” We just have to receive it.

That’s how grace works. It’s God’s free gift to the world.

That means that God loves you more than you’ll ever know. And He loves “them” more than you’ll ever know.

So, the way that grace works is this. We are called to love “them” as well.

I know, I know. I don’t want to do it either. It’s hard. It’s tough. It’s something that none of us want to do. But, as long as we allow ourselves to be consumed with unforgiveness towards others. Or contempt for others. Or even hate for others, we lock ourselves in a cage.

We are trapped. We are not free.

Do they deserve our love and forgiveness?

No.

Do we deserve God’s love and forgiveness?

No. It’s a gift. That’s the way that grace works.

Today, may we live in God’s grace and love. And may we give that to others.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

The Very Best Thing We Can Do

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What is the best thing that you can do today for yourself and your own faith?

What is the best thing that you can do today for someone else and for their faith?

What is the best thing that you can do today for the church and for its witness in the local community and in the world?

What is the best thing that you can do today for our nation and for our leaders?

The answer to all of these questions is given by Paul today in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

First of all, then, I urgethat supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Pray.

Paul tells us today to pray for all people. To pray for kings and for leaders.

Pray for the strong and the mighty, pray for the weak and the frail. Pray for the ones that you love and admire, pray for the ones that you can’t get along with.

Pray for your friends, and as Jesus would say, pray for your enemies.

Why?

As verse 4 says – God wants all to be saved. Everyone. John 3:16 reminds that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son for the world. God wants every one to be saved. To know Him. To enter into relationship with Him.

Everyone.

And so we do our part. We love. We forgive. We share. We witness. And we do the very best thing that we can do.

We pray.

Today, pray. Pray for all. Pray specific for specific needs, and pray in general for things you don’t know about.

But pray. And in doing this, we are pleasing God. And doing the very best thing that we can do!

Today, may we pray.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

It’s Gonna Happen

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One of the great things we see about God’s love is that it can’t help but overflow to others. When we understand that God loves us, we can’t help but let that love just run over onto others.

Listen to what Jesus says today in John 7:37-39:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

He said that when we drink from His living waters – out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

It’s gonna happen!

When we’ve tasted the goodness of God we can’t help but to share that goodness with others! We can’t help but to let that grace of God that we’ve experienced come out.

And that’s the natural progression of how things should work. We don’t others out of duty or obligation. We don’t share the goodness of God with others because we have to. We don’t show grace to others because we will get in trouble if it doesn’t happen.

We do it cause it can’t help but happen. When we’ve felt His grace and mercy, that grace and mercy will flow out.

When we understand how much we’ve been forgiven, we can’t help but to forgive others.

It’s just gonna happen!

So, today, in all your life, in every moment of your today today love others. Show that grace, mercy, and joy. Share it with others. Let others know it, see it, and experience it.

As you’ve been loved, love others.

But in reality, I don’t even need to tell you that. As God’s grace is made known in your life, it WILL filer over into others. It’s just gonna happen.

Today, draw close to God and His grace. And in doing that, that mercy and that grace, it will overflow to others.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Almost Missed Jesus

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Listen to what happens today in John 1:45-49. It’s a powerful passage and can be a warning to us today:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

What happened here? What is the big deal? Something big. Something huge. Something nearly life changing.  Nathanael almost missed Jesus. He almost missed His chance to encounter Jesus.

Why?

Philip came to him and said, we’ve found the Messiah. Nathanael, when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth assumed nothing good could come from there. Nothing.

So, because of his preconceived ideas, he almost missed Jesus. Because he had prejudged who he though that Jesus was, he almost missed Jesus

That’s a real lesson to us today. Jesus may appear to us in ways that we don’t expect. He may speak to us through things that we’d never expect. He may call us through people we’d never expect.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when we serve the least of these among us, we are serving Him. In Hebrews, we are reminded to show hospitality, for we never know when we may be entertaining angels.

Believe it not, God wants to speak to you today. Today, quiet yourself. Allow yourself to hear His voice. Allow yourself to really listen for Him today.

And know that He may come to you today in unexpected ways. Through a child. Through someone you don’t like. Through a stranger. Through a trial. Through a challenge.

Though some way you would never expect.

Nathanael almost missed Jesus today. Let’s not make the same mistake. May we be on the lookout for all the ways that Jesus want to speak to us today. And may we be listening.

Sunlight to Both

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I love the people who love me.  That’s only natural.

I love my family.  I love my children.  I love people who are nice to me and my family.  I love my church.  I love my friends.  I love lots of people.

I love Ole Miss, but I’m not sure why, since they aren’t very nice to me most football seasons.

Anyway, I love these people.

And, that’s nice.  Scripture tells us to love.  But, the command of scripture to love is not just the folks that are nice to me, and the folks that are easy to love.  But, to love everyone.  Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5 today:

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Jesus says God sends sunlight to both – to the evil and the good.  God sends rain to both – the just and the unjust. God gives love to all. And, He calls us to do that.

Jesus tells us to be like our Father in heaven, and that means we are to love.

Not just the folks we like.  Not just the folks like us. Not just the folks that agree with us. Not just the folks that share our opinion.  Not just the folks that we are friends with.

We are to love everyone. Even the folks that have done things wrong, that have hurt us or others, that really aren’t nice people.

Why?

Because God loves them.

And, because the only way we can change people is not through hate. The only way we can change people, can change the world, is through love.

God changed us through the love of His son. That’s how He expects us to change the world. So, today, love. Love everyone. Show God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s grace.

To both. To all. To everyone.  Because that’s who God is. And that’s who God is calling us to be.