Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Technically this is a Happy Thursday Night however I figure it is Friday somewhere and besides, I have written a couple of Happy Friday's on Saturday so I am good going a few hours early!
Earlier this week I was getting in my car after an appointment and the timing was perfect. The radio announcer was talking about Christmas. She talked about how since we were little kids we have been asked, "Have you been naughty or nice?" You go sit in Santa's lap and he says, "Have you been a good boy this year" or "Have you been a good girl this year" and then, and only then, after making sure we have been good, he wants to know what we want for Christmas. It is the beginning of establishing the misguided belief that I have to be "good" - a very subjective term by the way - if I am to get what I want. She then went on to talk about how many - possibly most - of us believe the same thing in our relationship with God. Wow! A powerful thought. The announcer went on to speak the truth of God's word - if we confess our sin it is not only forgive, it is also forgotten. It is washed away...completely. We are healed, renewed and restored.
Dang that spoke to my heart! I don't know about you however I have had times - still do - where I have prayed for forgiveness for something I have done wrong over & over & over & over (you get the point) again. However, if I stand on the truth of God's word, it was forgiven & forgotten, I was completely healed, renewed and restored the first time I asked for forgiveness if I truly did it with a repentant heart. Can't you almost see God sitting there with a quizzical look on His face (I am not being sacrilegious, just hang with me for a second...I realize that God knows everything!) the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. times I bring it up as He goes, "What the heck is Kev talking about? That was forgiven & forgotten, I healed, renewed & restored him a long time ago."
So here are the two things I want to share with you this week:
1. Are you still carrying around baggage of some mistake, mis-spoken word, hurt, etc. that you have placed before God? Friends, if you have truly asked for God's forgiveness, with a pure, repentant heart, it is no longer yours to carry. Claim the truth of God's word Friends, please. You are forgiven, God has wiped the slate clean, you are healed, renewed & restored. If you are a bible believing person, this is Truth. That being said, where do you think the reminders of past failures & mistakes, the feelings of inadequacy, the shame, the guilt, the sorrow come from. Let's see, God says He will forgive, wipe the slate clean, heal, renew & restore you. Guess it's not coming from that Guy. So it must be coming from the other guy, the one who is known as the Deceiver...think about it. Oh how I pray we will all (me included...doubly so) receive this truth in our hearts. That we will believe, live and continually walk out the glorious life that our Heavenly Father desires for us to live. You have made mistakes, you have failures, you have shameful moments, moments you regret? Of course you do, we ALL do. God knows this. He also knows that we can't be "good enough", that we can't make the "nice" list...that is why He sent his Son to die for our sins Friends. Once (read the word, re-read the word - once, singular, uno...don't know how else to say it!) we ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart it is forgiven, forgotten, we are healed, renewed & restored. WOW!
2. This next one has really been challenging me as a husband (my highest calling), as a Dad (my second highest calling), as a friend. God forgives, forgets, wipes the slate clean, heals, renews and restores. He sent His Son to die for our sins. I surrender my life to God, I accept Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and personal savior and the Lord lives through me - leading, guiding & directing my life. So how am I on the forgive, forget, slate wiped clean, heal, renew, restore? (Deep breath, swallow hard - repeat). How many times have I brought up a past offense...the one I said I forgave? How much do I hold my Beautiful Bride or one of my Tender Warriors in the past - the past that includes forgives, forgotten, healed, renewed & restored if they sought God's forgiveness? Me, the one who asks God daily to lead them through me, how much am I actually fighting against God because of my own pride, resentment, wanting my way, etc.? Oh boy, I really don't like this mirror! I once read that the image a lot of us have of God is our own Dad's. God is our Heavenly Father, our Dad's are our earthly fathers. The way my Dad acts, treats me, handles my failures, faults and shortcomings...this must be the earthly image of God, right? My heart hurts!!! How many people are leading broken lives because of the failings & shortcomings of their Dad's? A lot of grace here Friends...they are humans just like us. Still the pain, the image, the brokenness is very, very real. I don't have the answers, I simply have a challenged Spirit. I respectfully ask you to think about it. How will you treat your husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers, the stranger on the street? We know how God handles OUR sins, failures, shortcomings, etc. How will we treat theirs? Do our thoughts, actions, words & attitudes line up with His?
Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.
Kev
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