“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
There other day I cut myself while doing dishes.
I didn’t think anything about it at the time, it seeped some crimson, but other wise it was just a cut. A couple of days later the wound that hadn’t seemed so bad at the time was now red around the edges and the actual incision was swollen…you guessed it, the wound was infected. Not to gross you out, but it had to be drained and then some antibacterial ointment was applied to help the wound heal completely.
While I was tending to this little cut that had become something more, it got me thinking that this is just like hurt and grudges. At the beginning when the wound is inflicted, it doesn’t seem like much. Sure, you feel hurt or wounded by words that were said to you, or things someone has done to you, but you “toughen up” and fight back. At least that’s how I work. I hit back. I respond, sometimes even lashing out. -It’s just a little cut.- But, maybe a few days later, or months later, you discover that this little cut has become a bigger issue that you originally thought. It has festered and become swollen, so much so that it has infected your heart and how you think about THAT person or group. Finally, you have a decision to make…will you allow this wound to continue to fester and eventually poison your whole body (spirit and soul too)? Or will you drain the wound and put ointment on it so that you can heal and move on…and not just live, but thrive?
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we have to drain the wounds in our lives in order for us to become fully like Christ in every way, shape and form. We can declare that we want to be holy, and that we want to be the very image of Christ in our world, but it is only lip service if we haven’t dealt with these infected wounds in our lives. For some of us, these wounds run more deeply than we realize…and we need the Holy Spirit to help us sterilize and heal them. It may take us time to heal, but we must make this a priority in order for us to grow into this grace and knowledge of Christ.
Declare these wounds to God today, and ask Him to help you clean them, so that you can fully heal!
Prayer: Lord, I come to you today with this wound in my life. I have tried to ignore it for far too long, and it has not gone away. I have struggled with forgiving that person for what they did to me. I ask that you to help me to confront this wound for what it is – poison to my soul. Help me to forgive and also to seek forgiveness if I have hurt someone else with my words and actions. Grant me your strength to not run from this any longer. I want to be your reflection to others. Lead me today in this I pray. -Amen.
hold you more accountable. I have witnessed people driving by me honking their horns, cutting people off and even giving someone the finger, only to notice that they had an ichthus fish (a Christians symbol) on the back of their car. What kind of witness is that? Will that attract people to Jesus? I don’t think so, in fact I think it will only drive people further from Christ.
This isn’t an easy road. There will be sacrifices along the way, but know that when you commit to him, be faithful to that…don’t have an exit strategy in case it doesn’t work out. It’s either all in or nothing at all. There can be no middle ground, and half-hearted attempts at an obedience relationship to Christ. Are you prepared for such a radical relationship? Are you prepared to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow him?
pressure…but he didn’t. Daniel stood firm. In fact if you read the story of Daniel and lion’s den you will know that as soon as he hears about this new law he goes up to his room, opens the window that face Jerusalem and he prayed to God.
removing the “Me first” mindset from our being and doing. When we have, in some small way, been able to let go of this self-indulgence, we can then allow others to be seen – as in for the first time – seen. In essence, removing the selfishness from our lives, which is in its nature a component of original sin, we are removing the scales from our spiritual eyes. When this removal takes place, compassion can flood in, and the capacity to truly love as God first loved us becomes finally possible.
“…Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” Matthew 20:26 Jesus said these words to His disciples, and it has not lost its emphasis on His modern disciples today! In order for us to become great in the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to become servants of all. I should clarify that it is not our goal to become great with all that entails “greatness” in our culture today, e.g. egos, and ambition and selfishness. No, instead out goal ought to first be loving God and then assuming the very image of Christ so that we might fully embrace this removal of self. From this we will then have the great opportunity to love the world around us as Christ first loved you and me. 
It’s the daily routine. Every morning I wake up my children and get them ready for school. Then I shuffle to the kitchen and brew myself a nice hot cup of coffee. Most days my cup is clean but then there are days when my favorite cup was left in the car or in the sink…and it’s dirty. There is a dilemma that happens, do I wash it or just rinse it out. If I rinse it out I will know that the inside wasn’t clean…and I will be thinking about how it will affect the taste of my coffee as well as how it could affect my health to ingest bacteria from a dirty cup. I could drink from it, but I won’t.
Jesus addressed a very real spiritual health issue with these religious leaders.
is our mission still for souls?
Dear soldier, I will also caution you that if you come to this army seeking notoriety, position, power and to establish and build your empire, these efforts will severely damage our mission as a movement. This is not a platform for showboating or ego stroking. This army should never be about climbing the ladder of corporate success or vying for places of authority…and yet I fear it has happened and currently does happen. Some will contend that these are isolated incidents, but it boils down to matters of the heart and depth of our surrender to Christ himself. John the baptist even declared about Jesus – “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) And when the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest disciple – Jesus pointed to the little children and told them “…For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)
Dear Soldier, if you are currently building an empire – perhaps it’s time to seek repentance and reconciliation or depart this movement altogether. This may be strong words to read, but you are not helping to spur on this movement, you are attempting to subvert it with selfish ambitions and sinful pride. Either humble yourselves or you will be humbled by God. I say these words first to myself and then to anyone else this may apply to. Without the constant and compassionate correction of the Holy Spirit how can we ever expect to grow and mature into this faith? And what is this faith, but a transformation of our selfishness into selflessness and the image of Christ in and through everything that we are and do.
Lastly, let me encourage you.
Pastor's Ponderings 