Gentle as a child...

This week's memory verse:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

One day last week, I wrote that Jesus was our ultimate example of compassion. Well, this week, I want to talk about how Jesus is also our ultimate example of gentleness. The Jews of that time were looking for a powerful Messiah who would save them from Roman rule and would be a mighty king of the Jews. Jesus had the POWER to be that king...he was from God, so he really could do anything he wanted. But, he chose to teach the Jews, and us as well how to live this life the way God wants us to. He taught through stories and lessons that people could relate to and understand, most of the time. He chose to act in gentle ways and teach us gentle ways.

In Matthew 18:1-4, the disciples were talking and asked Jesus who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I get upset with the disciples sometimes, because they always seemed to be worried about who was greatest, who was loved more...etc. But I see that we are like that a lot of times, aren't we? We struggle to work our way up the ranks in our jobs, we want to be the best at what we do, we want to be the best mother, father, friend, etc. and many times we get so hung up on those things, we miss the point. Jesus knew that then and told his disciples that they needed to go back to the beginning...to their simple faith...as simple as a child...a child loves without conditions...a child isn't as concerned with who's the best...a child sees things in their basic forms. Jesus wants us to get rid of the complicated stuff and love and have faith like a child.

Jesus then went on to teach the disciples more about this gentle way of living, through stories. Again, as I said last week, Jesus liked to think of himself as a shepherd, taking care of his sheep. He spoke about a shepherd being very concerned about one of his 100 sheep being lost. He would leave the 99 and go looking for the one...In this way, the shepherd is portrayed as caring and gentle and having a lot of tenacity to keep searching for that one until it was found. Jesus said the father is the same way...God is not willing to lose even one believer, and will go after one who is lost. That story gives me comfort in knowing that God cared enough about me to go after me, and it is a guide for me as well, that I shouldn't give up on people either.

Many of Jesus' stories are related to the golden rule, another gentle guide to life. Think about how you would want to be treated in a situation, and treat others that way. How many of us really live that way in all situations? I strive to, but miss the mark more times than I would like.

I want you to think about times in your life when you could have been more gentle in the way you handled a conflict or a problem with someone else. If you handled it in a gentle way, think about WHY you did. If you didn't, how could you have handled it differently? We shouldn't live our lives looking back and regretting past mistakes, but sometimes looking back and learning from those situations helps us do better in the future.

Dear God, sometimes I can be difficult and not very gentle. Help me to keep the power I have in control so others can be blessed. Help me and my friends to learn to live a gentle life by learning from the lessons Jesus taught us. Amen

Learning gentleness...

This week's memory verse:

"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." Matthew 11:29

It can be said, there is not much gentleness in this world anymore. If you watch tv or the movies, it seems being gentle is not the "in" thing to be. In many aspects, gentleness is considered a synonym for weakness.

I don't agree. I agree with the old saying "You can catch more bees with honey than you can with vinegar." I think you can persuade, lead, teach, and correct people in a gentle manner instead of with arguments and confrontation. For that matter, I think you can confront a person or a problem in a gentle manner as well. This is the way I try to lead my own life...the way I do my job, the way I work in my marriage, the way I work in my relationships.

The only relationship that I really struggle with gentleness is with my daughter. I find myself losing patience with her and nagging and NOT being gentle with her way more than I should and definitely way more than I want to. I think it is because we are so much alike and I see her making the same mistakes I have made and I want to help her NOT to continue making them. It is something that I really am praying about and working on. And I think THAT is what our memory verse is talking about.

In that verse and in the several verses before it, Jesus is telling those around him to watch him and learn from the way he acts because he is gentle and humble in the way he handles things. If we do this, then we will find rest for our souls...meaning we will be at peace with our actions. Again, it seems we have the perfect role model for our actions in Jesus!

As we tell the kids at our KidsPraise program every Sunday...the Bible is like a flash light to light our path...it shows us the way we are to go. Jesus gives us his example to follow, and there are MANY other life lessons for us in both the new and old testaments. I don't mean we should not eat certain kinds of meat, wear certain kinds of clothes, have more than one wife (all things that people in the Bible did) but take lessons on the lessons that characters in the Bible learned.

For example: read Numbers 12:1-15

Moses, who was leading his people to the promised land was dealing with some grumbling among the ranks...from his own brother and sister no less! They were speaking against him because he married a cushite woman (outside their group). God actually scolded them for their disloyalty and the sister, Miriam was struck with leprosy. Instead of gloating and leaving Miriam to suffer (serving her right for her unkindness) Moses pleads with God to heal her. Moses did the humble and gentle thing, even if it wasn't fair. Moses was more concerned about Miriam and about preserving God's honor than he was about his own ego.

Dear God, you show us there is strength in gentleness. I want to continue to learn to be a gentle person who is strong in faith and in beliefs. You know where I struggle...show me how to learn from your word and be the person you want me to be. Help my friends to listen to you and strive to be gentle in the many difficult situations in their lives as well. Amen.

We are sheep and need a shepherd...

This week's memory verse:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

To be honest with you, my cold came back this morning, and I didn't really feel doing my quiet time today...a few more minutes of sleep sounded awfully inviting! But...something made me pick up that Bible study book...and I was touched again by today's lesson.

My dad has SO been on my mind this week. And today made that even more so. Today's lesson was all about sheep. Jesus calls himself a good shepherd who takes care of his sheep. I have always related to this analogy. If you know me at all, you know that I grew up around a farm, and one of the main things we raised was sheep. My dad (and my grandparents before him) considered himself a good shepherd who took good care of his sheep. And...sheep NEED a shepherd! I love sheep myself...the babies are so sweet and cute...it was always fun to watch them jump stiff-legged in the field or around the barn while their mothers were eating. They were pretty loyal animals, and there were always the ones that became more like pets and loved to be petted and made over. But...they are also pretty stupid animals! They follow each other and sometimes wander off into dangerous situations. They can be laying down when it starts to rain, not get up and their wool would be so soaked and heavy with water they couldn't get up and all they could do was bawl out for help. When they are giving birth, many times they have trouble doing it on their own and they need a gentle (or sometimes not so gentle) human hand to pull their babies into life. Sheep NEED a loving human care taker! Oh, I'm sure there are wild sheep living in the mountains somewhere who do fine on their own...but I bet they don't have a long lifespan!

WE are like sheep! We follow others into dangerous situations...we allow ourselves to lay in sin like rain until we are so heavy with it we can't get up. We NEED a good shepherd to take care of us!

Read the following passage for yourself:

John 10:11-18

Jesus repeats that he will lay down his life for his sheep...and he did! He said he willing did this out of his own free will. He will bring us back in when we get lost, and he will pick us up when we are down. But, he did say that his sheep recognize his voice...we have to come when he calls.

Jesus also said there are sheep that are scattered outside his pen...they know his voice too, but they are lost outside. Jesus said he would gather them up and put us altogether in one herd. I get concerned for those who live on the outside...who are wandering around lost. I think we should be concerned, but Jesus' words should give us comfort...they will recognize his voice and he will bring them in. That's HIS job...he is the good shepherd!

I have been lost...I have been heavy with my mistakes...but I have learned to listen for that recognized voice and run home to him. I let him pick me up, dry me off and take those mistakes from me so I am light enough to jump stiff-legged with joy again!

My dad was a good shepherd, and now my uncle is as well. I can look to how well they take care if their sheep as a reminder of how well Jesus takes care of us. Are you lost? Are you heavy with your mistakes? Call out to your shepherd...he will hear you and come take care of you!

Jesus...our role model for compassion

This week's memory verse:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility and patience." Colossians 3:12

(Side note: the picture of Jesus laughing that I have included here is one of my favorites. I know that we don't really know what Jesus looked like...but I love the thought that Jesus was a man who loved to laugh and show joy. That thought makes me smile!)

I have some friends who believe in God, in a loving creator, but are not sure about the whole Jesus thing. I have had people question me...why is it that Christians think that there is only one way to God...through Jesus? This message isn't really about that issue as much as it is about how Jesus has effected my life. As I read today's Bible study, I feel that I am LUCKY and BLESSED to be a Christian at this time in my life and in this period in history. The reason I feel this way is that by believing in Christ and in what the Bible says about Christ, not only do I feel peace about my future and about the future of the world (even admist all the evil things going on in this world)...but I also feel I have the best role model in Jesus.

Just look at the character of Jesus...how he lived as a man...how he treated people, ALL people...how devoted he was to our Father in Heaven...Jesus showed compassion to ALL people, people of different faiths, people who were sick, people who were shunned by the rest of society, people who were sad, and even to the people who persecuted and killed him.

There are many examples of Jesus' compassion in the Bible of course. Read these verses for yourself and see if you can identify the way that Jesus showed compassion. (If you don't have a Bible handy, you can google these verses and find them online. If you have an smart phone...there's a Bible App...Just some helpful hints! ;-)

Matthew 9:35-36

Matthew 20:29-34

Mark 1:40-42

John 11:17-36

John 12:3-7

One line you will notice is repeated in almost all of these verses..."Jesus felt concern..." Jesus was a kind and tenderhearted man. The human side of him wanted to help people who came to him with problems and illness...and the God side of him had the tools to help them, and he DID help them. He took what tools he had and used them to help others. I believe he not only did this out of his concern for people, but for God's glory...so people would see these miraculous events, small and large, and believe that God's hand was in it. People in Jesus' day, NEEDED to see proof of God's glory and He knew that. They NEEDED a savior to save them from their sins and from the sins of the world...God knew that and sent Jesus to earth to give them that proof and that savior!

People today NEED proof of God's power and glory. People today NEED a savior to save them from their sins and from the sins of the world. Jesus has called US...those who believe in him...to be HIS HANDS AND FEET...to show compassion to the sick, to the poor, to the sad, to the depressed, to the troubled, to the searchers, even to the ones who turn their back on God. There are millions of people in this world who don't know Christ, don't feel his forgiveness, don't feel his peace. It's up to those of us that DO know him to show HIS LOVE and COMPASSION...not preach to them, not condemn them to a life in hell if they don't believe. That's not what Jesus did!

In my heart, I believe that Jesus has saved me again and again in my life...but a little over ten years ago, he saved me from myself. I had run away from him...I was ashamed of some choices I made and I ran away. I was headed into a life without that peace...and then I believe that Christ led me to attend Rolling Plains church where I met loving and supportive people and where I studied and learned more about how Christ lived and loved those around him. I learned that he loved me and forgives me for those poor choices. I learned to allow his peace to overcome the anguish and heartache I felt...My life is not perfect, and I still have anguish and heartache from time to time. But, because of Christ living in my heart, I no longer feel worthless and want to run away from him. Christ showed me compassion...I believe he feels concerned for me and my well being.

Now, whether you believe in this "Christ thing" or not...I DO! And if that brings me peace and hope and allows me to be compassionate to others...so be it! There is something in my life that makes life worth living...if you don't have that...don't you want to? If you don't...I feel concern for you and WANT you to have that for yourself! THAT is why I write these messages! I'll keep writing...you keep reading! What can it hurt?

Dear Father God, thank you for showing me compassion, and thank you for allowing me to FEEL your compassion! Thank you for giving me the confidence to share these things with others. I ask that you work in the hearts of those reading this message. If they know you, then help them to find ways to share your compassion with people in their lives. If they don't know you...help them to have open minds and open hearts that they may hear you knocking at the door of their heart! Amen.

This week's memory verse:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, and patience." Colossians 3:12

The picture here is the last real "family picture" we had taken before my father died, about a year and a half later. Today's message made me think of my dad.

The word compassion comes from two Latin words, "com" and "pati." Com means "together" while pati means "to suffer." That means a compassionate person is one who suffers alongside another. Some synonyms for compassion include benevolence, charity, empathy, grace, kindness, mercy, and tenderness.I had a wonderful father. He was a good example to me of what a father's love is like. He was stern with me, guiding me to learn hard work, responsibility, and teaching me right from wrong. He loved me unconditionally, and I knew that. He displayed his love for me in many visible ways, from hugging me, talking with me and showing me in the way he cared for me and the rest of my family. He also showed me how to have compassion for others. My dad would do about anything for anybody. He was always fixing something for someone, or talking with someone about their troubles...just listening. (wonder where I get that...) He worked hard and even showed compassion to the animals he raised. He wasn't perfect...he had a lot of faults...but he was also able to love others despite their faults as well. My dad taught me (along with my mom) that I could do anything I put my mind to. The lessons I learned from my dad have helped to make me the person I am today, even though he has been gone for nearly half my life.

When I read in the Bible that God loves us and shows compassion to us like a father, I realize I am lucky enough to have had an excellent example of how a father loves his children. If God loves me even more than my earthly father than I must be really loved! Psalm 103:8-18 describes God as a loving father.

Verse 8: The lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.

(My dad was NOT slow to anger! He could blow up at you so quick and really let you have it...but I always knew that it would be short-lived. He would be back to his old self in the very next second, explaining why he yelled in the first place)

Verse 9 says God doesn't endlessly nag and scold us or hold grudges against us forever...He gives us free will to do what is right and lets us learn from our own mistakes. Thinking as a parent, I imagine seeing his children continually make bad choices and mistakes is hard for God. (I know it's hard for me.) But God knows that nagging never works...and so he lets us mess up, but doesn't stay mad at us.

Speaking of mistakes....verses 11-12 talk about how much God loves us...as high as the heavens are above the earth and as far as east is from the west. (Ever tell your child "I love you THIS much!) AND...the BEST part...God's love is boundless AND he removes our sin from us!Just as my dad taught me what is right and wrong to protect me, God wants us to obey His commands so we are protected from ourselves. God guides us on how to live...what to do and what not to do...so we KNOW how to live a sinless life and KNOW how to protect ourselves from the perils of our sin. BUT God knows we are going to mess up. God knows that because he created us. He could have created us perfect...he could have made us ALWAYS obey him and ALWAYS make the right choices. God is THAT powerful and creative. But, then our love and obedience wouldn't mean as much to him because, like robots, the love and obedience would come FROM our creator and not from us.

James 1:17 says that all good gifts come from God in heaven and God doesn't change. There is nothing deceitful or two faced in God...he isn't fickle. This gives me comfort because I know that I can TRUST my heavenly Father to love me no matter what, even when I mess up. God was the same millions of years ago as he is today. He loves me more than I can imagine.

Knowing that compassion means suffering along side another, and knowing that God is compassionate...I know and trust that God is with me in my struggles. Just as knew my dad was there with me to pick me up when I fell as a child, I know I can get through anything because my heavenly Father loves me and is there with me.

Dear God, thank you for being the Father of compassion. I know that even when I fall short you will be there to pick me up and set me back on course. Thank you for never changing and for loving me so much! I pray that my friends reading this will feel your love for them and be comforted to know they have a loving compassionate Father in heaven. Amen

More Compassion is Needed in this world

This week's memory verse:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

As I read today's lesson about compassion, I was reminded how much I NEED compassion in my life...I need people to be compassionate to me, and I have needed people to understand my situation and be comforting to me. I also need to be compassionate to others, including friends, family and especially people I DON'T know.
When I typed the memory verse, the first thing that came to my mind was what does "God's chosen people" really mean? So, in an attempt to study and understand that better, I read some appropriate scriptures, and then went online to get some more perspective on what the phrase "God's chosen people" means. What I found were some good examples of people expressing opinions that are NOT compassionate!
I don't really want to open a religious can of worms here by discussing exactly who are God's chosen people. What I do want to do is express my opinion of one thing that is wrong with the humans in this world...we want to be RIGHT so bad that we forget that God wants us to be compassionate to EVERYONE!
A Google search using the phrase "God's chosen people" led me to find THOUSANDS of entries...all from people who thought they had THE ANSWER and trashing anyone who believed differently. It is only human of us to want to be "right " in the eyes of God...but we forget that God created ALL humans. In 2 Corinthians 1:3, Paul calls God the "father of compassion." He is the ultimate example of compassion. He gave us Christ as THE example...we should look to him for HOW we are to show compassion to others.
If you are a follower of God and are comforted by his promises and by his love, then you must see that He comforts us so that we can comfort others around us. (2 Corinthians 1:4) I think we think of this when we go visit the sick, take meals to a recovering patient, comfort someone in times of grief, make someone smile when they are having a bad day...all those things are good and admirable.
But, I also believe that we need to be compassionate to people who believe differently than we do. That doesn't mean we need to bend to their way of thinking, or even agree with them. But arguments, hatred, bigotry and even wars are started when we lose that compassion for other human beings (also created by our loving God) and speak and act hatefully to them because they don't choose to believe as we do.
If our goal as Christians is to "make disciples of all nations" as Christ instructed us to do, we need to do this lovingly, showing compassion (kindness, mercy, charity, empathy, grace, and tenderness) to ALL of God's creations...including those who don't believe. Trashing a person just because they are of another religion is NOT what I believe God wants us to do. That is NOT going to make a non believer want to learn more about Christianity!
It is for God's glory that we suffer along with someone else...share their troubles and treat them with love and kindness. Yes, we are to do this for our friends, family and fellow Christians, but can you imagine how much God's glory would shine through if we could do this for people who we consider our enemies? Jesus said to love your enemies, not trash them!
Think about it today...how do you show compassion to people in your life? I know there are people in my life that I could show more compassion to...how about you?
We are going to be studying more about compassion this week. My prayer for all of us is for God to help us grow in understanding of what compassion truly is so that we can practice it more freely in our lives.

The Serenity found in patience...

This week's memory verse:

"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" Galatians 6:9

Ok...I admit...this was not best week for keeping up with my Bible study or for writing my messages. It really hasn't been a good month for it for me either, has it? I know that in times of trial and frustration we shouldn't give up...I don't think I gave up, I think I just didn't have the energy. Getting sick so soon after Tom's accident was unfortunate, but totally understandable. The "yuck" was going around and I was tired so it caught up to me. I started to feel guilty for not doing my messages this week, but here is a lesson for you...I learned to be PATIENT with myself and realized there is only so much I can do.

Our Bible study this week led us to read about several examples in the Bible of people who had to either use a lot of patience, or who had to LEARN to develop and use patience in their lives. In some of those examples, the people went through some horrible experiences! I have heard some say that when you have bad things happen in your life it must be punishment for something bad you have done. That sounds crazy to me, but there are those that believe that. I truly believe in my heart that our loving God doesn't work that way. I think that God uses things that happen in our lives, good AND bad, to teach us lessons, such as how to wait and have patience.

I don't think we become spiritually mature overnight. I think the way we respond to situations in our lives determines our maturity. And that maturity happens in a process. Suffering produces perseverance (we get THROUGH a situation); perseverance over time produces character (our moral quality--how we respond); and good character, based on God's promises produces hope (the way we view the future and future sufferings or struggles.)

Have you heard of the Serenity prayer?

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference."

I believe this is the absolute KEY to learning patience...and when you learn to do this...show me how because I struggle with this every day! I think I spend so much of my time worrying and stressing over things that I have no control over. And, because I can't change it, the negative way I respond to it zaps my patience level in many areas of my life.

I have a friend who is truly in a difficult situation...one of those child custody things...YUCK! My friend gets so upset about the system, (that he has no control over AT ALL!) that he is so deeply troubled almost all the time. He is letting his frustration cloud is attitude about life in general. He has little patience with anything difficult at this point. I worry that this friend, who is basically a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of person, is heading toward becoming one of those negative "the world sucks" kinds of people who no one wants to be around. I am no expert on this topic at all, but I try to get him to see that since he can't change it, he might as well make the best of it and be the best dad he can be with the time he has with his child. THAT he can change...how he responds...having the patience to work THROUGH this difficult situation without letting it devour him is the key. The problem is...here is the tricky part for me...he doesn't have God in his life right now. For me, I can't imagine being able to do that difficult thing without God! Because I respect people's feelings about God, I don't push the idea of God handling problems on people are not ready to hear it. I think my friend NEEDS the HOPE, love and reassurance that relying on God gives you...but he has to come to that realization on his own. I share my feelings with him on the topic, but stop before I feel I have gone to far.

The thing is...we ALL have those kinds of situations that happen in our lives every day, don't we? Opportunities to show patience with doctors, coworkers, people on the street, clerks at Walmart, with our children, with our spouses...sometimes they are as simple as getting upset when your daughter doesn't do the dishes...and sometimes they ARE as complicated as a custody battle.

I can be pretty patient sometimes...but I know that God's not finished working in me yet! Do you know how I know that? Ask me how I handle my daughter not doing the dishes...ask me how I react when she brings home a bad grade...ask me how I berate myself when I gain a few pounds instead of taking them off... Oh, I have a LONG way to go, believe me! And you know what...I'm glad! I WANT the opportunities to learn more about life...I WANT God to work in me and I WANT the opportunity to share my lessons learned with others. Our earthly lives are so short! Sure, it has taken me 42 YEARS to learn the value of patience...but I LOVE the fact that I will have ETERNITY to enjoy the benefits of those lessons!

Father God, thank you for loving even the most impatient of your children. My prayer today is that all those reading this message today will be able to be more patient at home, at work, with friends and in every other place. I know that as we focus more on patience, you will grow that virtue in us. Amen