These Two, Powerful Words...

Yesterday, I found myself struggling to forgive an offense.  The size and type of offense are not what matters.  The old pattern of dealing with it - now that matters.  How I deal with an offense has the power to change the course of my hour, my day, my week.  (Such an understatement!)

Rewind to this winter:  I studied the book of Ephesians in the New Testament with a group of women each Friday.  The author is big on repeating sentence structures and concepts that build upon one another.  In chapter two, the Apostle Paul starts with bad news- hard truth.  Think death, disobedience, and wrath!  Two powerful words change the trajectory, though; one powerful, little conjunction:  "But God...."  The reader's attention is abruptly turned to good news and astounding truth of mercy, love, and life.  

Paul continues this same structure of bad news/good news in the next section, this time with Christ as the subject:  "But now in Christ..."  And then believers in Jesus become the subject the next time with, "but you...."  Yet further into the book we read, "but grace..."
Studying this book captivated my heart and mind like a roller coaster does my body!  I've been drawn to this crazy coaster that scares me to death; the lap bar holds me captive (I change my mind with every click-click-click), but exhilaration follows.  I need Scripture to captivate my mind, because my emotions are not unlike a roller coaster. Rides given daily, my friends!

What does this have to do with struggling to forgive an offense?  So, I find myself offended, and then seeking to understand (in my own mind, from my own "wisdom") why the other person acted in that manner.  This tends to be my go-to method, my pattern of beginning to deal!  But God.  What!?  But God.  It is the strangest thing- a thought not from my mind, but His.  A still, small voice quieted me with those two, powerful words.

God by his Spirit took me back to what had captivated me in Ephesians.  Bad news, hard truth does not stand alone!  It serves a purpose.  I serve a God who came near.  And He did not merely come, but He came to set captives free.  He came to take the old and make it new.  He came to suffer the worst kind of offense.  He came in power, and through Christ, that power is working in me.  Do you see that pattern?  Bad news - hard truth that shines a light on the good news of astounding Truth!  "But God" is whispered to my heart.  This conjunction joins the truth of the offense with the truth of God's solution- Himself.  "But God, being rich in mercy...."  This reminder quieted my thoughts of the offense.  It placed my focus on the One who can make things right.  It contrasted my sinfulness with God's holiness.  The offense lost some of its sting.  Could this be the new pattern God uses to help me deal with offenses?  Repeating truth and allowing the Holy Spirit to build concepts of truth so that a new structure is in place, one more fitting for a holy temple?  

But God.  How much would change in my life if the Good News was always applied to my bad news?  How much would change in yours?

"But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift..."  (Ephesians 4:7).  

Are You a Jonah?

Now, before you answer that question, I think you will need to spit out that mouthful of seawater you just swallowed.  Okay, good.  Now we can have a conversation!

So again, "Are you a Jonah?"  I am.  Like Jonah, God calls me his own.  Like Jonah, God has given me sending orders.  Like Jonah, my first response is typically "No."  More accurately, "WHAT?  Are you crazy?  Reach out to that person?  Say yes to that task?"  [Insert Road Runner noise, speeding in the opposite direction.  But no, I've never been to Tarshish.]

We are going to delve into the life and book of Jonah at Christ Community, both in VBS and weekend sermons.  Looking at this account with fresh perspective is good for the soul!  We will be reminded of God's unfathomable character - his sense of justice; His extension of grace; might I add God's sense of humor?

We will be forced to reckon with our sin nature - our natural tendencies to run, to reject, to accuse.  Listening to these lyrics this week reminded me of Jonah:
"I am a sinner
If it's not one thing it's another
Caught up in words
Tangled in lies
But you are a Savior
And you take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful
Beautiful"

These lyrics remind me of me, too.  What about you?  Are you a Jonah?  We need to be confronted with our sin.  We will be reminded of the Truth that sets us free.

Take a listen.  See you this weekend!