The first of three posts on "Go now and leave your life of sin".
Key Scripture Passage
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:11 NIV
Reflection
Jesus
gave the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8 an extra
ordinary assurance: 'neither do I condemn you'. This assurance gives
us a way forward to leave the past baggage, all of it, at the
cross, accept this forgiveness, and march onwards.
We
are called to 'leave our life of sin'. Before such a transformational
change can happen, we have to grasp the enormity of His love and His
grace. Philip Yancey puts this idea beautifully: “Grace
teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who
we are.” So
the weight of the past baggage is
irrelevant, all that matters is to internalize the fact that 'He
still loves me'.
It
is time to act, to identify the things that need to go first. I
carefully carve them out, one by one, and stuff them in a leave-behind
bag. Now I am ready to travel light, leaving all this baggage behind. It is not going to be easy in the beginning, since the temptations
will still be around. Identifying my stumbling blocks along the
trail will help me to stay clear of them.
Knowing
God's Word will be my essential navigation tool, prayer will be my hydration pack, and counting my many blessings will be my milestones. I will
use fellowship and friendship from other Christ followers as my
nourishing support system, which like a good hiking boot, will take
me a long way forward. After the first few miles, I will start
conversations, report what I see, share burdens, and cheer on and thus
invest in other hikers along the trail.
Questions to Consider
Are you carrying too heavy a load? Are you allowing your past sins to haunt you and remain with you?
Action Step for the Week
If you are carrying too heavy a load, identify two of the heaviest stones that you need to discard. Then go into your room, get on your knees, confess your sins to God, and drop these stones to the floor. Feeling the warmth of His grace, you are now ready to get up and start your hike.
The last of three posts on "When you pray, go into your room".
Key Scripture Passage
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:6 NIV
Reflection
Have you ever heard the story of Joseph Kratzle? He was a Chicago service elevator operator in an apartment house and recovered two checks for $114,000 which had been lost by a tenant. It wasn't like he just found the checks on the floor of the elevator - he spent hours searching through fourteen trash bags and garbage cans after hearing from a tenant that the checks had been lost. You can imagine the reward Joseph received from the tenant. Or can you? He actually received a fifteen cent tip and an offer to put iodine on the cuts on his hands resulting from his search. Joseph accepted the fifteen cents. He declined the
offer of first aid and administered his
own treatment when he returned to the basement from the tenant's apartment.
Jesus tells us when we go into this room alone with God and pray, we will be rewarded. Does the limited frequency with which we go into that room alone with God suggest we consider the reward akin to Joseph Kratzle's?
There is no better way to experience the kingdom of heaven on earth than to spend time alone with God in that room. From such times we gain the reward of His peace, His power, and His provision. I like the way The Message addresses this in Philippians 4:6-7: "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know
your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything
coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what
happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Not only does going into the room alone with God allow us to experience more of the kingdom of heaven on earth, it allows us to join the Holy Spirit in extending the kingdom of heaven on earth as well. As we spend time alone with God, we come to share His heart for the materially poor and the oppressed, and we are better able to tap into His power to break through the gates of hell that so often enchain the poor.
The reward Jesus is referring to is far greater than Joseph Kratzle could have ever imagined receiving. Would you like to have the reward of experiencing and extending more of the kingdom of heaven on earth? Then go into your room alone with God as often as you possibly can.
Questions to Consider
When's the last time you went into the room alone with God? What was your reward?
Action Step for the Week
Set aside 30 minutes in your week ahead to be alone with God. Thereafter, identify the reward of having done so.
