Mercy is More than Hitting the Like Button

James, half-brother of Jesus, is blunt in a way that cuts to my very core. They've done that again today.

"For judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy, for mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:13 nasb

Mercy is not merely goodwill toward those who have need, but also a desire to do something about their need. Mercy is being moved about starving children in Africa AND doing something about their hunger. It's looking at a difficult situation and saying, "What can I do about this?" Mercy doesn't stop at asking. Mercy does something to help.

One touching story after another makes its way into our social media feed. I'm great at "liking" the posts, but mercy is not hitting the "heart"/love button. Mercy is action that makes a difference.  Making a donation. Offering food or shelter to those in need. Volunteering in a soup kitchen. 

Mercy is helping in a tangible way.

That's what God did for us. He saw our sin need and, in mercy, decided to do something about it. It's the reason Jesus came. For mercy and grace. He didn't give us what we deserved. Instead, He gave us what we most needed: salvation from our sin.

Our job, then, is to exhibit the same kind of mercy Jesus did. He saw our need, knew we might not want what He offered, but He gave Himself anyway. His mercy triumphed over the judgment due us.

According to James, mercy is not optional. 

Today, let's act a little more like Jesus. Let's look for a need and meet it. No whining. No patting ourselves on the back. Just do it.

"My food," Jesus said, "Is to do the will of Him who sent me..." John4:34 niv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Why Do We Stay?

This ministry of prayer and outreach (digital and in-person) is only possible because of the generosity of your support. If you'd like to help, here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 or you can mail your  check or money order to:
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Still a sinner

I hate to admit this, but I had a bit of  a critical, judgmental spirit last night in the airport. Yes, again. I have repented of this before, and have had to repent of it once more this morning. 

I was waiting in the boarding gate for my plane. A well-dressed man, who looked to be in his mid-forties, was chatting up a woman who appeared considerably younger. I've seen this kind of "chatting up" before, and had an idea where it might be leading. 

They were both headed toward Memphis, and he was a fast mover. Before we boarded the plane, I heard him ask where she lived. To my surprise, she told him. In case you're wondering, it is not a good idea to meet a man in the airport and give him your address, even if he is the most charming man you've ever seen.

She may not have noticed, but I saw an indention on his left ring finger from where a ring usually rested, and I assumed the worst. 

Off I went with critical, judgmental attitude again.

Of course, the interaction may have been perfectly innocent. He may have removed his ring after his wife died and this might have been the first time he's spoken to a woman since. She might have been the age of his daughter and reminded him of her. Any number of innocent reasons could have triggered the interaction, but I assumed the worst.

This morning, I was reading in Romans, but still thinking about the man, when I came to Romans 2:1.

"Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things." Romans 2:1. nasb

My first impulse was to defend myself before the Lord. (Yes, I know that's foolish.) I'm certainly not doing what that man was doing, I thought. 

Romans 3:23, though, causes me to see the situation in a different light. My sin may not be the same as his sin, but it is still sin. 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 nasb

In case you're wondering, my sin is no worse (or better) than yours. Our sins are no worse (or better) than the most sinful person we know. God puts gossips in the same group with murderers. (Romans 1:29-30) It's all sin. We've all fallen short of God's standard.

There's good news and bad news.

The bad news first. Because we are sinners, we deserve death and hell.

Every single one of us. The murderers. The coveters. The gossips. The adulterers. On and on and on. We are sin-riddled people, and we deserve the worst punishment our righteous, perfect God can pour out. We do well to keep the truth of our sinfulness ever before us, if for no other reason than to avoid a critical, judgmental attitude.

We are in a desperate state because of our sin and there is nothing we can do to improve it.

There is good news, though. We deserve death, but God offers eternal life through Jesus. 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 3:23 nasb

That's pretty clear, isn't it? There's nothing we can do to save ourselves, no matter how hard we try, so God made a way of escape. He's given us a pardon from our death sentence. There's a catch, though. We have to accept this pardon His way.

Only accepting Jesus as Lord can save us from the death penalty of eternal hell.

It would be easier to make a big donation to a worthy cause or do some heroic action, but God will not accept a one-time "good deed". He calls us to a lifelong commitment to His Son, to the Lordship of Jesus.

It seems a severe kind of mercy. 

We give ourselves to Jesus so that we are no longer our own. It doesn't make sense in the me-focused society in which we live, but it's the only way. We accept His gift of redemption and forgiveness and, in return, we also accept His Lordship, His leading, His way. 

As if the pardon from our sin was not enough, God offers more. This leading of Christ is designed to be a blessing to us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans for us that are for our good, our welfare, not for evil or for calamity. 

We are all full of sin, but God has made a way of escape, and it is good.

Ponder that today. 

Jesus is all we need, and the plan He has, no matter how hard, will (in the end) be the best thing for us.

Since we, as believers, are no better than the world, let's make sure we communicate that truth to a world in darkness. We are sinners, just as they are. The only difference between us and them is the hope of Christ within us. Neither group deserves that hope, but it's offered freely to all. 

Undeserved, outrageous mercy. Inscrutable grace. Love beyond all measure. Jesus.

"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 1 Timothy 1:15 nasb

#mercyandgrace #sin #savedbygrace #forgiven #disciple #JesusChrist
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In case you missed the most recent posts, here are the links: The Costly Bad Attitude and Going Home. 

The most-read post of the past week: Death is Not the End. 

Parable of the Fig Tree: The Limit of Mercy

“And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"”         Luke 13:6-9 NASB

If you're just joining us, here are the links to the previous posts in the series: The Fig Tree With No Fruit, Living Like a Barren Fig Tree, Cut It Down, Removing the Cancer of Hidden Sin, The Cost of Hidden Sin,  Why Does It Use Up Ground, and The Mercy of Change, as well as links to other "fig tree" posts: The Come Back Tree, The Lesson of the Fig Tree (One of my fav's), and My Daily Fig. (They'll open in a new tab)

We come to the final part of the fig tree saga. "But if not, cut it down." 

Those words break my heart and make me feel a little sick. The tree refused to do what the owner had planted it to do, despite the years the vineyard keeper had given trying to coax fruit out of it. Judgment was pronounced, but the vineyard keeper begged for mercy. "Give me another year. I'll pour out more blessings on the tree. More fertilizer. More digging." 

With the request for mercy came an acquiescence, as well. "But if not." The vineyard keeper acknowledged that there was a very real possibility the fig tree would not change. Fruit would not come. No matter what blessing was given in an attempt to cajole fruit from the tree, it would not change. 

Even the merciful vineyard keeper was willing to cut the tree down.

This principle is true for individuals and for nations. When we, as disciples, fail to bear fruit, fail to progress toward that which God desires for us, judgment may be decreed. I speak not of the final judgment that sends us to hell, but a judgment that will shake our foundations and propel us toward that which was God's intent for us all along. 

We are so fond of grace that we reject the notion of judgment, but God does not.

A loving father disciplines His children, and our Heavenly Father will discipline us, as well. I know this from experience.

The mercy of our Lord may delay the arrival of judgment, giving us another chance for change, but it does not negate the imperative of change.

I love the merciful, one-more-chance grace of God. I love it. The problem is that I've mistaken it a few times for something it is not. I've looked at the blessings and thought they were a stamp of approval for all that was in my life.

The vineyard owner's goal for the fig tree was fruit. The vineyard keeper's goal for the fig tree was fruit. Fruit is always the goal of those caring for the tree.

In our own lives, it is much the same. Our Heavenly Father desires fruit from us, change that makes us more like Him. Our Lord Jesus desires the same and our dear Holy Spirit works tirelessly as He strives to draw us to completion and fruitfulness. Fruit is always their goal.

Bearing fruit is always God's goal for us, and it needs to be our goal, as well.

There is such a tendency on our part to be extravagant with the last bit of mercy that we propel ourselves like a freight train roaring down the tracks, straight into judgment. Oh, how important it is to take stock of our lives on a daily basis. Are we pleasing God in our thoughts, actions, deeds? Are we bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Are we more like Christ today than we were yesterday?

It is critical that we steward the mercy and use it to bring us to God's plan for our lives, both individually and as the body of Christ. 

Mercy has been extended to the body of Christ and time is short. We must begin to be what God intended us to be. His blessings have not been given to allow us to have more, more, more. Our blessings are given so that we can be a blessing. To whom much has given, much will be required. 

We are the "to whom much is given." We are the "from whom much will be required." We must not squander our mercy nor our blessings on things that will not have eternal significance.

The time is now. Let us fall to our knees, thank God for His mercy, and beg Him to make us what He wanted us to be. Obedience to the will of God is the only thing that will stay the ax of judgment.

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Our Father, forgive us of our busyness, our selfishness, our greed. Draw us to You and help us to obey where we have failed You so miserably. Make us what You wanted us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#judgment #mercy #limitofmercy #disciple #Biblestudy #parableofthefigtree

Parable of the Fig Tree: The Mercy of Change

“And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"”         Luke 13:6-9 NASB

If you're just joining us, here are the links to the previous posts in the series: The Fig Tree With No Fruit, Living Like a Barren Fig Tree, Cut It Down, Removing the Cancer of Hidden Sin, The Cost of Hidden Sin, and Why Does It Use Up Ground, as well as links to other "fig tree" posts: The Come Back Tree, The Lesson of the Fig Tree (One of my fav's), and My Daily Fig. (They'll open in a new tab)

We come now to the words of mercy in this passage. "Let it alone, sir, for this year, too..." The vineyard-keeper knew there was no fruit on the tree, but he was not willing to give up on it. Judgment hung over the tree, but mercy was requested. 

When the vineyard-keeper requested more time, he also announced his intent to take positive action. He would help the tree do what fig trees are supposed to do. He would fertilize it, dig around it, and loosen the soil around the roots.  The fertilizing and digging and loosening would all be done with an end goal in mind. There would be only one objective: FIGS.

Even when judgment was warranted, mercy was uppermost in the vineyard-keeper's mind. 

There's no doubt we, as a nation and as the church, deserve the judgment of God. His people have become so much like the world that we are often indistinguishable. Perhaps mercy has been given. Perhaps we have another chance, but that chance will not come without action from the One who lavishes His care on us. Fertilizer application and digging at the foundations are smelly, unsettling work. They bring change. 

God's work of redemption, His work of one-more-chance, will not leave us as we are. It may be smelly and unsettling. It may not come the way we would choose. 

We may not like the mercy of change offered, but we desperately need it. 

We need to be so unsettled that we fall to our faces and worship the One who created and sustains us. We need to be so disrupted that we take our eyes off that which tantalizes us and turn our faces to the God who loves us. We need to be so changed that our steps follow Christ without wavering.

There was no need for the tree to fear the care the vineyard-keeper planned, for it's only objective was productivity in order to avoid the ax of judgment. 

In that same way, there is no need to fear the mercy of change our Lord offers, for it, too, has productivity in mind. It, too, is given in order to avoid the ax of judgment.

If change is to come, and it is, let us embrace what God brings our way. Let us embrace and change, no matter how hard, with only one objective in mind. Bearing fruit. 

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 NASB

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Our Father, forgive us for our wrong priorities. Forgive us for chasing after our own goals. Help us to chase after You, to cling to Your ways, to strive to bear fruit for You. Make us what You meant us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Mercy #Parableofthefigtree #disciple #JesusChrist #Bible 

Extending Mercy

Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not. And one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you lawyers also! for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So ye are witnesses and consent unto the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their tombs. (Luke 11:44-48 ASV)

Jesus spoke to the lawyers concerning their failings, as well as to the Pharisees. Remember that "woe" basically means "you should be ashamed of yourself". The "lawyers" were the scribes. They studied the law in depth and taught it to the people The problem for which Jesus reproved them was that they added man's tradition to God's law and made following the law more burdensome than God intended. 

What they taught the people was "grievous to be borne" but the lawyers (or scribes) didn't bother to follow it. They had an appearance of piety, but, in private, they did whatever they wanted. They were not only false teachers but also hypocrites, for they tried to hold people to a standard they could not attain. They didn't even attempt to rise to the standard they had set. 

My grandmother used to say, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." She had a variety of uses for that phrase, but she mostly used it to indicate that, if others should do a thing, so should I. Good for one, good for all. 

So it is with discipleship. Right is always right. If Jesus says we are to live a certain way, then we all are supposed to live that way. The life of a disciple is, in some ways, much easier than we have been led to believe. If we choose our actions based on the Golden Rule, we have a good start on acting like Jesus. Treat others as you want them to treat you. 

One of the problems we have is that we only want to treat certain people as we want them to treat us. If I want mercy but try to administer justice to those around me instead, I have failed to love my neighbor as myself. 

Recently, I spoke to a young man who was paying a ticket for a seat belt violation. "He could have got me bad," he told me of the policeman who had stopped him. The policeman had seen the other violations but had chosen to mention them instead of pile up fines for the young man. When he realized the seat belt ticket would not go on his record, he was thrilled. "I'd have had to go to the big house (prison) if it did." Then, he told me what I didn't expect, "You don't have to worry about me any more. I never want to go to that big house ever again. I've learned my lesson. I'm not taking any more chances." He turned to his friend, who was with him. "Even my friends are buckling their seat belts when they ride with me now." His friend confirmed it.

The young man had been given mercy when a more severe citation would have been justified. It was the kind of grace I'd like to receive. The policeman had acted with mercy, and that's how I want to be, too. Will the seat belt offender break the law again? Maybe, but maybe not. I'm not called to predict the future, but to respond in the present. 

We have the opportunity to extend either mercy or judgment to all those we encounter. Let's choose mercy, every time. After all, if the choice is between justice or mercy, mercy is what I want given to me.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)

The persistent father, part 7

And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." (Luke 9:43-44 NASB)

A demon-possessed boy had been dramatically healed. The people were amazed, and rightly so. It was an amazing task. While the people were standing around, talking to each other about all the marvelous things Jesus was doing, He spoke to His disciples about something even more amazing than what they had just seen. The Son of Man who was the Son of God was about to do something utterly breathtaking, something totally incredible. He would be "delivered into the hands of men". The march to the cross was under way, and it was an astounding thing. 

Two thousand years later, the cross has, in some ways, become a decorative item to us. We wear it as jewelry and attach it to household items. This symbol of execution has been diminished by the casual way in which we treat it. The cross was a horrendous thing, made much worse, made unthinkably worse, by the sin Jesus bore in our place. 

Jesus was right. Healing a child is an amazing thing, but the cross is unspeakable in its greatness. If we are amazed by healing, how much more should we be amazed by the cross? We have a tendency to embrace the miracles of healing and feeding, yet reject the miracle of mercy that held our Lord on that cross. That cross is the miracle that gives meaning to all the other miracles. It is the miracle that brings hope and healing to a lost and dying world. 

In this season of thanksgiving, let us focus our attention on the one blessing that supersedes all others. The cross. It purchased our pardon, bought our redemption, set us free. Thank God it did! We are redeemed, but only by the greatness of the work that was done at Calvary. That, dear ones, was a miracle we should never forget!

Which loves more? (Luke 7:41-42)

"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" (Luke 7:41, 42 NASB)

Simon, a respected Pharisee and religious leader in his village, watched the "woman who was a sinner" and her extravagant outpouring of love and generosity. He knew who she was and what she had done, and he silently condemned her. It was his house and she was not invited. He would never invite "her kind" into his home! If Jesus really were a prophet sent by God, he would know what kind of person she was, he thought, and surely he would not allow this scandalous display! Simon's thoughts were full of venom towards the woman and her Lord. 

Jesus knew his spiteful thoughts and answered them with a little story. "Simon," He said, "two people owed a debt. One owed a little, and the other owed a lot.  In fact, the second person owed ten times as much as the first one, but neither could repay their debt. In an unbelievable act of generosity, the moneylender forgave them both.  Which person will be more grateful? Which will love him more?"

Poor Simon. He was a really smart man, and he could see that there was no way he was getting out of this with his prejudice and arrogance intact. That was exactly what Jesus had in mind. 

When Jesus looked at Simon and the woman with her alabaster vial, He saw two sinners. One had piled up sin with her body, but one was continuing to pile up sin with his mind and heart. They were both sinners in need of mercy, just like us. 

To God, Simon's sin was just as scandalous as the woman's. To God, our sin and that of our loved ones is equally scandalous, equally heinous. We all have a debt we cannot repay, and we are all dependent upon the mercy of God. Remember that sin always requires a sacrificial payment to bring forgiveness. Only Jesus could pay that once and for all. It is mercy, not giving us the punishment that we deserve for our debt, that erases the balance and removes our guilt. Mercy. What a beautiful word! 

Today, as we pray for our loved ones, remember that the same mercy, the same terrible and severe mercy, was required to remove our sin as well as the most heinous sinner's. We all desperately need mercy. It is the one who both receives the most mercy and recognizes it who loves the most. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones would recognize our sinfulness and the great mercy we require.  Pray, too, that we would love our Lord in like measure, extravagantly and without limit. 

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Link to last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sneaky-serpent.html

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Becoming Merciful (Luke 6:36)

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36 NASB)

This little verse is jam-packed with truth and challenge. The word translated as "be" is "ginomai" and is also translated as "become" or "arise".  Another translation is "to be made". We are to be merciful. If we aren't merciful by nature, which we aren't, we are to become merciful. That difficult task of transformation can only be done by The One who IS mercy, and it is available for the asking. In a nutshell, we can arise with mercy when we allow God to transform us.  

So, what is mercy? Mercy is not giving us what we deserve.  The penalty for our sin is death and eternal separation from God.  Because of His great mercy, he does not give those with repentant hearts what we so clearly deserve.  

The word in the original here is "oiktirmōn" and denotes a more intense kind of mercy, a "tender mercy".  It can also be translated as "compassionate toward the ills of others".  Just as God is compassionate toward our troubles and difficulties, even so we are to be compassionate toward others. Unceasingly compassionate. 

That is where the trouble comes, at least for me. Because we are made in the image of God, we have the capacity for compassion. We can see someone with difficulties and our heart goes out to them. That's why we give (time and money) when there is a tragedy of some sort. The problem comes when the tragedy is not quickly remedied or when the one in trouble makes no progress. Our compassion begins to fatigue, and the assistance we so freely gave begins to diminish. When the difficulty is one that is self-made, our feelings of mercy abate all the quicker. 

Don't get me wrong. Mercy is not enabling and it does not mean that there are no consequences. Mercy doesn't give us death and damnation when we deserve it. It does, however, give us consequences and conviction. Mercy's desire is always transformation. 

How merciful are you? How merciful is the body of Christ? 

Today, pray that we would willingly be transformed into those who demonstrate the mercy of God and that we will arise with mercy toward all those within our path, especially those we love. 

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Link for last night's post:

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/happy-birthday-nigerian-style.html

Be a Voice, Not an Echo: Lessons from the Life of Tyndale

Life has not always been easy for Christians.

William Tyndale lived in England in the early 1500's, at a time when the Bible was only available to the most learned men who read Greek and Hebrew.  The lack of an English translation of the Bible was a great vexation to Tyndale, who saw grave corruption in many of the church leaders of the day.

The common person had no defense against their edicts, because they had no way of knowing what the Scripture really said.  There was a feeling that, "We would be better off without God's laws" than without the laws of the church leaders.

Tyndale was stunned and replied that he would "cause a plowboy to know more of the Scriptures" than the current leaders before he was through.  Tyndale's insistence upon lining up teaching in the church with the Word of God caused many leaders in England to hate him and brand him a heretic.

Because of plots against his life, Tyndale fled to Germany where he translated the New Testament and later the Old Testament into English.  The Bishop of London attempted to buy all the copies Tyndale had printed so that he could burn them, but Tyndale and his friends used the money to print three times as many Bibles as before.

Intending to squelch the spread of the Word, the Bishop actually helped spread it.  When that failed, Sir Thomas More, then Chancellor of England, did not rest until he had obtained a proclamation from the King to ban the Bibles and had arrested Tyndale.

In 1536, William Tyndale was burned at the stake for his all-consuming love of the Word of God and his dedication to ensuring its availability to the common man. His last words were a prayer for those who had persecuted him.  "Lord, open the King of England's eyes."

Tyndale's obsession for the Word of God has made this post, the Bible in your home, the online Bible we use, the Bible studies we attend possible.  As William Tyndale was tied to the stake and the flames rose up around him, he probably never imagined the number of English Bibles that would be available nearly 500 years later.  He was simply faithful to the cause of Christ with no promise of the outcome.  He did not see the fruit of his labors before his death.  The lack of obvious fruit did not deter him from faithfully performing the task God had given him.

After Tyndale's death, an amazing thing happened.  Less than two years later, King Henry VIII authorized the first English Bible, known as the Great Bible, for the Church of England.  That is amazing enough in itself, but what is really astounding is that the Bible he authorized was Tyndale's translation! God answered Tyndale's prayer in a wonderful way, and his work is still bearing fruit in my life and in yours today.

G.K. Chesterton wrote in What's Wrong With The World, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."  Micah 6:8 was my mother's favorite Bible verse, and it sums up what the Christian life looks like.  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

William Tyndale was a man who cared about both mercy and justice. He was burdened by the ignorance of the masses about the Word of God and the injustices of the clergy of the time.  He knew he needed to put truth (in the form of the Word of God) in the hands of the masses so they could confront evil for themselves.  He was heartbroken by an injustice and took action to correct it.  In fact, his commitment to his task cost him his life.

There are still people around the world who are imprisoned for the cause of Christ.  There are still people around the world who are dying for the cause of Christ.  This quote from Wikipedia sums the situation up:

 "According to Pope Benedict XVI, Christians are the most persecuted group in the contemporary world.^[125] The Holy See has reported that over 100,000 Christians are violently killed annually because of some relation to their faith.^[126] According to the World Evangelical Alliance, over 200 million Christians are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith."^[127] 

According to Voice of the Martyrs, Christians in more than forty countries face active persecution for their faith.  The stories on their website (www.persecution.com) will break your heart.  They will likely convict you, as well.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are sacrificing themselves for the cause of Christ, and in many instances dying for their faith.  Their discipleship is costly.  In this country, however, it is a much different story.  We complain about loss of religious liberty, but do we take advantage of the liberty we have?  How effective are we as disciples?  What difference are we making in the world around us?

Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God are not easy tasks.  It requires being salt and light in the world around you.  Silence about injustice is not optional if you are going to live out the Christian ideal, and neither is taking action.  Committing yourself to the task will change your life.  I know.  It has changed my life in ways I never imagined, many of which are harder than I expected, but sweeter than I ever hoped.

The first century Christians lived as if Jesus would return any day, and so should we.  Our discipleship should make a difference in the world around us.  If it does not, one could ask if it is discipleship at all. What are you doing to change the world around you?  Will the world be different 500 years from now because of your faith walk today?  That's the kind of difference I want to make.  Don't you?  I want to be a voice for Christ, not an echo of the world around me.  Being a voice for Christ was costly for William Tyndale, but judging by the Bibles in my home, I think it was worth it, and I expect he would say so, too.

The life and work of one man, doing one task faithfully, no matter the cost, still impacts my life on a daily basis five centuries later.  Let's live in such a way that we, too, can make a lasting difference.

Let's be a voice, not an echo.

The Unexpectedly Grateful Heart -part 19

Today was grooming day and check-up day for Maggie the Wonder Dog. We were in line behind a man holding what I thought was a lop-eared rabbit. I'm very fond of lops (and, in fact, used to raise them, which is a story for another day) so I moved a little closer to get a better look at the bunny. I overheard the man telling the receptionist that they didn't have time for her and were thinking about finding her a new home. My first thought was, "How much time does a rabbit require?"

There was a lull in their conversation, so I leaned in to see the bunny. As I did, I realized it had a very odd nose that looked nothing at all like a bunny nose. "Oh, how cute!" I said, as I began to wonder exactly what kind a creature he was holding. "What kind is she?" I asked, hoping to get a clue from his answer. "She's a toy poodle," he said. I was speechless. I couldn't even tell it was a dog! 

This little fur ball is not a perfect fit with the lifestyle of her owners, but they love her. It may be that she needs a little more attention and they need a less high-maintenance pet. I was astonished when someone said, "if you are serious about finding her a new home, I might take her." What was the most astonishing was that the volunteer adopter was me! I reached out for the fur ball and she snuggled in. Maggie gave her a good sniffing over and seemed content. 

I'm not sure Maggie wants a sister, but that little fur ball probably needs one. For sure, she needs a second chance at a happy home. We won't know until next week, but for now Maggie the Wonder Dog and I think we may be expecting! It's exciting and scary all at the same time. 

Tonight, I'm grateful for second chances. I'm grateful for the kind of second chance the little fur ball may get, with a new and less hectic family, but also the second chance when I've totally messed up and need forgiveness. Over the years, I've needed those second chances far too often. There's something wonderful about mercy, not giving me what I deserve when I mess up, but oh the grace of a second chance that gives me so much better than I deserve! Mercy and grace. I'm thankful for them, too. 

Perhaps you've needed some second chances of your own along the way. Maybe you, like me, have needed that priceless mercy and grace. The One who dispenses both so freely deserves our thanks and praise. Let's not forget the Source of those gifts, as well as all the other blessings we enjoy, and let's be sure we offer thanks with a grateful heart. 

Happy Thanksgiving!