Three Simple Words

This time of the year brings out the love. Not the love that is commercialized by sexy, smoky scenes of lovers exchanging gifts, although that is seen everywhere; I'm not talking about that kind of love.

I'm talking about the true love that Christ brings into our lives. You see love is an integral theme to Christmas. God sent his son to earth to live and dwell among us to show us how we should live in this world so that we could gain eternal life. God sent his son into this world in a way that would be questioned, ridiculed and mocked until the day he died. Let's examine some things. Put yourself in his shoes and see how they would fit if this were to be you today.

Jesus' mother, Mary, was pregnant and not married. Jesus was born in the lowliest of places amongst animals. Jesus was a very controversial figure stirring up the traditions of men and challenging the beliefs and standards of the day. He plucked corn and ate it on the Sabbath. He sat with publicans and sinners. He consorted with the lowly and despised tax collectors. He healed on the Sabbath day. He talked to Samaritan women and prostitutes. He was very angry and acted out and chased merchants out of the temple. The spiritual leaders of the day sought to kill him and turned others against him.

Jesus also turned the water into wine at a wedding so that the host would not be embarrassed by running out. Jesus had compassion on the blind, the deaf and the lame and healed them. Jesus gave water to a thirsty woman and gave her an everlasting hope. Jesus rebuked those who would have turned children away from him. Jesus provided food for hungry travelers and opened the spiritual eyes of those around him to see and believe the miraculous!

The Bible talks about it this way in I Corinthians 14: 4 - 8. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

I know, you usually hear this at weddings and anniversary celebrations and it certainly applies. But it's not written in that context. This chapter of the Bible, known as the love chapter, is sandwiched between two chapters teaching on spiritual gifts. Boy that gets me to thinking. Why are we told about the importance of love while teaching on spiritual gifts? Because true spiritual gifts can only prosper and minister when love is the motivation.

This love is not easy to possess. This type of love only comes through self-sacrifice. Jesus' example of love and restoration was the core mission of his ministry. Jesus could have and probably should have in many of our minds, demonstrated his Godliness by exposing their thoughts and motives to their peers. But, that is not the way to do things. Jesus demonstrated love to all humanity. You see, Christ's life was not easy by no means. Can you imagine knowing what people were saying about you, not to mention knowing the thoughts they have and are not saying, and then not exposing that? If you're anything like me, I THINK I know what you are thinking and therefore I respond to that. And I can't really read your thoughts. Jesus could read their unspoken words and they were as human as you and I are so I know that they were not charitable, loving thoughts all the time. Yet, he let them be and he taught them the right way to act and respond. Now that took true love. If someone thought of me as less than acceptable and I could read their thoughts, believe me I would be setting them straighter than an arrow so fast their head would swim.

The religious leaders of that day were jealous of Jesus. They could not compete with what Jesus was doing for and through the people and they were losing their foothold and income. They were not happy with the way things were challenged and traditions were exposed as needless. Their tyranny and power was exercised through the rituals and traditions of men. Maybe some would even brand this as charismatic in his day. People loved him and flocked to hear him preach and minister.

What challenges you today? Better yet, who are you envious of? Who are you holding a grudge against because they think they are better than you? Who are you no longer friends with because you feel intimidated by their talent or their ability to minister in a certain gift? Who have you talked about in such a way as to have made them look less than perfect to others so that, hopefully, you will still look good? Or, who has wronged you and you have not extended forgiveness to them because they are the ones that should be asking you to forgive them, not the other way around?

The beauty of this kind of love is that it is possible for you and I to live like this. Really! Jesus Christ in us brings about such a change that this type of unselfish love is no longer impossible but possible through Christ's forgiveness. Because he forgives us all things, we can extend that grace and forgiveness to others.

It takes three simple words. I forgive you. WOW! Why are those three simple words so hard to say? Why would you want to hold on to grudges and perceived wrongs and even real injustices when you can have a true heart of love through three simple words? It's hard. I've been there. I've had to forgive so many times when I've not truly been at fault. BUT I did it. Why? Because I'd rather extend forgiveness and move on with a friend instead of holding those grudges and wrongs inside and becoming contaminated by greed, hate, bitterness, evil, envy and pride. Those things will eat away at you until you are destroyed and have no hope or joy to sustain you in this life.

So, in the true spirit of Christmas, I am asking you to say these three simple words to those who need to hear them. "I forgive you." It will cost you something. It will cost you your hate, bitterness, envy and pride. It will cost you your need to seek retribution. But the reward of saying those three simple words are a love and joy that is boundless! Lose yourself in forgiveness so that you can find yourself in love!!

Are you a fool?

I read a joke my sister sent me the other day about there being a holiday for everyone...even fools. The scripture reference in that joke was this Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." ....."

As I laughed at the joke, I also wondered if there are times that I am the fool saying there is no God? Ok, I've not said it out loud, but have my actions said that. When I was growing up, my parents would quote that little phrase "actions speak louder than words". They would warn us that who we were with and what we did in times of stress or play actually said more about us than our actual words.

There's a new phrase I've been hearing more frequently. Living out loud. So I wonder what God hears in my actions.

When I participate in gossip, am I really saying that I don't believe God hates gossipers?

When I omit some important fact in a conversation that would otherwise, if shared, place the responsibility or blame on me, do I really think God doesn't know I am lying through my front teeth? Do I really think that God excludes me from His wrath for lying?

When I am unkind and have no compassion for those people I come into contact with everyday, including the people I live with, am I thumbing my nose at God and ignoring His commandments?

I have to wonder about this. Because if you look at the entire verse of that scripture it says, "Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good."

So I take a little closer look at two words; corrupt and vile. Corrupt means "guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked" Vile means "wretchedly bad or highly offensive, unpleasant, or objectionable."

So, I conclude that my actions are saying "There is no God". Because I have not always refrained from gossip. I have not always told the truth all the time. I have not always chosen to take the higher standard and walk away when others are engaged in questionable conversations. By association, by staying around, I am guilty by association. Verdict: I am a fool.

But there is hope!! God loves us! He will and does forgive us the moment we repent and ask Him. God is hearing my actions BUT He's also right there when we need to ask for forgiveness. One of the greatest scriptures of all times says it all. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

Put another way by the Message version of the Bible "If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. ".

The question is "Are you a fool?" I am. I am a repented fool. I am thankful that God is there waiting to hear my confession and extend grace and mercy when I repent.