Turning Loose……..

I’ve been going through a very difficult spiritual battle, the details are not important, except to God.  Let’s just say I’ve been observing people doing terrible things, and injustices to others.  I’ve struggled and struggled with what my response should be.  Not too surprising my first response was my almost always first response, go into John Wayne mode.  I am a child of the fifties growing up on Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger and Hop Along Cassidy.  In the old western movies when trouble came up the hero always loaded his carbine, and his Colt .45 and rode into town ready to vanquish the bad guys!  In real life it’s not so simple, especially for a Christian.  We live in a world where people can do some really bad things, things that can make us wild with anger, but that is not how God has asked us to respond.  The ultimate answer is to ask what would Jesus do?  The answer is usually very counter to our nature, or even what we would like to do!  But God’s way is always the better way!

I was feeling sorry for myself, feeling I had been mistreated and unfairly treated.  I was asking God if I could settle the matter my way.  God’s answer was NO!   I reminded Him of just how much I had been wronged, big mistake!  He lovingly reminded me of what His Son Jesus, had done to Him.

Here was this man, Jesus, He was the Son of God, He was the most powerful being in all creation.  He was accused of things He didn’t do.  He was mocked, spat on, and beaten severely, finally he was nailed to a cross to hang there until He took His last breath.  He never spoke, He never condemned His tormentors, Some of His last words were when He looked down and those that nailed Him on that cross and said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  He didn’t get even, He didn’t exact even more pain on them than they had put Him through.  In spite of the fact that He was falsely accused, and sentenced to death, He never rose a finger against His accusers.  Were it not for one fact I would reject His example.   He was on that cross because of me.  He had to be crucified to pay for my sins.  He could have called it all off, and refused to die for me, but He didn’t.

Today I drove up to Lexington, Kentucky and visited a wonderful little church, the Vinyard Community Church.  This church is a mission church reaching out to the needs of their community, with help for all kinds of people facing all kinds of  problems, from hunger to poverty, addictions to hopelessness.  I was very impressed with how well they have heard the teachings of Jesus.  They are not concerned about a lot of things many churches are concerned about today, they are concerned about God’s children, and being obedient to Him!  When we were leaving a friend of mine, a brother in Christ, turned back to Mark Lewis, the young man overseeing the church for the afternoon, and said to him, “Keep telling them how much God loves them!”  Mark said, “we don’t have to tell them, we’re showing them.”  What a powerful message, what a wonderful answer to my searching. I need to stop telling and start showing

I’ve come to a decision, the one I know God wants me to make.  I am letting go of my anger and my hurt and releasing the people that have hurt me and others.  Tonight I will bow by my bed, like a little child,  and ask God to forgive  me for judging those that have wronged me.  I will further release them into God’s care and let Him deal with the circumstances I’ve faced.  I will go a step further and commit to pray for the people that have wronged me and others.  I’m not doing this because of some inner greatness, but because that is what Jesus did  for me, and the example He set on the cross.  I will not do this in my own strength, but in His.

The path we walk here is a spiritual battle.  The enemy will use others to try and bring you down, out of His loving arms.  Don’t take the bait, stay in the safety of His love.  Judgement and retribution are not ours to dispense.  Those that refuse to face God, confess their sins, and continue in their walk further away from God, will face His judgement, not ours.

I was once walking though a very difficult time like this and was very angry at the way I felt God was treating me, I was being foolish, but I told a Godly friend that I felt it was not fair.  In his wisdom offered a solution.  He said, “I have a prayer that will solve your problem.”  I said what is it?  He responded, “Get on your knees and tell God you want what you deserve.”  I’m unwilling to pray that prayer, I don’t want what I deserve, because, in all honesty, I don’t deserve anything.  I’d much rather have the gift of His grace and love.  Tonight I’m turning it loose, and putting it into God’s hands.

Be well, and at peace, in Him,

the pilgrim