Matthew 18:1-5
About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called a child over and had the child stand near him. Then he said:
I promise you this. If you don’t change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Author Beth Moore talks about her daughters in Feathers from My Nest…how one had a reputation for procrastination – particularly when it came to studying. From time to time, this daughter would “turn over a new leaf” – and make a visit to a local store to purchase another binder and clean notebook paper that signified the next “fresh start” was in action. Moore notes that there is nothing like a clean start… that adults must release children from the burden of past mistakes and allow them to learn and grow from their experiences so that they don’t carry them along as cumulative baggage. She acknowledges that children have to deal with their mistakes…but they must also be allowed to release them. And she notes that we are God’s children…and this is His way with all of us.
Stick with me here. Moore talks about how some adults want to shame children for their mistakes…how this shamed child sometimes seeks God out of a sense of guilt more than a profound desire to be in a relationship with Him. She reminds us that God sent Jesus to take our shame…and that He still does this for us, even today. Moore says of God…”Shame is never His game.”*
Does this describe you? Are you a “shamed child” (both literally and figuratively)? Do you serve God more from a place of guilt and obligation than one of yearning for His presence and care? Have you behaved toward others like a “shaming parent”? Have you judged them and remembered their mistakes? Have you shown the compassion, hope, and encouragement of a “fresh start” with God to those whom you encounter?
Given the opportunity, children seem to have an innate ability to move forward…to leave the past behind and start over each day – if not each hour or minute! But it doesn’t take long for adults to pollute this…to load the child with guilt and shame and a sense of cumulative mistakes and failures. We must be careful to allow children room to make blunders – and to grow and learn from them before they toss them to the curb.
We must also do this with others in our midst. Will we forever remember the mistakes of our friends and neighbors? Will we continue to judge others based on their past? Will we remind them of the actions of their youth – or even adulthood – that were reckless, insensitive…or maybe even illegal? Or will we encourage and nurture a “fresh start” in others…whether these persons have initiated one or still need a gentle nudge in order to do so?
Will we look at others and see them as God sees them...”children” whom He loves with all of His heart? Will we offer them the love, grace, mercy, compassion and encouragement they need in order to respectfully seek God’s guidance and the Kingdom of Heaven? I would assume that this is the treatment we desire in our own lives. Don’t you think it’s time we reciprocated?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*Feathers From My Nest ~©Beth Moore – B & H Publishing, Nashville, TN – All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label shame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shame. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 29, 2013
Malachi 2:4-5
I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi. I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name. He taught the truth and never told lies, and he led a lot of people to turn from sin, because he obeyed me and lived right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently our church held a baptism at our city’s public beach. Ten children and youth and 2 adults were baptized. After the service, a friend approached us and began to share how she had been touched by this event. One of the young girls baptized was a member of her “small group”, and she explained that she loved her “girls” like her own daughters. She said (I’m paraphrasing here)…“We talk about everything. I have told them that I made my share of mistakes… and they will, too… and God will still love them.”
This is the message of today’s scripture passage. I went back to Genesis and Exodus and refreshed my memory about Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. In Genesis 34, we read how Levi and his brother Simeon sought revenge on the family of Shechem, who had raped their sister Dinah. The brothers killed Shechem and his family and pillaged their home and property… and Jacob was not pleased. In fact, he cursed Levi and Simeon for this. (Does this sound like “Real Housewives – or House Men – of the Bible?!”)
We also read in Exodus 32 how the people of Levi’s tribe (Levites) waited for Moses to bring the tablets with God’s commands down from Mt. Sinai. They did not worship the golden calf that had been created by Aaron and his followers. For this, God blessed the tribe of Levi. He didn’t promise them land, which was a common reward in that era. Instead, God promised them something far more valuable and enduring... God promised to scatter His love and care throughout the subsequent generations of Levi. He promised to bless their honor, respect and obedience with the gift of a full life in Him.
Remember, these were Old Testament writings. Jesus had not come to die on the cross. He was yet another of God’s gifts to those who are respectful, honest and obedient… those who trust in Him to meet their every need. I tell you all of this to reiterate what my friend said… we all make mistakes. We may not kill and loot an entire village of people… rob and steal, abuse animals and people alike, as Levi and Simeon did to Shechem’s family. But we will sin, just the same. And there is nothing we can do that God cannot forgive – if we are truly repentant and humble. There is nothing we can do to make God stop loving us!
The only way we could possibly make God turn His back on us would be to turn our backs on Him and renounce Him for good. Trust me… some have tried this for a while. They have wandered away from God for a season… maybe even claimed that God does not exist. But even these people can experience God’s love and blessings again… if only they will turn around and claim Him once more. This should give us all tremendous peace and comfort!
Someone needs this message today. Someone needs to know that God still loves them! One or more of us need to hear that God will take us back…set us upright…forgive us whatever it is we have done that seems so horrid and shameful… and bless us beyond anything we could ever imagine! All we have to do is turn to Him… give Him our honest, humble, obedient love and respect… acknowledge His son, Jesus Christ, as our savior…and earnestly ask for forgiveness. It truly is that simple.
Peace and restoration are just a prayer away. What are you waiting for?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi. I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name. He taught the truth and never told lies, and he led a lot of people to turn from sin, because he obeyed me and lived right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently our church held a baptism at our city’s public beach. Ten children and youth and 2 adults were baptized. After the service, a friend approached us and began to share how she had been touched by this event. One of the young girls baptized was a member of her “small group”, and she explained that she loved her “girls” like her own daughters. She said (I’m paraphrasing here)…“We talk about everything. I have told them that I made my share of mistakes… and they will, too… and God will still love them.”
This is the message of today’s scripture passage. I went back to Genesis and Exodus and refreshed my memory about Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. In Genesis 34, we read how Levi and his brother Simeon sought revenge on the family of Shechem, who had raped their sister Dinah. The brothers killed Shechem and his family and pillaged their home and property… and Jacob was not pleased. In fact, he cursed Levi and Simeon for this. (Does this sound like “Real Housewives – or House Men – of the Bible?!”)
We also read in Exodus 32 how the people of Levi’s tribe (Levites) waited for Moses to bring the tablets with God’s commands down from Mt. Sinai. They did not worship the golden calf that had been created by Aaron and his followers. For this, God blessed the tribe of Levi. He didn’t promise them land, which was a common reward in that era. Instead, God promised them something far more valuable and enduring... God promised to scatter His love and care throughout the subsequent generations of Levi. He promised to bless their honor, respect and obedience with the gift of a full life in Him.
Remember, these were Old Testament writings. Jesus had not come to die on the cross. He was yet another of God’s gifts to those who are respectful, honest and obedient… those who trust in Him to meet their every need. I tell you all of this to reiterate what my friend said… we all make mistakes. We may not kill and loot an entire village of people… rob and steal, abuse animals and people alike, as Levi and Simeon did to Shechem’s family. But we will sin, just the same. And there is nothing we can do that God cannot forgive – if we are truly repentant and humble. There is nothing we can do to make God stop loving us!
The only way we could possibly make God turn His back on us would be to turn our backs on Him and renounce Him for good. Trust me… some have tried this for a while. They have wandered away from God for a season… maybe even claimed that God does not exist. But even these people can experience God’s love and blessings again… if only they will turn around and claim Him once more. This should give us all tremendous peace and comfort!
Someone needs this message today. Someone needs to know that God still loves them! One or more of us need to hear that God will take us back…set us upright…forgive us whatever it is we have done that seems so horrid and shameful… and bless us beyond anything we could ever imagine! All we have to do is turn to Him… give Him our honest, humble, obedient love and respect… acknowledge His son, Jesus Christ, as our savior…and earnestly ask for forgiveness. It truly is that simple.
Peace and restoration are just a prayer away. What are you waiting for?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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