Saturday, February 23, 2008

HEY, IS THAT A PET ROCK IN YOUR CHEST?


The other day my seventeen year old daughter came home and told me about a fight she was having with a couple of her best friends. The trio have been friends for years – now all of a sudden a new boyfriend – new jobs – drivers licenses and presto! A recipe for a fight…and a big one. It was so troubling to my little girl that she sought the counsel of the great counselor, the great physician – The Rock – God. She responded to an alter call and poured her heart out. In the days following God responded – just as we knew he would…but did my litter girl respond the way she’s supposed to? You see in a matter of hours after the alter call a letter was written to one of the girls, delivered twelve hours later – and by the thirteenth hour they had made up – but what about the other girl? Was her friendship not even worth an attempt to salvage? I asked that very question and I learned that my daughter was bitter – it seems this other girl is the one who started all of the strife between them and so my daughter thought it best not to even attempt to reconcile…but what are we supposed to do in that situation? We’ve all been there – someone wrongs us and immediately we write them off like the old saying, “Get me once, shame on you – Get me twice, shame on me.” That statement does not imply forgiveness. Instead it simply says we should live with resentment in our hearts – hatred in our minds and bitterness in our soul – but what does God say about it?

Philippians 2:1-11

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not [only] for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. 7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In this passage we learn the importance of putting others ahead of ourselves – Just as Christ did when he suffered death on the cross.

Later my daughter and I talked and learned that this girl, the “strife maker”, was actually going through a very troubled time in her life. You see, her father is suffering with cancer. He has had several surgeries and chemotherapy and several other treatments that have altered his life…and in many ways her life – forever. Now, I don’t know why she is taking her problems out on my daughter, but one thing is for sure – If she asks for forgiveness – my daughter will give it – just as Jesus gives it daily.

I’m not saying that we have to be the worlds punching bag – but holding a grudge in your heart can turn it to stone – If you’ve got a pet rock in your chest – just give it to God…he’s probably got a pretty big collection! (See above photo!! HAHA)

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