HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH HURT IN YOUR LIFE?

This week posted by one of my Facebook friends was the
following question: "So what do you do when you REALLY want to tell
someone off who hurt you badly so that they realize the damage they've done,
but you know they won't care?"

There
were a great number of responses to this question, most of which urged the
person to pray about it or in someway turn to God about the problem. Several
people urged the perplexed person to write them a letter, so as to confront the
other person with the issue. All of the answers they received were good
answers, each with a personal insight, all involved God in the answer.

I can
relate to this question as probably each of you who read this can. Is there any
"one" right answer, probably not as long as we keep God's Word in
mind as we struggle with this question on a personal level. It’s the idea of
asking ourselves the question, "What would Jesus do in my situation?"
However, there are a couple of scriptures that come to mind as I consider this.

The
first is Romans 12:18-21, where Paul
writes, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with
everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath,
for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the
Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning
coals on his head."  Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

How
we treat others is not dependant upon how they treat us, but on how God would
have us to treat them. It may be that our first thought is, "But that's
not right!" "Where is the justice in that, you are just letting them
get away with bad behavior."

Understand
that if it is a matter of hurting others, breaking the law, hurting God's
church or weakening the power of God's Word, I will stand up and confront
someone. But if it is a personal relationship issue, I may just deal with it
between me and God.

A scripture that goes along with this idea is
Act 8:32-33a, where a Old Testament scripture is quoted: "This
is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: "He was led like a
sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did
not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice."

We
are told that this scripture was fulfilled by Jesus, who was humiliated and
deprived of justice. Did he have the power to require that justice was served?
Yes, but he chose to suffer the humiliation and injustice for the good of
others.

I
don't know where you are at in your spiritual life, whether you can do that of
not, it's not for me to judge. I believe that is why Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, "If it
is possible, as far as it depends on you." It could be that our
prayers for others should included the words of another scripture concerning
ourselves as the man said to Jesus in Mark
9:24; "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
He still had room for growth and so do I, how about you?

Christmas, A time to remember

'"So Joseph also went up
from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and
line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came
for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She
wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for
them in the inn." (Luke 2)

We realize that Christmas is a
holiday established by men; however it is based on the remembrance of the birth
of the Christ Child. Christmas has always been a family celebration, which is
why it has such appeal to us.

As we look at this scripture which
we all know so well, we remember that in the earliest of beginnings, Joseph
heard the angel as he appeared to him in a dream (Matthew 1:20), with a message from God. When he realized it was a
message from God he knew that he could trust Mary. They were committed to one
another as husband and wife, a family, while much of the world would have
rejected the situation.

They were also committed to the
care for the baby, which God had given them. So in reality, the Christmas is a
celebration not just about God sending a Savior, but it's about human love as
well.

Did you know that the most popular
American song ever written is Irving Berlin's "White Christmas?" The
tune is simple, but the message touches the heart. Berlin wrote these words that I'm pretty
sure that most of you know by heart: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
Just like the ones I used to know. Where the tree tops glisten and children
listen to hear the sleigh bells in the snow." It brings memories of home
and family.

Christmas is about remembering the
sacrifice of God who "thought it not a thing to be held onto"
to stay in heaven, "but humbled himself and took on the form of
a man." Christmas is a time to celebrate family. A time to renew
love, celebrate with friends and family that we may not have seen since the
last Christmas.

In the celebration of Christmas we
see a God who humbles Himself and a young couple who have the most amazing
experience at the birth of their son, the king of the universe.

Let me wish each one of you a
joyous Christmas and you celebrate the gift of God and the love of family.

Russ Lawson, Messages From The
Heart

Books by Russ Lawson @
http://www.lulu.com/russlawson

Living Gratefully is sometimes hard

This is the
season for "Thanks" here in America, isn't it? Next week we
will be celebrating our national holiday of Thanksgiving. People will be
gathering all over the country reminding each other of all the things for which
they are thankful in their lives.

The problem
with that is; that not everyone is in a thankful mood. There are many, many
people who have had to deal with tragedy and loss. They are dealing with the
loss of family members, the loss of friends, the loss of jobs, the loss of
homes, cars, and things that cannot be replaced. Some of us despair over the
condition of our county and the loss of moral values in our government and our
society in general.

Sometimes it is
difficult to "Be Grateful," in general; much less live gratefully all
of the time. How do we cope? How do we not read the words of Paul in Philippians 4:4, where he says: "Rejoice
in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice," and not, at times,
feel resentment?

Are we wrong to
feel discouraged? Are we wrong not to go around smiling and laughing all the
time? Honestly; I don't think we are wrong for having emotions and feelings
which are not always in line with rejoicing. We often see Jesus as he is
weighed down with the unbelief of the Jewish nation sorrowing and weeping. If
you are human, then sometimes you are going to hurt.

I believe that,
even though he wrote the words above, the apostle Paul sometimes had trouble
rejoicing "Always". How many times did he chastise those who hurt the
cause of Christ? How often did he warn that judgment is coming to those who
fail to hold onto their faith and serve Satan? Really, do you think he rejoiced
in doing that? I don't!

I believe that
the point Paul was making is that we must never lose sight of the promise of
our hope in the future. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to rejoice or to be
thankful, but that is only until we remind ourselves that this world is only
temporary and that all loses on earth don't really matter eternally. Our live
is more than just the daily grind, pain and loss we suffer here; it is the hope
for the future in which we rejoice! When I remember that, I honestly can
rejoice always (or in all ways), because I remember the eternal promise of God.

TOLERANCE AND GOD

We are living in a very
difficult time in our world. We live in a world where tolerance is often
demanded by those in our society and our government. One definition of
tolerance which I read said, that: "Tolerance is being forced to put up
with something with which you disagree" .

Recently in California a law was passed saying that if a
boy feels that he was really a girl or a girl feels that she is really a boy;
that they must be allowed to use whatever dressing room or shower room they
desire in the public schools. In other words a boy may join you daughter in the
school showers and you daughter may join the boys in their school shower. Also,
a law was passed that said that if your son or daughter had these inclinations
that you are forbidden (by law) as a parent to seek counseling for them. This
is some folk's idea of what tolerance should be like.

As I consider this I think
their idea of tolerance is just plain crazy! It's not unlike the Calvin and
Hobbes cartoon which was run not long ago.

Calvin and Hobbes are shown walking through the
snow. Hobbes asks: "How are you doing on your New
Year's resolutions?"



Calvin replies: "I didn't make any. See, in order to improve oneself, one
must have some idea of what's 'good.' That implies certain values. But as we
all know, values are relative. Every system of belief is equally valid and we
need to tolerate diversity. Virtue isn't 'better' than vice. It's just
different."



Hobbes replies: "I don't know if I can tolerate that much tolerance."

Calvin response was: "I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous
behavior."

That in a nutshell is the
problem. People demand tolerance of their ideas based upon the concept that
there can be no right or wrong, no good or bad. This flies in the face of all
of us who were raised with strong moral and ethical values. Yes, I will readily
admit that my values are based upon God's Word, the bible, but then to begin
with so were most of the laws of our land.

To declare that there is no
true right or wrong, no definable good or bad is ludicrous. There have to be
constant's by which we can guide our society or it will crumble around us,
which is what I am afraid is beginning to happen. It is like declaring a three
egg omelet is good, because it only had one bad egg in it. You can say it is
good, but that does not make it so.

We see developing in our
country a path, a way that is taking us away from everything that made us a
great nation. "The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly
will flourish. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends
in death." (Proverbs 14:11-12, NLT) Is there truly no right or
wrong, no good or bad? God say that there is. Notice what he says in Revelation
21:8 "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those
who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars, their fate is in
the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death, (an eternal
separation from God)."

Some today are saying,
"Who is this God? He's not real! He is only the remnants of an old
mystical teaching. Psalms 14:1, tells us: "Only fools say in their hearts,
'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of
them does good!" You can be tolerant of evil or you can decide
that there really is a right way to live. The choice is yours!

MY CURRENT MOST HATED EXPRESSION

Have you ever heard someone say something really dumb? I mean something
that indicates that they really haven't thought before they spoke. Here are a
couple of examples:

l     
"A
fellow nurse at my hospital received a call from an anxious woman. 'I'm
diabetic and I'm afraid I've had too much sugar today,' she said. 'Are you
light-headed?' my colleague asked. 'No," the caller answered, "I'm a
brunette.'

l     
Here's
another dumb statement: "Most cars on our roads have only one occupant,
usually the driver." (Carol Malia, Anchorwoman).

OK, we can all read these statements and realize that they were not
thought through before they came out of the peoples mouths. Granted these
things are just dumb, they have no lasting consequence or importance in the
grand scheme of things, but shouldn't we think before we speak?

My current most hated expression is "Oh
My God." I am so sick of hearing this pop out of the mouth of almost
everyone I meet. It seems that no one can express surprise anymore without
misusing the name of God in what they say. You hear it a hundred times a day on
television as well as on the radio. We as a people have lost our respect and
reverence for the creator of our universe, our Heavenly Father, our God, when
we use His name in such a frivolous way.

Have you heard someone casually use the name
of our God as a curse, an exclamation of frustration or even surprise? Sure you
have, maybe you've done it yourself. That is only a small example of one way we
can speak out of habit rather than through thought. Let me encourage you
however to start thinking before you speak. There are things that are of more
consequence to us than we sometime think! Let me encourage you to say something
to those who do this and remind them just who's name they are invoking.

 

Jesus speaking in Matthew
12:35-37 says, "The good man out
of his good store gives good things; and the evil man out of his evil store
gives evil things. And I say to you that in the day when they are judged, men
will have to give an account of every foolish word they have said. For
by your words will your righteousness be seen, and by your words you will be
judged."

So how about it, how about stopping
and thinking before you speak, especially when you are speaking about things that
will effect your eternity. After all Jesus said the things that come out of our
mouths, are a result of what has been stored up inside of us. Yes, you can say
you are sorry for having said something, but wouldn't it have been easier not
to have said it at all.

 

Dear Dad

I was in a second hand shop the other day and bought a book,
yes a real book printed on paper. I have nothing against electronic books, I
have a tablet which lets me read books on it also, but I guess I'm of the
generation that still likes to hold a book printed on real paper too.

Anyway, a few days later I started reading the book. As I
normally do, I read the front and rear covers and normally check to see what
year the book was written, etc. (just a curiosity of mine). While looking the
book over I found an inscription in the front of the book and the inscription
has more meaning than the book it'self.

In 1993 two children, Rachal and Richard wrote this message
(in part) in the cover of the book: "Dear Dad… I read something today that
reminded me of you, so here it is… 'A father is strong, yet flexible; wise, yet
always learning; a leader, yet serving others.' That's you dad! We love
you."

We all dream of having the "Perfect" relationship
with our children patterned after some thing we have seen, read or been taught.
The problem is that many in our world rarely have that kind of relationship. We
have been blessed in our family in the fact that now as adults our children
seem to like us pretty well, but it wasn't always that way when they were growing
up. There were lots of times when they probably didn't like us very well, maybe
even wished they had other parents who were more like their idea of the
"Perfect" parents.

That's part of what being a dad is about though, isn't it? A
dad is a source of love and protection, but he is also a source of rules and
discipline. As the inscription said, "A father is strong, yet flexible;
wise, yet always learning; a leader, yet serving others." The Scripture
instructs us as parents, to "Train up a child in the way they should go."
(Proverbs 22:6), and from experience I can tell you, that's not always easy.

Too often today, it seems that Dad's try and be "Best
Friends" to their children, but you can't "Always" be in that
place, because God gave you a greater job. Sometimes you have to face up to the
fact that there are times while they are growing up, that you kids won't like
you very well, but that's how it is suppose to be. Because no one likes to be
disciplined, the scripture tells us, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is
happening, it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of
right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews
12:11, NLT)

Now that they are adults our children can appreciate the
discipline they had while growing up in our home. Occasionally, I'll even get
the "Dear Dad" note or phone call. Those are special and meaningful,
but I don't believe they would happen, if I had been less than a "Real
Dad" while they were growing up. So, dad's, if you want to change the
world, if you want to raise good kids, step up to the place and responsibility
God has given you.

And Rachal and Richard, you message is still appreciated,
even by a different dad than your own.

Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart

BLOG: http://messages-from.blogspot.com

Messages from the Heart is sent several times each week written by Russ Lawson.

To subscribe send a blank email to: join-messages-from-the-heart@hub.xc.org

To Unsubscribe send a blank email to: leave-messages-from-the-heart@hub.xc.org

Send any comments or questions regarding this article to: rlawson@mfth.net

Books by Russ Lawson @
http://www.lulu.com/russlawson

THE HOT WHEEL'S CRASH….

Yesterday I was
reading my diary from a couple of years ago and read about the following
incident. I thought perhaps it would be worth sharing my insights…

Well, the grandson
was here again today and as is usual, the unusual happens when he is around.

Grandma had to leave
for a little while and he has asked me to take him for a walk (translation: you
walk with the dog on the leash and I'll ride my hot wheels bike with you trying
to keep up). Well that afternoon we did take our walk, got out the Hot Wheels
and put on the riding helmet and took off. We enjoyed looking at bugs on the
sidewalk and even stopped by his preschool teachers home, but she wasn't home.
It wasn't a long walk, just around a large block in the city, so when we got
home we stayed outside and let him ride his Hot Wheels on our paved driveway.

The drive has a
pretty good slope down to the garage and he enjoys going to the top of hill and
coasting back down as fast as he can go. Well, this went well for a few times
then he started to get tired and said, "Grandpa, would you push me back up
the hill?" Of course I did and that became the routine. He would hold out
his feet and I would push him pretty fast (for a grandpa) back up the hill.

Well, one of the
times we were going up the hill I saw his feet dip and get mixed up with the
tire and the Hot Wheels started to turn over and I stumbled into it and started
to fall on top of him and the bike. Without even thinking about it I wrapped my
arms around him and the bike and threw myself over on my side and roll over
with him and the bike ending up on top. Thankfully he wasn't hurt at all, but
for grandpa, that's a different matter. It's not terrible, it's not life
threatening, but try skidding on broom finished concrete. I got a couple of
scrapes that drew enough blood to get a couple of oohs from Christopher, as
well as my back, shoulder, etc. muscles hurting like I was beaten. Christopher
told me a kiss from grandma and a Spiderman bandage would make it all better. I
however made a quick trip to the pain reliever bottle and waited for
grandmother to get back and doctor me.

The question is,
"Why did I do that without a moment's hesitation"? The answer is that
"I love him more than myself and have no hesitation at taking any pain to
prevent his injury. Any similarity between God and me is purely accidental, but
the motivation is the same isn't it. The question is "Why did God allow
his Son to die on a cross"? Because he would do anything to prevent pain
and separation for his people, the human race! "For God so loved the world
(people) that he gave his only begotten son that who ever believes on him
should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

A kiss and a
Spiderman Bandage won't take away your sin; it took the sacrifice of a life to
do that!

Have you said
"Thank You to God lately"?

(Grandpa) Russ
Lawson