Tag: grace

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How’s Your Temperament

Yesterday I was on a call discussing some design issues, and I noticed that I was getting a little bit frustrated with the way the call was going.  I am not exactly sure why.  Well, actually I think I know – it’s more of a style issue with the person leading then with his position on the argument.

Anyway during the middle of the conversation another participant sent me an instant message which said “You sound angry”.

ARGH.

I hate that.  I didn’t want to be angry.  I had just read the first chapter of James, where he talks about being slow to anger.  I had no reason to be be angry.  For the most part is was just a conversation about ideas.  And I didn’t really feel that angry – but it was coming on out!

Later in the day I was reminded of this quote from C.S. Lewis

Provocation doesn’t make me ill-tempered: it only shows me how ill-tempered I am

Fitting.

and disappointing.

and well, provoking.

I spent the rest of the day with that heavy ache in the pit of your stomach when you know that you were not doing the right thing.  Luckily I get a new day today to have another go at it.  That’s why I love grace.

Maybe one day it will change my temperament!

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you! Ephesians 4:31-32

 

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An Small Bit of Encouragement

I am a little late of this one, but it’s still pretty powerful. Many of you football fans watched two Sundays ago when the 49er’s lost to the Giants.  The points that beat them all occurred immediately after two major punt catching snafus by a young 49er named Kyle Williams.  I remember thinking last Sunday night, how incredibly disappointed that player had to be.

Well, most of the 49er nation was as well, and many took to the old faithful death threat against the player who made the mistake.  So sad.

But Friday, I received an email about a 7 year old 49er fan, and his reaction to the fumble that effective cost the 49er’s a trip to the Super Bowl.  You can read more about it here ( and you should read it, as it has more background information that is, well pretty amazing. and a picture of the letter!). Essentially after some consultation with his father, he wrote this letter to Mr Williams.

Dear Mr. Williams:

We just watched the Playoff game. I feel really bad for you but I wanted to tell you that you had a great season. you sould be very proud, so I wanted to say thank you.

I am your #1 FAN!

Owen Shure
Los Angeles, CA

p.s. your awsome

I love it. I love seeing grace through the eyes of a 7 year old.

And then this was attached to the email I received  from a twenty-something friend of mine

Who am I? Who am I to cut someone off? Who am I to tell someone, ‘way to mess that one up…” Who am I to deny someone their redemption? Sometimes it takes the tiny tender heart of a child to make us see when we’re not being true to what we preach. Everybody messes up. Everybody makes mistakes. Those guys on that field are no different from you and me. I’ve seen the best of them make the dumbest mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves a redemption song. I hope he gets his.

Hm, the power of grace. It’s so fun to watch others receive it. But are you willing to give it out today?

31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 The Message (MSG)

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Worthy of the Effort

Last night the Mountaineer basketball team lost a game that they should have won.  What’s worse is they lost it really because of a lack of effort or concern.  It’s long been established that the coaches at West Virginia continue to tell the players that they play for the entire state – a state that holds the reputation of being a blue collar, hard working, coal mining state.

After the game last night, their coach Bob Huggins reportedly said that the effort the team displayed was very disrespectful to West Virginians.

“I’m sure there are a lot of days they don’t want to go down in that mine, but they do.”

Hmm. That’s pretty interesting.  He was essentially saying “They go work, they do incredible hard dirty work so that you can play basketball.  How are you going to respond to that?”

I guess we could even think about it that this way: Those miners are going to work today, to harvest coal, that will be turned in electricity, that you will consume – what are you going to do with that power?  Will it be worthy of their trip?

Even more so, we can think about some one else who did the work for us, so that we didn’t have to do a thing. The book of Romans address this in several verses spread over a few chapters.

5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him

6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

 

In light of that work, what effort are you giving today to  live?

 

 

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The Verdict

I was trying to avoid it at all costs, but it has been everywhere.  Turn on the TV, it was there, Facebook, twitter, even in the hardware store.  If if you didn’t want to participate, you had to be pretty isolated to not have some clue about the Casey Anthony trial. And now it has make it to this “buffet of buffets”.

So, the verdict came down yesterday and the world went crazy.  Surprise, shock, and even outrage has been the rule of the day.  As I mentioned, I have tried to avoid this whole thing and have only paid partial attention whenever I have been around any coverage, but even with that little bit of observation, it’s pretty easy to lean toward the guilty side.

But today, I wanted to throw some other thoughts in the ring for your consideration.  I probably should not go here, and maybe very wrong about this, but here are some things tangentially related to the trial that I post for your consideration.

I noticed the outrage and condemnation all over my Facebook world last night and it reminded me of my old preacher man Steve Riley who would frequently say something to the effect of “we are quick to judge when it’s others, but quick to beg for mercy when it is us”.  (That’s not really a quote, and I am sure he was not the original creator of that thought, but it is him who I always think of when that concept creeps into my little brain)

Anyway, as you consider the Anthony young lady, and the disaster that is her existence on this Earth, think about the mercy that you walk in the the light of everyday.  Do she do it? – yes probably.  Is it just the most horrific thing you can think of – well for me, I can actually think of some things much more horrific, but this one is pretty bad.  Should the legal system produce a more just result?- I would think so.  (That being said, I am glad for a legal system that leans toward innocence, versus the alternative).  Should we react to her in a condemning way – hm, this is where I catch myself.  Take a look at these two teachings:

 

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:12-13 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Jude 1:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Christ, the most beautiful man to ever live, and I mean that not in appearance, but in his character and spirit, admonishes us to be careful with judgement, even so much as to turn that over to God, and to be free with mercy – rescuing those who are in trouble, but hating the actions they have taken. I wish I could be that way, and that is why I sit and stare at these verses this morning and consider the tragedy in Orlando, and formulate what sort of reaction to have to that mess.

What do you think?

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May the Fourth Be With You

The power is back to my house, and I feel like I have just discovered a secret power as I have been reacquainted with all of my electric gadgets and gizmos.  Sort of fitting that that happens when it’s Star Wars Day!  That’s right  – May The Fourth Be With You!

That’s a pretty cool parting salutation, up there with ‘Shalom’, and it reminds me of the way Paul ended lots of his letters to the first century churches.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (Philippians 4:23, New International Version, ©2011)

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. (Galatians 6:18, New International Version, ©2011)

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, New International Version, ©2011)

So, today, remember the story of the Jedi’s and where their power come from – and have fun with your friends bestowing that salutation on them. But also, be thankful for the electric power that you enjoy in your home, and spend a moment considering how the grace of Christ and the love of God will power you if you allow it to be with your spirit!