The FOREVER NOTEBOOK

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18

Nearly a year ago my wife and I decided it was time to downsize. Like many empty nesters our home needs had changed considerably since our sons had moved out on their own. Consequently, we abandoned the bill laden world of homeownership for something simpler and less burdensome. We opted for apartment living.

Almost every day since moving in a gentleman sat outside our front door in a wheelchair. He was a grumpy sort who frequently smoked cigars and chewed tobacco and for whatever reason had claimed a spot near the entrance to our home. One day, not long after moving in, he knocked loudly on our door and complained that I was parking in his parking place. So as not to cause a scene I accommodated him and moved my car wondering why that particular parking spot was so important to a man without a car.

His grumpiness, cigar smoke, and gross ritual of spitting tobacco in a tin can soon resulted in a changed direction as I opted for the back entrance to avoid the unpleasant encounter. Still, his cigar smoke found its way into our apartment as a continual reminder that he was still there.

Soon after my decision to avoid him I began to suffer from a guilty conscience. I knew in my heart of hearts that I should not allow his offensive behavior and habits to keep me from being in a position of ministering to him. Behind all that gruffness was probably a man who could benefit from some words of encouragement.

In the days that followed I made it a point to try to speak to him. At first he would ignore or barely acknowledge my attempts at conversation. My wife also joined in the mission and offered him things she had baked which he also rejected. Gradually he began to thaw and his demeanor toward us changed, the conversations grew longer, and he even got to the point where he greeted us cheerfully.

Eventually I learned his story of how he had suffered a stroke seven years ago confining him to the wheelchair. I also learned that he was my age, loved the Lord, and that his grumpiness was the result of severe pain and emotional stress from his disability. The better I got to know him the less bothersome were the cigars and chewing. I realized that they were the few pleasures still available to him.

Not long ago he disappeared from his familiar spot. His sister shared that his condition had deteriorated and that he was in intensive care at the hospital. A few days later he died.

In today’s focus scripture we read, “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” The context has to do with following the Lords commands to live righteously and to love others sacrificially as Christ loved us. Oftentimes we save the sacrificial part of our love for those closest to us while ignoring the needs of others.

Sacrificial love does not always involve great sacrifice of finances or personal resources. Sometimes sacrificial love is a simple offering of kindness from a cheerful heart. The sacrifice comes when we refuse to allow anything to keep us from demonstrating love to the unlovable. Sacrificial love gets past offensive or unpleasant behavior, habits, and conditions and gets to the needs of the individual.

If you don’t love that unlovable person who will? If you don’t show them the love of Christ who will? That person that you are rejecting or avoiding may have been targeted by God for ministry. Don’t make the mistake of failing to carry out your mission.

Listen to that inner voice of the Holy Spirit in such matters. In verses 19 and 20 of 1 John we read, “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.” If you truly belong to Christ there will be times when the Holy Spirit checks your behavior and reminds you of your responsibility. The day I determined to take the back entrance instead of the front I knew that I was avoiding God’s assignment for me.

Is there an assignment from God that you are missing? Isn’t it time that you show some sacrificial love by putting your own feelings and biases aside so that you can be obedient to the voice of the Spirit?

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15

“Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him.” More than anything else in my life the one thing that I have wanted for as long as I can remember is to live for Jesus. That said, I have failed miserably. I have never lived up to that expectation.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many times I have recommitted my life to Christ or asked for forgiveness of my sins. As a child I would lay upon my bed unable to sleep because I was worried that my life wasn’t right before God. Somebody told me way back then that “the age of accountability” was 11 and by my 10^th birthday I was so overcome with worry that there were nights when I could not sleep at all. I recall thinking that I only had one year to get my life right. Then when I reached the age of 11 I failed my Lutheran catechism class and the only one in my group to do so. My pastor tried to console me by telling me that “you can’t grade faith.” But I was still left with that familiar feeling that I had failed God.

These feelings of falling short of the mark have followed me all the days of my life. I remember tearful confessions through high school and my Navy years. Such feelings of spiritual inadequacy continued into my professional radio career eventually leading me to conclude that God wanted me in the ministry. So I studied theology, became a Southern Baptist pastor, and served churches for about 15 years. The result was even more feelings of not measuring up.

I saw a movie recently about the life of Martin Luther and I was fascinated by his spiritual pilgrimage. He described one period of his life as one of spiritual despair in which he devoted himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, and frequent confession. But all of these spiritual exercises failed to satisfy his desire for pleasing God. In Luther’s years of spiritual struggling I could see myself and readily identified with his constant striving yet, no matter how hard he tried, continually failing to live up to God’s expectations.

Even when I awoke this morning my spiritual shortcomings were on my mind. And then I read the focus scripture, “those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him.” In reality the bar is set higher than any of us will ever be able to reach. Denying self and living for Jesus is beyond our mortal capability. Although a worthy goal no matter how hard we try we will always need God’s grace.

When Jesus announced to Peter that he was about to deny him Peter said, “no way.” He was willing to fight to the death for his Lord. But we all know what happened. Peter did exactly what Jesus said he would do and then wept bitterly. Later, while walking with the risen Lord, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter responded, “You know that I love you.” Indeed Jesus did know that Peter loved Him. Regardless of the depth of our love for the Lord there will be times when we fall short of the mark.

In those moments when I am confronted with my spiritual inadequacies I have learned that His grace is sufficient for all my needs. He died for my failings and there is no limit to the number of times He will grant forgiveness for my sins.

I’ll never be as good as I want to be for Him and neither will you. But when we are going through those feelings of spiritual inadequacy we should accept His forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and move on.

“He is not here; he has risen!”- Luke 24:6

What are your fondest Easter memories? The first Easter that I can remember was when I was five years old. My Uncle Buddy had joined the Marine Corps shortly before Christmas and didn’t return home from basic training until near Easter. Consequently, my mother decided to leave up the Christmas tree so we could have a combination Christmas/Easter celebration. By Easter that tree looked like Charlie Brown’s needleless Christmas tree.

A year later I had a severe case of the measles at Easter. During that time I was confined to the couch in the living room. On the day before Easter I was greeted by some surprise guests. Mom and dad had purchased two live baby bunnies that were not supposed to be seen until Easter morning. But the bunnies had a different idea and escaped from their box in the kitchen.

I also recall my annual Easter morning basket of colored eggs, marshmallow peeps, and chocolate bunnies which traditionally followed with a big family dinner at my grandmother’s house featuring her homemade coconut Easter Bunny cake. Additionally, my childhood Easter celebration always included going to church. Easter Sunday services were always packed to overflowing with decked out parishioners sporting brightly colored new outfits.

Just like you I have many fond Easter memories and have shared only a few to get you thinking about what you remember most about Easter. However, those things we recall about Easter pale in comparison to what Jesus’ disciples experienced on that first Easter Sunday morning. Can you imagine what it was like when they went to the empty tomb.

There are certain events in your life that are so significant that they remain etched in your memory as if they happened just yesterday. Your wedding day, the birth of your first child, the death of a loved one, the day you graduated from high school, etc. These experiences vividly remain with you in great detail. So it must have been for those disciples who looked into the empty tomb.  

I have often thought about the courageous women who followed close behind Jesus on the road to the cross. How it must have grieved them to see the pain already inflicted upon Him through the cruel beating, flogging, and crown of thorns and then to see the nails driven through His hands and feet and to watch for six horrific hours as Jesus suffered the cruelty of the cross. They witnessed the punishment, the ridicule, and the murder of the One they loved dearly and even after His death they waited for Jesus’ body to be removed from the cross. When His body was carried off for burial they followed to see where He was entombed. They finally left out of obedience for rest on the Sabbath. Even then they planned to return to the grave for the proper preparation of Jesus’ body with spices and perfumes. How that miserable ordeal must have played over and over again in their minds.

When we are shaken by severely traumatic situations the agonizing thoughts remain continually with us. As they awoke on that first Easter Sunday morning they were surely greeted by thoughts of overwhelming grief. In fact, the weight of emotional stress may have been so great that sleep eluded them. They approached the tomb, not in joy, but in great sorrow.

With an unpleasant task before them they returned to the tomb to provide Jesus with a proper burial. Upon arriving they were hit with yet another setback. The tomb was empty. And then:

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words. (Luke 24:4-8)

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything for them. Sorrow turned to joy, defeat turned to victory, discouragement turned to hope, and death turned to life. Three simple yet powerful words changed their lives forever. “He has risen.”

My Easter memories have no real value other than just the recall of some happy times of days gone by. Oh, but the Easter memories of those women who faithfully followed Jesus. I’ll take their memories over mine any day.

I can only imagine how things will be in heaven. Maybe someday I’ll be so fortunate as to sit by some of these women as they recall their experience on that first Easter. And if someone should ask me to share my favorite Easter memory I’ll simply say, “My most favorite Easter memory is the same as yours. ‘He has risen!’”