2020-08-10
Ephesians 2:8 NLT
The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is a familiar story, but have you ever considered that there might be two prodigal sons in that story? The chapter begins: ‘Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people…So Jesus told them this story’ (Luke 15:1-3 NLT). Jesus was talking to two different groups: 1) Rule breakers like the Prodigal Son, who realise it’s only through God’s grace that we’re saved. 2) Rule keepers like the older brother, who think they can earn salvation by doing good works. And that makes rule keepers judgmental towards rule breakers. In Luke 15:28-30, the older brother refused to attend his brother’s homecoming party. He had followed his father’s instructions and worked hard, and he didn’t think it was fair that his brother should be celebrated while he got nothing. But his father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours’ (vv. 31 ESV). By using the word ‘son, Jesus was teaching that we’re saved by relationship, not rule-keeping. The older brother thought his father’s acceptance depended on his actions. Although our actions are important to God, our redemption depends only on Christ’s actions: ‘God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT). We are saved by grace alone.
Deut 25-27; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 119:33-40; Prov 17:16
2020-08-09
Matthew 5:39 NCV
Over the last few days we’ve been thinking through how we deal with difficult people and negativity. We know that we don’t need to fear others, or exact revenge. With the Holy Spirit helping us, we’re asked to confront the other person with honesty, strength, and where possible, positivity and grace. We can use the tools God has given us to check in with Him before reacting, and lovingly work towards reconciliation. There’s a reason that Philippians 3:14 calls the Christian life a ‘high calling’ (KJV). With God, we really can rise above any difficulty. In Matthew 5:43-47, Jesus says ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven… If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?… And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?’ (NIVUK). God is calling us not only to deal well with difficult people, but to love them and pray for them. That’s a hard instruction, but we can be assured that whatever God asks us to do, He will help us with. A good first step is to pray for those people as Jesus instructs. Make sure not to use that as a chance to dwell on your anger or to be passive-aggressive, though. Set the situation aside for a moment, and pray for the difficult person as a human being. Pray for their heart, for them to have a life-changing relationship with God. Pray for them to be surrounded by so much good that they soften. Pray for their healing. Pray positively, and pray with love.
Ruth 2:5-12; Ruth 3:1-6; Ruth 4:9-17
2020-08-08
Romans 12:19 NIV
In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus said, ‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you…If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also’ (NIV). He was referring to the Old Testament ‘law of retaliation’ that stopped people exacting out-of-proportion revenge. It explained that all punishments should be relative to the crime. Jesus, however, took the idea of getting away with as much punishment as was allowed, and turned it into forgiveness. We know that ‘if anyone slaps you on the right cheek’, it’s natural to want to return the hit, but that starts an endless back and forth. Retaliation leads to retaliation. Here, we’re asked to break that cycle. It’s worth noting that Jesus wasn’t telling people to allow themselves to be taken advantage of, or to allow mistreatment to continue. If a difficult person is making you unsafe, then you absolutely should find a way to get out of that situation and let someone know what’s going on. Whatever the circumstances though, God tells us to avoid messy human revenge and allow Him to deal with the wrongdoer. Romans 12:19-21 tells us ‘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’ (NIV). It’s our job to walk away, and do as much good as possible. We’re called to bring light despite the difficult people. Trust God to do the rest.
Deut 22-24; Luke 12:13-21; Ps 119:25-32; Prov 17:11-15
2020-08-07
1 Peter 2:23 NLT
We read about Jesus showing His anger in difficult situations yesterday; however, we have to remember that He also dealt with a lot of testing people with patience and calm. In Matthew 27 we see Jesus talking to officials who have the power to torture and kill Him, and He still reacts in a Spirit-filled way. Mostly, He keeps quiet. When He does speak, He says only what is necessary to answer, with no need to try to hurt them or prove His own very real righteousness. He could have defended Himself, shouted everyone down, and proven His Godliness. But being in tune with His Father’s plans, He remained calm and dealt with the situation with dignity. About all of this, Peter writes: ‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps… He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly’ (1 Peter 2:20-23 NLT). What more could we want than to know that God is pleased with us, and that we’re following in Jesus’ steps. We can consider difficult people as an opportunity to bring more of God’s light into this world. Consider that people who are hurting in their own hearts are often the ones to lash out and hurt others. Our responses to difficult people could be a chance to share God’s grace and patience with someone who, deep down, desperately needs Him.
Deut 18-21; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Prov 17:7-10
2020-08-06
Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV
It’s important to notice that, even as Christians, we still anger. Ephesians 4:26 says ‘in your anger don not sin’ (NIV). It’s not the feeling that’s the problem, it’s what we do with it that can be harmful. Anger is a normal, sometimes healthy response to something that seems wrong. Just read Matthew 21, where we see Jesus flipping tables and cursing trees. Jesus got angry, and sometimes, letting people know about our feelings like He did is necessary. It’s important, though, for us to learn to recognise when that is. We should test whether our anger is righteous on God’s behalf, or whether we’re at risk of escalating a situation that calls for quiet patience and grace. The only way to know is to call for God to lead you. One valuable step is using the inbuilt quarter of a second that experts say our brain provides us with before reacting in stressful situations. A quarter of a second doesn’t sound like much, but it is long enough to turn to God. Even when we’re face to face with someone difficult, God has wired our brains to allow us to call out and let Him take the lead. With His strength, we can train ourselves to use that quarter of a second to pray ‘God, help’ while we take a breath. That two-word prayer invites the Holy Spirit into whatever we say and do next. He helps direct our conscience and lets us know whether our response is right. It might be difficult to remember to use that quarter of a second, and we may not always get it right even when we do, but with practice and prayer, calling on God first will become automatic.
Deut 14-17; Luke 11:45-54; Ps 119:9-16; Prov 17:4-6
2020-08-05
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV
We’ll always have difficult people in our lives, but the good news is that we can always have the Holy Spirit in our lives too. With the Holy Spirit, we really can ‘strive to do what is good for each other’, even when we’re facing challenging attitudes and actions. The Bible tells us to ‘be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (1 Thessalonians 5:32 NIV). This is a reminder that we’re called to do what is good for the people who we find difficult, as well as those that we get on with. We all need forgiving, and as God reaches out to forgive us, we should live by His example and show that compassion to those who feel difficult to us. In our own strength that can sound impossible, but that’s why we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to change our outlook and to rein in our emotions. It really is vital to do that. 1 Thessalonians also tells us what happens if we don’t let the Holy Spirit do that work. Verses 26 and 27 say ‘Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold’ (NIV). This tells us that holding a grudge against a difficult person, or allowing ourselves to stay in an angry mindset, opens the doors for all other kinds of negativity in our lives. It multiplies the hurt that we’re feeling. However, when we invite the Spirit to help us let go, and ask Him to change how we feel and act, it creates opportunities for hearts and situations to change. God can and will break through.
Deut 11-13; Luke 11:29-44; Ps 119:1-8; Prov 17:3
