Have you ever noticed how the most complex person to please is often yourself?  We are so critical of ourselves.  We often punish ourselves to the extreme for mistakes we would forgive in someone else.  Why?  Why do people sometimes find it hard to love and forgive themselves?  I suppose it has to do with truth.  We can’t wear masks or plaster on a smile when we look in the mirror.  A person might be able to fool everyone else but not himself.  Our insecurities, fears, and failures are laid bare when we look honestly at who we are.

Perhaps this is why we sometimes have trouble embracing the love of God.  We know He loves us, but in our hearts, we have trouble understanding why He loves us.  In His Omniscience, He knows every dark recess of our souls, yet He still adores us so much that He sent Jesus.  We simply can’t understand love like that.  It is almost beyond our ability to comprehend. 

Yet, the Bible assures us it is true.  God is in love with us… not the “all together” us that we show to the world, but the broken, frightened us that we hide underneath.  Why?  It is the mystery of the ages. And sometimes, it is better to stop trying to determine the reason and simply be grateful!

Kerry

I have often wondered in my heart, As quiet moments of reflection take me,

What in life is real and right and true? And what lies am I told by what I see?

Things I touch seem so tangible, My fingers confirm it to be so,

Yet, I know of a world I cannot touch, And there my thoughts often go.

A world of Cherubim and Angels, Where God’s throne rules every space.

Where bodies are perfect and sickness no more, Every being touched by His grace.

I know of horrid things as well, Sheer evil there does dwell.

Demons, wicked angels, yea Satan himself, Every dark denizen of hell.

The good and evil fight around me, Locked in combat every day.

So that my soul might be taken as a prize, Eternally down the wide or narrow way.

But the evil wants to remain unseen, To cloud me with thoughts of a material kind.

Help me Lord to remember what is real, And see it all clearly in my mind!

Kerry

One of the greatest struggles for humanity is the discovery of our value and self-worth. People often feel so very empty and insignificant. The cares of life tend to batter down our self-image and leave us with a sense of meaninglessness and even self-loathing. This is part of the reason why so many people turn to so many vices- alcohol, drugs, sexuality- in an attempt to “fill the void.”

The world is quick to offer solutions. The self-appointed therapists of afternoon talk shows and the mega-rich attitude coaches of late-night infomercials tell us that we must practice “self-love” and engage in more positive “self-talk.” They tell us we must love ourselves before learning to love anyone else. But however quaint their advice may be, it is as far from the truth as the East is from the West.

The Bible tells us that positive self-image does not come through believing we are wonderful but through knowing that God loves us. We don’t need better “self-esteem” but a better understanding of God’s estimation of us! In fact, the Bible tells us that the first step to wholeness is understanding and accepting our own wretchedness and turning in utter dependence on God’s awesome grace. Perhaps the old children’s song has more practical advice on developing self-esteem than today’s pop psychology: “Jesus first, yourself LAST, and others in-between.”

Kerry

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1  NKJV)

What is breakfast without bacon?  The salty meat dripping with delectable cholesterol is one of the most sublime joys of our bad eating habits.  It makes casseroles, eggs, burgers, and sandwiches better.  And it really lasts.  You can keep a slab of bacon in the fridge forever, and it never seems to spoil.  It is even so resistant to spoilage that cowboys carried it in their saddlebags across the scorching desert!  Why?  Bacon has an ingredient that adds to the taste and preserves it- Salt.

Jesus called His people “The Salt of the Earth.”  The Church is supposed to provide this sin-filled world the same blessings that salt provides our breakfast- we preserve and flavor the world.  We preserve the world by offering hope.  As long as Christians are here evangelizing, there is hope that God will hold back his hand of judgment so that more might believe.  Have you ever noticed that the most distasteful dishes can be endured with enough salt?  This is why God can “stomach” this world with all the sin and misery- WE make it palatable to Him.

Is the world a bad place?  Does it seem to be getting worse?  There can be no doubt.  But imagine how it would be without the SALT of Christian lives to PRESERVE and FLAVOR!

Kerry

My world spun in dazed excitement as I held my son for the first time.  My wife and I had been told by the doctors that he, our third and last child, would be born a girl.  We already had two beautiful daughters, and although we had initially hoped for a son, we had accepted and become excited about the coming addition of another sweet daughter.  Yet there I stood, holding 10 pounds, 2 ounces of proof that God was still in control of all things.

That day illustrated for us one of the beautiful truths of God.  He makes all things new and, in the process, provides us with the wondrous and unexpected!  As the writer of Lamentations said, “His compassions fail not, they are new every morning!”  (Lamentations 3:22-23)  With God, every new circumstance, every new life, and every new day are all filled with the glorious promise of possibility!

So what does that say for us?  We have all been “born again” in Christ.  We have been “made new.”   Shouldn’t we lay aside the despair that often clouds our minds and see life as a glorious road filled with grand adventure and beauty?  With this mindset, we can face any obstacle and ask with anticipation, “I wonder what good things God has in store for me tomorrow?” 

Kerry

Blood is typically something we wash off, not something we wash with.  As an organic substance, we want to limit our contact with blood so that any risk of infection is minimized.  When we prepare meat, the amount of time we spend cooking is determined by how long it takes to cook away the blood.  In the medical world, professionals are particularly careful to wear protective gloves whenever they come in contact with blood.  In our culture, blood is almost always something to be avoided.

Yet, the Scriptures frequently extol the cleansing quality of Christ’s blood.  The Hebrew writer says that it “Cleanse(s) your conscience from dead works” (Hebrews 9:14), showing that His blood is what can purge our guilt and provide our minds with peace.  Believers do not cower away from the image of our Savior’s blood.  We embrace it.  Indeed, the Apostle Peter even refers to it as, “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19, NKJV). 

Aren’t the paradoxes of our faith marvelous?  Just as we die to live (new birth) and serve to be exalted, we wash in the blood of Jesus so that we can truly be whiter than snow!

Kerry

“O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle”  (Psalm 140:7  NKJV).

In today’s postmodern culture there are few things as despised as “co-dependency.”  The term is generally used to describe a pitiful individual who cannot survive without the support of another person, who usually mistreats them for their trouble.  The TV talk shows are overcrowded with these sad stories and the self-proclaimed hosts/part-time psychiatrists who tell them that their problem is that they are not independent enough- that that rely upon others and should only ever rely upon themselves.

Certainly we feel for people who are trapped in such situations.  But is the problem really their total reliance upon another, or is it WHO they have become reliant upon?  In scripture we are told that we CANNOT do it all on our own- that we must give up our pride and humbly place our TOTAL trust in God.  We must become reliant- DEPENDENT- upon Him!

This message really doesn’t sit well with our American individualism.  The only person we want to need is ourselves.  It just seems so weak to total depend upon someone else.  But we must.  We have to come to the sobering realization that we cannot do it alone, that “Without HIM I would be NOTHING…”

Kerry

My sweet wife loves the theatre, particularly the big musicals.  From Memphis to Broadway, she would sit through every live performance if money and time would allow.  What is the appeal?  She loves the music, the choreography, and the intricate sets.  In short, she loves it all. Me? I love the ending.

No… I am not being sarcastic. I really do love the endings, the happy endings. You see, musicals are different than dramatic plays.  They aren’t about the intensity of the actors or making profound statements about hot-button social issues.  Musicals are fairy tales, and for the most part, they always have happy endings.

 According to Paul, the Christian life is much the same.  From the opening curtain, life’s plot provides multiple challenges and seemingly insurmountable situations. By the time life hits the intermission, it often seems like things are on the fast track to disaster.  But that is the beauty of this life. We don’t rely upon our own planning or efforts to make it all work out, but we trust in His power and love to see us through. As the Psalmist writes, “Yea though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me…”

Through Jesus, life is not a tragic drama. Life is a musical!

Kerry

Tracks are left behind whenever a person or animal walks through the woods.  Sometimes the trail is clear and other times it is very subtle, but if a person knows what to look for, there is always some evidence that someone or something has passed by.  In a very real sense, our “walk through life” leaves tracks in much the same way.

Some people leave nothing but misery in their wake.  The “path of destruction” trailing their lives might include broken relationships, wounded hearts, or even dysfunctionality.  Others leave behind good things: kindness, love, and warm memories.  These “tracks” become the legacy of a person’s life and define forever how they will be remembered.            

There is another function of “tracks”- they provide a path for others to follow.  As we walk through life, are others following in our very footsteps?  Would we want others to walk life’s road down the same path we have trod?  These questions are sobering and of eternal significance.  Our personal virtue or vice will ALWAYS affect more than just ourselves.  This can be a powerful motivation to live right and prioritize our lives, as we ask ourselves, “What kind of trail am I leaving behind?” 

Kerry

The responsibility of raising children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) can be overwhelming. What greater obligation could God place upon Christian fathers and mothers than to mold our children into adults who live their lives to His glory?

Developing real love for God in the hearts of our children begins with our daily example. Our Father chose to reveal Himself through the metaphor of Father and child. From God’s first reference to Himself as the Father of Israel in Exodus 4:22-23, He adopts the imagery of parent and child over and over throughout the scriptures. Why did God choose to reveal himself in this way? Hebrews 12:5-11 shows us His purpose as the author describes the discipline we receive from our earthly fathers and compares it to the training provided to us by God. Therefore, God intends that children relate to Him as a divine Father through their experiences with their earthly fathers. In this way, parents literally demonstrate the love of God to their children every day. We are a living, breathing example of parental love that our children can use to understand God – how He loves them, how He takes care of them, and how He has sacrificed for them. When your child thinks of you as a parent, their impressions will be transferred to God. In this way, we serve as God’s surrogate with our children.

Deuteronomy 6:5-8 describes the process of teaching our children to love the Lord, as Israel was instructed to love the Lord with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Then, they were further commanded to teach their children to love Him with the same intensity through daily training. Do we fulfill this divine charge? Do we talk to our children about our love for God every day?

(This article was originally produced for the Jenkins Institute)

Kerry