It is hard to believe but today is the last conversation on this journey we have been on to freedom and courage. For me personally, I will be sad to see this series go because it has challenged me, and helped me so much, and just seemed to hit so many of us here in the Spiritual Family at the right time, with the right concepts to help us on this journey we call life. The goal was for us to get to this place where we are experiencing our best life, you know, the life that Christianity advertises that seems so unreachable most of the time and we have learned that it absolutely is reachable, but it doesn’t just fall into our lap. We have to do the hard work, the “heart work,” necessary to learn, love, forgive, and grow into the very people God called us to be, which is tough in this challenging world we live in, but it is possible for us to live out this life of freedom and courage. It’s funny because most people look at Christianity all wrong. They look at rules and religious practices and see oppressive things to do that weigh their lives down and don’t allow the fun days of old to continue. But they are missing the fact that all of our spiritual practices God commands of us, our opportunities to worship together and grow lead us to more, they lead us to our best life, the very life God desires for us that we often fight, miss out on, and can’t even picture existing, because the journey to get there leads us into challenges, through adversity and pain, and into places that don’t seem to make life easier…but on the other side of all of that, as we work through it all is everything that could be…freedom, courage, our best lives possible.
This is why the very first thing we needed to do was make a choice to align ourselves with God’s will and desires for our lives. This is so important because so often in life things hit and don’t seem to be going the way we want, while they are going exactly the way they need for us to experience this life of freedom and courage. Ken one time was trying to encourage me through a difficult time in my life, and he told me a bunch of positive things about myself that I’m not great at accepting. He said, “Sam, you are winning.” I replied without really thinking, “Ken, winning sure feels like losing most of the time.” LOL, it’s probably not my most positive statement, but it’s so true. Winning can feel like losing at times, can’t it? Life is hard, and we must choose to align to God’s will and then follow it no matter what. That is why, in the next few weeks, we talked about tests, trials, and lonely seasons of life. Because we all experience them on our journey, they aren’t easy, but God uses ALL things for the good of those who love Him, It’s tough but some of the ALL things are easier to accept then others. We then talked about the importance of slowing down, which is not easy to do in our culture that rewards busyness and clutter and keeps us overworked, overstimulated, and overly tired…blocking us from true intimacy with God and deeper relationships with each other as well. That moved us to an important discussion on Spiritual Maturity. We learned what it is, what it is not, and how it is measured. It’s all about how we treat others; our spiritual maturity is measured by our ability or inability to love well. We then spoke of the dangers of self-promotion and how important it is to not get caught in the comparing and competing trap that this world seems to have set for us all. Finishing the first section of this deliberate pathway with a talk on prayer and an opportunity to learn from the prayer life of Jesus. Those first steps on this journey were all about our heart condition and our personal development as followers of Jesus. As this love of God grows and develops in us, it leads us to love others well, and this second half of the journey has been all about relationships. This is where our faith is seen, felt, and heard. The result of all we are doing with God and all that heart work leads us to a life of love. It allows us to slow down with people, to not see people through our hurts and insecurities or as things to leverage, but to truly see people for who they are. It allows us to not assume things about people, and mind-read their thoughts and motives…which frees up relationships in a new way. It allows us to truly love well, to not hold things on people, to forgive, and to show the same love and grace with others that we are so grateful to be experiencing with God. This is how people see God in us, through the love we have for each other. They see and feel that love and know there is something a Christian has that they need in their lives, too. The issue is that so many Christians aren’t growing in love. They aren’t moving toward spiritual maturity, so what is seen, felt, and heard in them doesn’t draw people to Jesus; instead, it blocks them from Him. I love this quote from Pete Scazzero that came up in one of the classes in this series. It really makes me think.
“Can we love and live in such a way that the world would be THIRSTY for Jesus by watching the way that we love each other?” – Pete Scazzero
Many Christians and I would include myself in this, spend a lifetime reading the Bible, praying, loving God, and doing their best to share God with others while never growing to the place where they can love others well, and it’s our love for one another that is the witness that impacts the world. One of the gifts of this journey that I would encourage you to keep revisiting was a bit of a scouting report on what we humans tend to do. Every week, we have been pointing to different ways we make our hard lives so much harder through our actions, choices, and responses to life, to people, and to Our Heavenly Father. As we finish this series, we will look at another way we make a hard life harder.
So, as we close out a series that gives us the opportunity to live our best lives possible, I just kept thinking…it is so exciting. It’s a true opportunity for more, but if we are honest, many hear this stuff, agree with it all, and know it is probably the right way to move forward in life, but never do move forward in life this way. They either are blocked or aren’t willing to do it. In so many ways, we can feel stuck or stay stuck, and in a strange way, we may even find comfort in being stuck. Life change is challenging and takes effort. Doing nothing is always easier. You know, I have had a lot of time lately driving and thinking, and I just kept thinking about that idea of being stuck. As I listen to people talk and share their stories with me, I keep hearing something in conversations that stands out to me. We do get stuck. There are life-shaping moments in our lives. One small moment in time that impacts us so deeply that it shapes things moving forward. We think about it, we talk about it, we loop back to it, we see people and life differently because of it. We spend the rest of our lives trying to live it down. You can live for 50 years and have 30 seconds of that timeline impact you so deeply that it wipes out many other moments from the other 49 years, 364 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds of your life. Some of these life-shaping moments are painful, some life-shaping moments are the big wins and successful moments, and some are the painful mistakes we regret so deeply, just wishing we could take them back. These life-shaping moments that we get stuck in stick with us. We carry them around and do our best to live in them or live them down. I’m not sure if it’s this series, or what, but I’m seeing this in every interaction I have with people lately. So many of us are stuck in those life-shaping moments…and I want you to know something about them. They didn’t choose to be life shaping moments for you, you chose them! You may never have thought that way, especially if it is something that happened to you, but it’s true. That moment, that one careless word from someone having a bad day, that one dumb decision, that one big win, whatever it may be, can shape your life. We can get stuck and not move through them. When that happens, life becomes an endless loop of reaction and action based on those types of moments. It keeps us from our best lives. We struggle to be present. We don’t see and hear people. We can’t love well because we perceive life through our hurts, wounds, and insecurities. We can be in a room with people, but so often, we aren’t where we are, we are somewhere else…but we aren’t some WHERE else; if we think about this, we are some TIME else.
We have these moments in our lives that we just can’t move past. Sometimes, people keep us stuck in those moments, and sometimes, our circumstances may help us stay stuck in those moments, but the reality is we do this to ourselves. We just never leave that moment in time and move on in our journey to freedom and courage. Now time goes on, and we keep doing life, but when we are stuck in a moment in time, well, we make a hard life harder…probably the hardest it can possibly be because we just aren’t able to be present in the next moments. Worse than missing out on new moments, that moment in time we are stuck in can wipe out so many other moments along the way, and the rest of our lives are spent seeing life through that moment, interacting and perceiving people in response to that moment, and most likely working hard to live down a moment in time that we can’t seem to live down. And the harder we try to prove that moment wrong, the more we seem to keep reliving it over and over again. That’s the tragedy, when we get stuck in these moments our past becomes are present, and our future. What a trap. The harder we try to live it down, the more stuck we become. Geri Scazzero said something that has really had me thinking. It is one sentence but a massive statement with a huge impact if we get this.
“I rest in God’s love because there is nothing left to prove.” – Geri Scazzero
Wouldn’t that be nice? To live in such a way where we have nothing to prove because we are so centered on God’s love for us? I believe so much of this journey to freedom and courage is facing down those moments, reconciling them, and moving forward as the person God created you to be…rather than continuing to try to prove them wrong, which inevitably does the opposite. The challenge is that we accept them and may be more comfortable where we are than in the life that God created and desires for us. And there is so much there for us if we can move past those moments in time. So, as we get started today, I would like you to think about this. When you look back over your life, what are your life-shaping moments in time? What may you have chosen to shape and direct your life? Are they positive or negative? What are you carrying with you? Is there something or someone you are trying to live down or prove wrong from your past? That is hard to do because it happened, and so often, as we try to live down something that happened…it just keeps happening. As you process that and probably have a moment or two already in your mind, I want to show you a moment where God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the children of Israel. It’s the Scripture that has been on my heart and mind a lot lately as I interact with people and hear their stories. I will read a few verses that will lead us into the Scripture that I want is to focus on today.
Isaiah 43:14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon, forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are so proud of. 15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator and King. 16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. 17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. NLT
Ok, so the children of Israel are in trouble again—this time from the Babylonians. God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah as they fear for their lives, and it’s interesting because God points back a moment that He brings up a lot when they are afraid. He says, remember what I did for you with the Egyptians? I parted the sea and gave you a dry path to walk through. I called the Egyptians to chase you into the sea, and I wiped them out for you. So, here we are talking about not getting stuck in a moment in time, and God is pointing to a huge life-shaping moment in their lives and saying remember! It did happen. Then God says forget it. So, remember it, but forget it. Check this out. This is our focus today.
Isaiah 43:18 “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? NLT
God says remember that massive moment. Now, forget it. I’m about to do something new. See, I have already begun…do you see it? This is beautiful. There is so much imagery here for us as people. We have been saved by God through Jesus. A massive moment in our lives, but life keeps hitting and happening. Just like the children of Israel, they were saved and freed from the Egyptians in a mighty way, and you would think life would be easy and comfortable, but they keep dealing with stuff! There are still challenges, adversity, and tests in their lives, even after God freed them. We may not have conquering nations coming to wipe us out, but we also come to know Jesus and continue to walk through so much in life. I love this moment where God points to what happened with Egypt. This is one of those life-shaping moments in time for them, and then He says to forget it. I’m about to do something new. For so many of us, we need to trust God this way in our lives too. Now, we have memories, and coming to know Christ doesn’t remove those memories from our hearts and minds, but we can’t stay stuck in those moments in time that happened because if we do, they will keep happening. We need to do what God encourages them to do, remember that He is with us in the tough stuff, but let go of those moments, allow God to redeem them, and look to the new thing that God is about to do because He is up to something that is so much better than the old. I love finding places in Scripture that talk this way…and thinking through these life-shaping moments in our lives that we may be stuck in sheds new light on this idea of God making all things new through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! NLT
What if becoming this new person means we don’t have to live in our past anymore but can learn from it, give it to Jesus, and move forward as this new person in Jesus? The old life is gone. The new life has begun. As Christians, we know this, point to this, sing worship songs about this, and are grateful for it while we continue to live in or try to live down the old life that we keep saying is gone while we carry it with us through life! Our best life, the very life God desires for you, is possible because of Jesus. It comes as we allow God to redeem those moments of time that we are stuck in and move forward in a new way. So, are you? This comes together for us when we allow Jesus to redeem our lives, which includes the past and that old life, but we must see these moments and make the choice to give them to Him! Right before we get that beautiful line, Paul tells us the very thing we have been saying throughout this series…your best life can be yours when you allow Jesus all the way in.
2 Corinthians 5:14 Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. 15 He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. MSG
For some of us, we want that “far better life than the one we lived on our own,” but if we are honest, we aren’t experiencing it. We made mistakes in our lives that we regret so much. We wish we could go back and redo a situation or make a new choice. Can I tell you something that may be hard to hear that you need to hear? It happened, and you can’t change it…but if you give it to Jesus today, it can stop happening to you over and over again. Forget the past. God wants to do something new that is so much better for you. But you have to give Him that life-shaping moment that you have been carrying.
For some of us, there are painful moments that hit, hurt, and shape our lives moving forward. It was one careless word, or mean word, or messy interaction…one rejection, one devastatingly painful moment that we are stuck in. We carry it with us. We spend our days trying to prove them wrong or live it down. We hear those hurts in every conversation. We perceive those hurts in every text and email. We hear and feel them at work and in every interaction. We spend our days intentionally or unintentionally overcompensating and trying to live it all down. They block us from full, life-giving relationships with God and people…and make a hard life so much harder. I want you to hear me. You don’t have to carry that with you anymore. It did happen, but it doesn’t need to keep happening.
I keep thinking of Paul as I write this, Paul had a really rough past. Now, Paul hasn’t forgotten his past, his memory is still intact. He talks often of how rough his past life was and letting us know He is the chief of all sinners. So, just like God commands, He remembers but forgets the past. He isn’t living in the past, but learns from it and moves on redeemed to new life in Christ, as should we too!
Philippians 3:12 …But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. NLT
Life is a journey, and it’s full of ups and downs. It is full of wins and losses. It’s full of good moments, wise decisions, painful moments, and tough mistakes along the way. That is life, and our job is to press on and go through it all. We learn from it all, we let go of it all so that we don’t get stuck in a moment in time. Life is hard enough without carrying more with it.
The other day I was talking to someone who is no longer a part of The Brethren in Christ church. He was so hurt in the church and has quit on His Faith completely. He shared a moment that happened over 20 years ago. It was a painful experience that happened with people in the church. He told me this, and I will quote it minus some expletives. “I hate church people, Sam, I hate them! When I see them, I get so angry I can’t even talk, and all I can do is try not to hit them.” As he spoke, I could see him reliving that moment like it was happening to him as he spoke. I was thankful he shared that, and it led to an awesome conversation about “church people” who are simply people like the rest of us, and it was a good moment between the two of us. I feel for him because he is still there, stuck in a moment in time.
A few days before that, I was talking with a young lady who looked over her past and saw so many mistakes in her life. She just kept saying things like. I wish I would not have done this. Why did I do that? Why did this happen? Why did I make this choice? As she talked, tears streamed down her face, and you could feel her pain. She was still in those moments of time, and she is carrying them with her every day. I feel for her because she is stuck and unable to move forward. What did God say?
Isaiah 43:18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. NIV
Why do you think God doesn’t want us dwelling on the past? Because we can get stuck. When our focus is on the past, we end up carrying it with us and one way or another that past moment becomes our present and our future, it happened but if we hold on to it, it will just keep happening. While your memory isn’t wiped out when you become a Christian, God wants us to forget the past and move forward into new life, that is what He is up to, making all things new through Jesus! I love this, and to close out the day, let’s read those key verses in The Message version.
Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! MSG
So, today, we close this big fall discipleship series, this journey to freedom and courage, and I think it’s important that we think this all through. When you look at your life, I’m sure you can think through so many moments that shape you…and that is ok. That is life. What we can’t do is stay there in that moment, because if we do what happened will keep happening, we want to live without reliving and relearning the same lessons over and over again. Life is hard enough without being stuck in a moment of time. So, think about this.
Are you some TIME else?
Not sure? Well, let’s think through this together.
Do you notice the same things happening to you in every interaction you have with people? You feel like you are inadequate, and then everywhere you go, people make you feel inadequate? You feel like people don’t respect you, and then everywhere you go, you get disrespected? You feel rejected, and everywhere you go, you get rejected? There is probably a moment in your history that God wants you to stop going over because He wants to do something new in you! That won’t happen until you give that moment over to Him.
Think through your motivations. Why do you do what you do? If you are trying to prove something or live something down, it is a good sign that there is a moment of time you are stuck in. God wants you to forget all that and allow Him to do something new, something better in you, this new life is there for you, where you have nothing to prove, wouldn’t that be awesome? Well, it won’t happen until you make the choice to give that moment over to Him.
Is there someone out there who hurt you, let you down, or disappointed you? If you are a human being, you have experienced this. The question then becomes, are you stuck there? Holding onto the dumb thing they said or the horrible thing they did to you? If you are looping in that, winning those imaginary arguments in your mind, sharing that hurt over and over again with people, it’s a sign that you are stuck in a moment in time, a moment that God wants you to give over to Him so you can experience something better, something new…but you have to let Him.
Do you look back over your life with regret? So many mistakes. So many issues that could have been avoided. So much pain. So many broken dreams, unreached goals, and moments you wish you could take back and do over. If this is you, it’s a sign that you are stuck in a moment of time, and God is saying while those things happened, they don’t have to keep happening. Forget all that and step into the new life I have in store for you, a life that is better for all the challenges you have faced. God wants you to truly experience something better, something new…but you have to let Him…and that may mean letting yourself off the hook for things in your life, letting go of the past, rather than carrying it with you and so often the hardest person to forgive is yourself, forget all that and move into something new. The journey to freedom and courage is one we will be on our entire lives, and it will continue to have ups and downs along the way. Through all our circumstances, God, through Jesus, is doing something new in us…our job is to let Him. So often the biggest blocker from our best life is not that we are unwilling, or that we are too sinful, it’s that we are just stuck in a moment in TIME. So, as we close, think about that, and if you find that you are some TIME else, give that to God and move forward into something new, your best life, the very life Jesus came to provide for you all along.