If you feel distant from God try our Life Lesson “Finding Freedom”

When I was eight, I was into gymnastics. I loved to tumble, do cartwheels and round-offs. There was one rule: not in the house. But our living room was long and inviting (despite the knick-knacks and figurines my mother had inherited). It was the perfect place to do three cartwheels in a row, especially on a rainy, cold day. So, at the dare of a neighborhood friend, I did – almost.

Into the second cartwheel my big toe whacked the coffee table. It hurt, a lot, but I wobbled and finished the third one, then limped off to my room. My toe throbbed but I fought back the tears. I longed to run to my mother and have her make it all better, but I knew if I did my bottom side would be throbbing as well when I told her how I hurt my toe.

When my mother came into my room I didn’t run to greet her and let her love on me. I pretended I was taking a nap. The rest of the day I feared she’d call me to come do something for her. When she called us to dinner, I didn’t want to go because I’d limp to the table and the questions would start.

When I didn’t come, Mom came to me.  The walls of guilt crumbled in her presence and I held onto her waist, blubbered through tears about my pain and confessed the whole thing. I told her how sorry I was, and cried for her to help me. She hugged me all the way to the emergency room.

That is how I picture God when I have sinned. He wants to love on me and forgive me, but I am the one who shrinks away not wanting to own up to what I have said, or done or thought which is not in line with His will. I am ashamed, and sorry. Even though I know He sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins, and perhaps because of that, my guilt prevents me from being in His presence. The longer I go without confession, the more the hurt inside me throbs. But eventually He comes to me. How will I receive Him?

Some people feel they can never go to God, so they try to hide the pain and guilt in other ways – drugs, alcohol, sex, theft, adrenaline rush extremes. But cheap thrills only mask the pain for awhile. No matter how far you think you have distanced yourself from your Heavenly Father who loves you, it is never farther than His hand can reach to hold onto yours and draw you near. Until you reach out to Him, He will seek you.

There may be consequences to your sin.  Mine was wearing orthopedic saddle oxfords all summer long until my broken toe healed while everyone else was swimming and romping barefoot through the grass. But, Mom never stopped loving me and was there to sympathize when the tears flowed. I expect nothing less from God. Neither should you.

Question: What pain are you hiding from God, and perhaps yourself? Will you go to Him with it?

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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-25, NIV).

“Now as the service is ending,” said our pastor, “I want you to go to others in the congregation who have been a blessing to you and tell them how much you appreciate them!”

As I sat in the organ loft playing softly, I watched the people mingle, hugging, shaking hands, and smiling.  Some went up to our pianist, David, but no one came to me.  I began feeling sorry for myself.  “They don’t appreciate me or all I have done for them!”  I thought.  “I’ve sent them cards when they were ill or grieving.  I’ve prayed for and with them.  I’ve faithfully played the organ.  Nobody loves me!” Yes, I was having a real pity party!

One man did come up and express his appreciation.  But I still felt hurt as I walked out of church that night.  As I started driving home, I was filled with wrong thoughts–”No more will I waste my time and postage to send those comforting, sympathetic cards!  No more will I go around before church, smiling, greeting, and shaking hands!”

Oooh, I thought, I’m thinking bitter thoughts — and I’m miserable!  If I allow this kind of thinking to continue, I’ll no longer have my peace and joy, or enjoy going to my church!  But I felt so put out; I couldn’t even seem to hold it up to the Lord as I usually did with such nonsense.  So I simply cried, “Help, Lord!  I’m hurting!”

Right away He started setting me straight.

“Now, Muriel,” He seemed to say, “Who are you thinking about right now?”

“Myself,” I answered.

“And whom have you been serving?”

“You, Lord,” I replied.

“Then why do you need the praise of men?”  He had me there. “You know those people love and appreciate you.  They didn’t need to tell you that tonight. So, now put that all aside.  I want to bring something else to your attention.”

Now maybe this wasn’t exactly the conversation we had; but I knew the Lord was laying this on me.  And I suddenly remembered something: those two others in key positions in our church had been feeling sorry for themselves just that morning!  When I had talked to them individually, they had both seemed to feel unappreciated.  Now it seemed as if the Lord were asking, “What does this suggest to you?”

I realized that those of us in key positions in our church were under satanic attack. This completely snapped me out of the self-pity I had wallowed in.  As I came out, I once again felt Christ’s peace and joy in my heart.

I’ve got to share this with those other two, I thought.  But how? I don’t want to offend them.  Then I realized that the best way would be for me to tell them the truth about myself and my self-pity.  Then I could share how I believed the Lord had revealed to me that we were under satanic attack.

I knew it wouldn’t show me in the best light; but I did it the following Wednesday night, privately to each man.  Both men admitted that they too had been feeling down and unappreciated, and that Satan probably was trying to make them discontented and rob them of peace.  And that’s how the Lord helped three of us snap out of our “pity parties”!

Father, remind me that everything I do is for You.  It’s not about me; it’s not even about the people I am serving.  Remind me of just how much You love me.  I know that Your love is all the validation I will ever need.  Amen.

Questions: How do you understand the term “having a pity party”? What does feeling sorry for yourself actually indicate about your life? How can change our attitude to that of praising the Lord?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Connie tapped on the door. A small voice called to her to come in. Connie was amazed at the tidy appearance of the old lady. The pearls and painted nails surprised her somehow. She looked little and alone. The small room in the hospital had become her home. She was grateful for a visitor.

Connie couldn’t help but notice the deep peace on this lady’s face as she told Connie, “God is so good. I’m alone now. It’s just the Lord and me, but I have a ministry here.” And she told her how she had grown to care about the nurses; how they came to put her to bed and stayed to have her pray with them. Though there was a longing to go to be with her Lord, there was also contentment. God’s peace and His love were very much alive in that little room.

As Connie started her car in the parking lot, she realized that her heart was lighter. She had gone out of duty and with a weary heart, but God had met her there and refreshed her spirit through a little granny.

Her morning Bible reading flooded back to her mind. It had been the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. (John 13: 10-17) Jesus had demonstrated this giving task and then said,

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them”(John 13:17).

The lesson was clear to her now. God had shown her tonight. In reaching out to others, we move beyond our own self-consumed worries and find blessing. She was glad she had gone. Nothing in her circumstances had changed. But in her spirit she had found an unexpected lift that lightened her step. Yes! God is so good!

Today, ask God who is on His heart in the circle you move in. Reach out to someone. Lighten their load with a word of encouragement or some small deed. It’s the way God works in blessing you and those around you.

Heavenly Father, You know me better than I know myself. You know that in giving I truly do receive. Forgive me for my worry. Help me to trust You to guide me through my circumstances and help me to keep an outward eye to those around me. Thank You for the happiness that comes as I reach out and purposefully touch the lives of those near me. Make me a blessing today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Questions: Who does God bring to mind that would be blessed from a visit from you?  How can we become more sensitive to the needs around us? Can you give an example of a time when you were blessed as you went to see someone even though you felt inconvenienced at the time?

About the Author Gail Rodgers

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, He Loves to Be With the Ones He Loves, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

I found myself resenting Paula (not her real name), and feeling sorry for myself because I had to put up with her cutting remarks.  Such things are known as abuse, and can quite ruin one’s day!

“Lord, how can I handle this?” I asked.  “I want to live peacefully with everyone but it’s hard not to answer back.  And when I don’t, it sort of lays on me like a rock!”  It was hard also not to harbor resentment and anger toward Paula.  But I knew if I did that, it would rob me of peace and perhaps cause me to respond in kind.

Light From God’s Word

As I talked to the Lord, Proverbs 15:1 came to my mind: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (NIV).

Then I remembered Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about how to deal with those who hurt us.  I decided to pray for Paula and seek God’s help in being especially friendly and thoughtful toward her.

It worked!  Before long she and I became good friends, and what a difference it made in my work day!  When my husband took another church and I left my job at the bank, Paula threw a wonderful going-away party for me!

Thus I found that love is God’s answer to hostility.  What?  Me love that unpleasant person who hurts me?  Yes.  The Lord Jesus gave this recipe in Matthew 5:44.

First, he told us to love our enemies and bless them.  This sure runs against our earthly grain, doesn’t it?  But the Lord can help us do that.  And here’s how: Jesus also tells us to pray for our enemies.

As I have prayed for Paula and others who have hurt me, the Lord has helped me realize that something in their background has probably contributed to the way they speak and act.  Often they are miserable people.  This gives me a feeling of compassion for them and makes it easier to forgive and pray for them.

The Lord also told us to return good for evil.  As we do this we will see God at work.

Heavenly Father,
You know the places where I find it hard to respond with Your love and kindness. Please fill me with Your Spirit today so that I might have gentle words on my lips and prayers for those who are a challenge to love. Amen.

Questions: Is there someone in your life that is hurting you but who needs your love and your blessing? How will you begin returning good for evil?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Hopefully in Love, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Today the cup sits in her cupboard in her own kitchen. It is still beautifully glazed with her name on it. But the lines on it show where it was carefully glued back together. A clay pot is oh so sturdy yet oh so fragile!!

God calls us clay pots. And true to the name most of us sport cracks, carefully glued back together. We are oh so sturdy, yet oh so fragile. Why would God entrust clay pots with the light of His love? We try to fulfill His purposes but we get cracked and broken.

Yet His strategy is clear… He knows our weaknesses yet He chose clay pots anyway. He tells us why…

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Don’t be ashamed of the cracks in your life… don’t be afraid to show how God has mended you. This is the testimony to the watching world. Our God fixes broken pieces!

If you are broken today because of circumstances in your life, or because of choices you wish you had made differently, don’t stay in pieces on the floor. If you know you have disappointed God in your walk or in your talk tell Him you are sorry.

God will forgive you, pick you up and mend you. Changed lives, lives lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, demonstrate that it is His power at work in us. This is our hope…this is the hope we hold out to a needy world.

Father God, Thank you that You use cracked pots to demonstrate Your love and power. Forgive me today for the guilt trips and the pity parties and help me to tap into the power that changes lives. Thank you that You put Your Spirit in me so that Your amazing power can be visible! Shine through my cracks today, Lord so that others can see who You are. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: Do you need to change your thinking and accept the cracks in your life as the very places Jesus can shine through?  Invite Him into those places today.

About the Author Gail Rodgers

Daily audio podcast: Hear today’s devotional, Jars of Clay, read aloud today on the Men’s Devotional Blog