Richard Ellis Talks

Peter once asked Jesus how many times we're supposed to forgive those who have sinned against us. Jesus replied, "seventy times seven" times! The point Jesus was making is this: we can all think of reasons to not forgive those who've hurt us, but none of those reasons are justifiable in God's eyes. No matter how great the offense, we're called to forgive others completely because He's forgiven us completely. When we release the hurt that someone's caused us and extend forgiveness to them -- even if we think they don't "deserve" it -- we're doing for them what God first did for us -- even when we didn't deserve it, either.

Have you ever known someone who's done so well at representing their company that they're given a "company car"? That car is a reward for a job well done, but it's also a way for the employee to keep representing the company while on the road. In the same way, we represent God to the world. When we yield our lives to His direction, we become vehicles for Him to use to reach other people. And when we represent Him more clearly, we'll reap the "company benefits" that come with living the way He intended for us to live!

When sin was first brought into the world by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, shame came right along with it. Our sinful nature was suddenly exposed and we were naked and ashamed before God. But now, because of Jesus, we can live under the covering of God's grace instead of living in shame. His mercy covers all of our sins, and rather than being ashamed of our past, we're able to stand sanctified in His presence because of what Jesus has done for us.

 

It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of spending, especially as the holidays approach. But how would our view of finances change if we started seeing our money as God's money instead? He's entrusted us to be good stewards of all that He's given us, and He's also promised to provide for all of our needs. Before we buy anything, let's pray and ask God if it's really something we should spend money on -- He'll give us wisdom if we only ask for it!

We all struggle with different sins, and sometimes we try to pretend that ours aren't "as bad" as someone else's. But sin is sin, and it's all the same in God's eyes. When He calls us to give up our sin, He's not asking us to gradually ease off or to just sin a little less -- He's calling us to quit cold turkey.

We have a tendency to thank God for what we see as the "good" things in our lives -- but have you ever made it a point to purposely thank Him for the "bad" things? When we offer God a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, even in the midst of difficulty, we're honoring Him by showing that we trust Him to use our struggle for His glory and to bring something good out of it. And when we focus our hearts on God and His plans instead of on whatever trial we're walking through, it allows us to take our eyes off the circumstance and fix our eyes on the Savior.

In Luke 17 we read about how Jesus healed ten lepers -- and how only one of them came back to thank Him. We'd like to think this is just a biblical account from days gone by, but neglecting to thank God for all that He's done is all too common for us today. All throughout the Bible, we're reminded that even in difficult times, it's important for us to have an attitude of gratitude, and to thank God in all things and for all things.

We can't always choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them. One of the biggest struggles we can face as Christians is knowing that even though God's sovereign over all things, we're still going to face hardship and heartache in this life. When we find ourselves in those difficult moments, it's more important than ever to remember that God's still in control -- and that His plans for our lives are greater than any circumstance we face!

 

Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14)." We were created to be righteous, but because of sin, we can't be righteous without Him. The only way to find the straight and narrow path that Jesus referred to is to first ask for God's direction in life -- and then to follow it.

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there's a season for everything, and that God's made everything beautiful in its time. That's never more true than when it comes to the life of each and every precious child He's created. As we get older, the ticking "biological clock" causes a lot of anxiety and heartache for those who long to have children. But instead of being so focused on becoming parents that we'll do anything to make it happen, it's important to slow down and trust God's plans are perfect rather than jumping ahead of and outside of His timing.