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People will label you various ways; “nice”, “mean”, “attractive”, “talented”, “clumsy”, etc. Some are welcome-some aren’t. In the Bible, there’s a lot of people who knew about labels. One of them encountered Jesus while in a lifestyle so “colorful” the entire town knew of it. But when Luke introduces her, she had recently received a new label. Luke records that she went into a dinner gathering at Simon’s house to express her love and gratitude to the Lord. After washing His feet with her tears, she opened an alabaster flask and anointed Him with an expensive, fragrant oil (which created a stir). After making a point with an illustration of creditor and debtor, Jesus turned to the woman and spoke the most important words any of us could ever hope to hear:

“Your sins are forgiven…your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” – Luke 7:48-50 NKJV

As broken, self-centered people, what could possibly compare to the status of “forgiven” as we stand before Holy God? Through gracious love, He’s given us something we couldn’t earn in a thousand lifetimes; followed by the words “Go in peace.” Not only is there a redeemed status, there’s a soul-deep resonance of peace.

In the Christian life, there’s nothing more central to who we are than the precious, costly label of “Forgiven”. How will you wear it today?

Sometimes the journey of faith is filled with “stumped toes” and “skinned knees”. Do you ever feel like sitting down, tending to your wounds, and giving up? If so, you’re not alone. Jesus understands your struggles. Think about that for a moment; He actually, literally, in a real-life-work-a-day-world understands your challenges. As a matter of fact, He may be the only one that really understands, because He not only knows the circumstances, He knows you inside-and-out. For a disciple, it’s good to occasionally hear the following words:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

The original word-picture is a young ox being teamed up with a strong, experienced one for learning and support. Jesus encourages us to relax in our spirit and find true rest for our souls while still moving forward. Only He can provide that. If you’re feeling tired and beat-up today, lean into Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Don’t confuse humility with weakness. A person can be in a position of weakness, or forced into submission, and still not have humility. Humility only comes when there is a decision of the will. A strong will can be a positive thing (such as a person deciding not to let difficult circumstances break them and standing strong in the Spirit), but more often than not, the challenge is on the negative side. It can be when pride encourages our will to resist the Lord’s authority in certain areas of our life.

Consider the Roman commander that sent messengers to Jesus with a request for Him to heal his servant. The officer said he wasn’t worthy for Jesus to enter his home, but asked Him to simply speak the words and it would be so. The interesting part is how he framed the request:

“Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes; to another, ‘Come’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.” – Luke 7:7-8 NKJV

The next verse describes how Jesus responded with a great endorsement by saying:

“I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” – Luke 7:9b NKJV

Even though the man had power, prestige and the authority to command, he recognized the Lord’s supremacy and ultimately that’s what he’s remembered for. How will you view the Lord’s authority today?

The life of a disciple is not readily understood or embraced by popular culture. Consider how Jesus described the contrast:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV

Following Christ is a forward-looking mindset, and this world isn’t our home. However, it’s easy to slip into a lifestyle that’s completely at-home here. It’s the equivalent of decorating a bus-stop bench while waiting for the bus to arrive (mentally knowing the time is short, but practically acting like it’s forever).

What does your path look like today, and what are the markers along the way? Are the checkpoints kingdom-focused or have they drawn more influence from trends and social media? Naturally, all things in the culture aren’t bad (many are quite good), but there are significant points where the paths separate. It’s the defining moments of a life “in Christ” (priorities, attitudes, words, goals, and relationships). May your steps be sure today and your heart be set toward home…

Do you ever struggle with letting God be in charge without trying to look over His shoulder to see if He’s doing it right? Jesus spoke on several occasions about the subject of worry. As He pointed out the simple lifestyle of the birds and the serene beauty of the lilies, He said this:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV

There’s an old saying that says, “Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow”, and it describes the bad habit of burying today’s joy under a pile of tomorrow’s concerns. Tension can grow between our desire for surety and our trust in God’s sovereignty, but it helps to remember that worry is not of the Lord. He doesn’t place it in the heart of His child.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Instead of focusing on the circumstances, the scripture tells us to:

• Pray through the many things we’re thankful for
• Honestly discuss our anxieties with God (He already knows anyway)
• Ask for God’s help with our thought patterns and not just situations

Once this mode of prayer is set in motion, verse 7 promises:

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

That’s a great trade. We give Him our worry and He gives us His peace. What worries do you need to trade-in today?

What catches your eye? Jesus spoke of the eye as a lamp…or not:

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad. Your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” – Matthew 6:22-23 NKJV

True light comes from Christ. He is the “Light of the World” and following Him is to be “in the light” (John 8:12). He mentions the eye as the second illustration of three different ones describing focus (first-“treasure in heaven”, second-“the eye”, third-“serving two masters”). Darkness is the absence of light. It’s the natural state of “lightlessness”. Our eye can easily get misaligned and slowly shift away from the light; bringing an internal eclipse.

Where are your eyes focused today? Is it toward the Light? Light reveals, but darkness hides. In low-light conditions there can be stumbling, falling, misjudgment, and directional challenges. In the Light, there is illumination, steadiness, and directional clarity. What will your focus be today?

What captivates your heart? What pursuit, activity, person or possession do you treasure? Consider Jesus’ words about the heart’s allegiance:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV

It’s easy to see the cause and effect of worldly gain, because we can experience the tangible benefits. Pursuits such as career advancement and lifestyle upgrades deliver certain amounts of satisfaction, but the life-portfolio of a disciple is based on a forward-looking mindset. It’s a daily contribution noted in a “heavenly ledger”, with the balance reflected across eternity. Material items, career titles, leisure activities, and popularity simply won’t make the cut, but investments in people will.

What captures your heart today and how will you spend your life?

Forgiveness is part of the Christian life. Consider the fourth phrase in Jesus’ model prayer is:

“…And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” – Matthew 6:12 NKJV

Genuinely asking for someone’s forgiveness goes against pride. It’s based on contrition and repentance; whereas superficial requests are self-centered attempts to “save face”. When the real thing takes place, there is joy, thanks, and motivation to show the same attitude toward others. Jesus also mentioned this:

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespass.” – Mark 11:25

Being redeemed is forgiveness received, and being a disciple is forgiveness given. For the one seeking to be right with God, both need to be happening (receiving and giving). Thankfully, God’s forgiveness isn’t based on merit, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, ours shouldn’t be either.

Are you willing to forgive today? Are you willing to offer it before being asked to? “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…”