Hope For Life » acceptance

The List

Tim Archer — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:00:30 +0000

It’s said that the opening of a book is extremely important. The writer needs to engage his readers from the outset, filling them with a desire to read more.

When the apostle Matthew sat down to write the story of Jesus, I’m not sure that he was thinking about that. The first 14 verses of his book are a genealogy. This man was the father of that man, who was the father of some other guy. It’s not the most exciting reading for most of us.

As we read through this list of fathers and sons, there are four names that ought to catch our attention. Four women made this list: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bath-Sheba. Over forty men are listed and only four women.

So these women must be especially righteous, especially virtuous women, right? They are included in the genealogy of Jesus, showing the people God used to bring His Son into the world. We would expect these women to be the examples of what women should be.

But that’s not the case. One of them dressed up as a prostitute and seduced her own father-in-law. One of them WAS a prostitute. Another committed adultery, got pregnant, and married the father of that child after her own husband was murdered. The other was fairly righteous, but she was also a foreigner. The Jews weren’t supposed to marry foreigners, so she shouldn’t even be on this list.

But these names are here. These women are remembered, while other women have been long forgotten. Matthew had his reasons, and I won’t pretend to know exactly what they were.

But I know that there is a lesson here: God can use anybody. Even when they’ve made mistakes. Even when they’ve been taken advantage of. Even when they don’t come from the right family. God can use anybody.

That message is fitting for the story of Jesus. Jesus came and made it possible for everyone to be acceptable to God. He broke down barriers, creating a new nation made up of people from every nation of this world. The story of Jesus is a story of inclusion.

I can be a part. You can be a part. Everyone who is willing to truly put their faith in Jesus can be a part.

To Swim Or Not To Swim

Tim Archer — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Several years ago I started swimming at the YMCA because I was out of shape. A few weeks later, I stopped swimming at the YMCA. For the same reason.

As I churned my way from one side of the pool to the other, I was keenly aware of the other swimmers. As I reached the edge of the pool, I would latch onto the side, fighting to catch my breath. They reached the edge, performed picture-perfect flip turns and continued their swim. Lap after lap. My workouts were painful to perform and even more painful to watch. The others seemed to glide through the water with no effort, their trained bodies moving gracefully from one end to the other. In other words, I was embarrassed. To be honest, none of them cared what I was doing. But I was shamed into retreating to the safety of the treadmills and recumbent bicycles. “Once I get into shape,” I told myself, “I’ll return to the pool.”

Many of us feel like that when we go to church or when we think about going to church. Everyone else seems to be so perfect while we’re painfully aware of our inadequacies. Some don’t even want to think about God for the same reason. We want to somehow get our lives together, and then we’ll go to Him. If you’ve felt that way, you need to realize that church is a place where people go to straighten out their lives. At the time of Jesus, many said, “Become worthy, then come to God.” Jesus’ message was just the opposite: “Come to God, and He will make you worthy.” God is in the business of fixing broken lives. Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He’s looking for the people that need help spiritually, not the people whose lives are already perfect.

If you don’t feel “good enough” to swim in God’s pool, let me invite you to get back in the water. God wants to help me get into shape spiritually, and He wants to do the same for you.

For Sale Signs

Steve Ridgell — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:40:10 +0000

There have been a number of For Sale signs in my neighborhood over the past year and I have watched them being put up, seen “sold” or “reduced” additions attached, and watched them taken down when off the market. In talking to people who have recently sold a house, I was struck by the advice given concerning how to do this effectively. The first thing is to spruce up the outside. You know – fresh paint, flowers, and a throw rug or two. This makes an attractive look for a buyer, even though it may not really reflect the condition of the house. When you show a house, sweep up the trash and hide the dirty clothes. Answer direct questions, but do not volunteer any information that may detract from the asking price.

Some people might think that is what you need to do in order to become a Christian. Fix up the outside so it looks nice, even if the rest of you is a mess. Hide all the trash and dirty laundry. After all, you don’t want anyone to know the real you. And do not volunteer any information about yourself that might detract from your image.

Why do people think this way? Jesus didn’t. He reached out to the socially disenfranchised, the addicted, the unpopular, and those whose lives where a mess. He still reaches out for those who don’t have it all together. He wants us just as we are. He came for sinners. He came to find the lost, give life to the dead, and heal the broken. So maybe the real estate signs of our life should be more like these.

For Sale by Owner: Jesus calls us to let go of ourselves, our ego, and our lives so that he might own us. Completely.

Fixer-upper: We all need Jesus to make right the things that we cannot. He is the one who can restore the brokenness of our lives.

As Is: You do not have to have it all together to come to Jesus. In fact, you only have to know that you do not have it together.

Hidden Value: God made you, knows you, and has great plans for you. He values you enough that He sent His only Son to this earth to bring you back to Him.

If you are ready to know the Jesus who loves you just as you are, I can introduce you to him. Look around this site, www.hopeforlife.org or drop me a note at steve@hopeforlife.org.

Blessings,

Steve