Engage

I can relate to the reasoning of Matthew 5:43. I love hanging out with neighbors. That’s a good time. Joking around. Laughing. Investing in the lives of people you like. I can handle that. And my enemy?

The apostle Peter had a question about forgiveness. When he asked Jesus how many times a person should be forgiven, Jesus told the story of a king who wanted to settle his accounts.

Living in real life means inevitable issues with people in our lives. When those issues arise, and they will, Jesus gives us specific instructions.

The great author C.S. Lewis says that everybody loves the idea of forgiveness ...until they have to forgive someone, that’s true, isn’t it? Forgiveness is a tremendous spiritual truth! What could be better?

As much as I enjoy the stretching experiences of mission trips, I love getting back home. I looked forward to packing up and heading to the airport to begin the marathon journey back to Pittsburgh. But then, something caught my attention.

When I was growing up, a plaque hung on a wall in our house that read, “Don’t worry. It may never happen.” I passed that saying many times each day, and those words became branded on my brain. So, of course, I never worry. (I wish!)

Some of you are reading this at a difficult economic time. Your business has shrunk. Your sales are down. Your customers are cutting back. Your salary has been reduced. Your job has gone away.

Prayer is a personal conversation with our Father. It should not be filled with clever Christian clichés or worn-out prayer phrases. It is fresh, real, and raw—like any meaningful conversation in our lives.

When Jesus taught us how to talk to the Father, he instructed us to pray, “your kingdom come.” Why did Jesus tell us to include this in our prayers? For an explanation, let’s consider 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.