Category Archives: Midweek Thought

February 4, 2021 · 2:12 pm

Adversity/Deliverance

Abba Poemen said of Abba John the Dwarf that he had prayed God to take his passions away from him so that he might become free from care. He went and told an old man this: ‘I find myself in peace, without an enemy,’ he said.

The old man said to him, ‘Go, beseech God to stir up warfare so that you may regain the affliction and humility that you used to have, for it is by warfare that the soul makes progress.’ So, he besought God and when warfare came,

he no longer prayed that it might be taken away, but said, ‘Lord, give me strength for the fight.

~~~ Abba Poeman of the Desert

The popular cry is deliverance, but the old man gives us a different cry -‘Lord, give me strength for the fight.’ As difficult as it is, we must acknowledge that in our trials, salvation comes to our souls. Pop preachers and politicians tell us that all adversity will be taken away, and they have the formula for removing these obstacles from our lives. None of us wants to hear the message of endurance and strength. When such a message is proclaimed, we know that the problems of life must be faced, and we must walk in the valley from time to time. That is a very loathsome thought, but the resolve and fortitude we acquire through these times will carry us to new spiritual heights. The wise old man points in the direction of inner strength, a quality that can only be learned by walking in the valley. For amid our darkest times, our relationship and knowledge of God blossoms, and a vital relationship is created. Pray to God for this strength.

This strength comes when we learn to make adversity and suffering an avenue of growth and change. We never grow unless we change. There is a sad old pop culture myth that we can grow without changing. I was told long ago that the best way to market your new product was to make someone dissatisfied with their current product. That is what we are forced to do amid the adversity that we face in our churches, families and jobs. If we find ourselves praying for deliverance so that we do not have to change, we are missing the point. Perhaps this adverse situation is a wakeup call from God.

Some of the greatest and most productive changes I have made in my life have been a result of adverse times. We never change or alter our prayer life, worship pattern or close relationships until we hit a rough spot. Then we are reminded that our lives are not static, and we do not have all the answers. Isn’t that great? I do not have all the answers. That is such a freeing thought, and it causes us to look in new directions. 

The first of these new directions is to look to other people with an open mind. Openness that says that someone else may have a better idea or way to accomplish what we are so desperately trying to do. Bill Gates of Microsoft fame wanted to develop a computer software that would eventually be called Basic. As he was in the early stage, he realized that it could not be done without some help from a previous computer, program and thus he reached and out and was flexible enough to admit that he did not have all the answers. As a result, his product succeeded and at age 31 he became the world’s youngest billionaire. The truth of that story is that Gates had to go through a time of trial and adversity and that looking to others was his way out.

The second of these new directions is to rethink how important God is in our everyday lives and decisions. We can go through life just giving God a nod on Sunday and perhaps here and there during the week. Sooner or later adversity comes in our lives and we can handle it two ways. The way many people handle adversity is to blame God and become bitter, This reaction makes us most miserable and quite hard to be around at times. The person who blames it all on God, and just as importantly, sees himself as the master of his own universe, lives a tormented and miserable life. We must turn to a greater belief and dependence on God in our time of adversity, and he will see us through the fight.

Remember that help in times of adversity radiates from your relationship with God and your neighbors.

PRAYER

LORD, Savior of every life, in following you we choose to love and never to harden our hearts. You wish us to know a Gospel joy. And when the depths of our being are covered by a dark cloud, one way forward remains open, the way of serene trust.

Amen

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January 28, 2021 · 9:37 pm

The Journey of Brokenness

Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God’s faithful presence in our lives?

~~~ Henri Nouwen

Brokenness is something we all face in our lives. We experience brokenness in our relationships, lack of success, health problems and many other situations that we face. Having difficulties and struggles is a part of living, and no one is exempt. Those who cry without ceasing to be spared become depressed and paranoid, they begin to feel that they are always being singled out or persecuted. Such attitudes lead to an unhealthy state of brokenness.

Henri Nouwen says, “In a strange way the spiritual life isn’t “useful” or “successful,” but it is meant to be fruitful. And fruitfulness comes out of brokenness.” What a great concept- fruitfulness comes out of brokenness! Life could be so much better for all of us if we embraced that remarkable idea. The scripture teaches us that we must surrender ourselves to our creator in order to find truth and life. Essentially, we must be broken to the idea that we are capable of being totally self-sufficient. How can we turn brokenness into fruitfulness? Here are a few thoughts.

Perhaps a good way to understand the function of brokenness is to accept our own frailties. It seems that all of us strive to be the best at all we do. When that does not happen, we just fall apart. Most of us have a hard time accepting that we cannot do everything. We are not all going to be great artists or scientists, but through our broken dreams we can discover our true selves. It is by suffering the frailties of our being that we come out of the other side and become fruitful. As we become fruitful at the window of brokenness, we begin to offer blessing to others who are experiencing frail moments in their lives.

Rise everyday believing that God has the best in store for you. This is a hard one. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death it is almost impossible to believe God is with you, but he is. This is an especially important piece of the puzzle. We must believe that our creator has great things in store for us. He does not abandon us when we are broken but is the one who carries us through. His love shows us how to walk through our valley of brokenness knowing he has great things in store for us.

We must learn to practice the art of self-love. Many people believe that self-love is the same as selfishness. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are created in the image and likeness of God. It would be quite arrogant to suppose that we are equal to God or, conversely, worthless. Many people spend their lives trying to “prove” themselves and reap a great deal of misery for it. We think that our failures and disappointments are signs that we are worthless. They are perhaps definitive signs that we have not loved ourselves as God has loved us. We have not given due love and respect to who we are in God’s eyes. He created us for beauty and fruitfulness. We need to be broken down enough to see that and love ourselves as God loves us.

Brokenness can be a hard concept to accept when we are not experiencing it, but an understanding of the role of brokenness in our lives can be lifechanging. God allows us to walk through this time of brokenness to temper us to be ready for the wilds of the world that we experience every day. He is there to strengthen us and guide us through the weakest and darkest times of our lives. These dark times bring strength and fruitfulness. We learn so much from these moments.



He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

~~~Zechariah 12:10

Prayer

Lord, As we travel through the times of brokenness in our lives let us have the trust in you that carries us through. You have given us brokenness so that we may see you in a different and greater light. We invite that light into our broken and shattered lives. We embrace our brokenness as the way that we pass through to greater times and new understanding. Comfort us this day and bring us into tomorrow.

Amen

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January 21, 2021 · 1:55 pm

Suffering

The vision offered by Jesus is in sharp contrast to the world’s vision. Jesus shows, both in his teachings and his life, the true joy is often hidden in the midst of sorrow, and that the dance of life finds its beginnings in grief. He says: “unless the grain of wheat dies it cannot bear fruit – unless we lose our lives, we cannot find them; Unless the son of man dies, he cannot send the spirit.”

The cross has become the most powerful symbol of this new vision. The cross is a symbol of death and of life, of suffering end of joy, of defeat and the victory. It’s the cross that shows us the way.

~~~ Henri Nouwen

There is an ancient Indian proverb that says, “He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” Our society sees sufferings as defeat, and we never want to be defeated. The best way to handle suffering is to deny it exists. There are some people who see suffering as the way that God punishes us. I know that, as a child, I was taught that concept. Jesus, who is the Messiah come down from heaven, teaches us something vastly different.

Have you ever heard of a change agent? A change agent is a person from inside or outside an organization who helps an organization, or part of an organization, to transform how it operates. Jesus was the greatest change agent that ever existed, and he tells us that suffering is a tool of transformation. When we suffer, we learn more about ourselves and get new insights on the world. These insightful truths can lead us into new vistas of work and life.

We know that suffering was the change agent that led to our redemption through the death of Jesus. The Romans and the Jewish establishment saw the cross as the greatest of all defeats, but Jesus knew that it was the road to victory. The actions of Jesus, and his acceptance of the cross, generate a new meaning to suffering. It means that now suffering is a way of cleansing and renewal. In past days and in the view of the world today suffering can have no benefit.

Suffering brings redemption that gives us a way of life that is hard to see or imagine. When we experience the redemption of suffering our lives are turned around and made new. C. S. Lewis in his A Grief Observed put it this way, “We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn,’ and I accept it.” These sufferings can be used to drag us down or bring us to a new path that leads to a higher plain. It is up to us to decide how we handle suffering because , that is the way we redeem ourselves in this life.

Our suffering gives us the permission to move on. We go through emotions that change us and allow us to forge a new and necessary path. In suffering we are searching. As we suffer, we are drawn inward and cleanse ourselves of the things that weigh us down. Proverbs tells us, “Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance”. Suffering is the iron that sharpens us for our journey. The pilgrimage of suffering is the journey to the next level. As we go to that level, we receive the ability to move on to the things that God has for us. The saddest thing in life is to be frozen in time. One who has the inability to use the ups and downs of life as the pathway to the future can really be miserable.

My hope for you is that you understand and acknowledge the inevitability of suffering as a part of your life’s journey. This acknowledgement will help you to cope and grow in your valley times of life.

A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish anymore, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.

~~~John 16:21

Lord, Guide me by your spirit to be able to use the setbacks and defeats of my life as a way to move forward. Allow me to offer my sufferings to you so that they may become steppingstones to a stronger, greater faith. Please give me awareness of your presence and the comfort that comes with it when I suffer. I ask that you allow me to see suffering through the eyes that you did when you went to the cross.

Amen

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January 15, 2021 · 11:06 am

Choices

It is important to become aware that at every moment of our life we have an opportunity to choose joy. Life has many sides to it. There are always sorrowful and joyful sides to the reality we live. And so we always have a choice to live the moment as cause for resentment or as a cause for joy. It is in the choice that our true freedom lies, and that freedom is, in the final analysis, the freedom to love.

~~~Henri Nouwen

If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.

~~~Joshua 24:15

Life is full of choices. We must choose things as simple as what we will wear today or where we will eat. More important choices come in the form of our finances, behavior and relationships. Our choices can lead us to harm or produce great good.

When I was the pastor of First UMC Mansfield, Louisiana, I was called out on Christmas Eve early in the morning to minister amid a tragic event. A young firefighter had been killed when his truck was struck by a train and immediately burst into flames. The event was sad enough, but the circumstances made it worse. It was Christmas and he was newly married with a baby on the way. If that were not bad enough, the chief told me that he did not have to respond to the call. He made a choice and it ended tragically. Sometimes we do not even have a clue as to what might happen as a result of our choices. I realize that this event is simply a random act, but we are in control of so many things. We cannot protect ourselves from things which we do not know, but we can make choices that better our lives. Bear in mind that the results of our choices can be incredibly significant.

The young man made a choice that he thought was the right thing to do, but chance took his life away from him. We all have choices to make about our daily activities, and there are things that are out of our control. We must remember that there are quite a few choices that we enter with our eyes wide open. Let us look at a few of them.

We choose how to react to situations, both good and bad. It is purely your choice whether you turn the other cheek or strike back. Are you going to continue an argument or move forward? We are faced with these types of choices every day. Joshua refers to the greatest of all choices. Choosing God determines much about how we make every other choice. Who do we serve-God or the world? This choice is where we begin.

As servants of the true God we choose a path in life that brings blessings. Many times in our lifetime, we have a path or direction to choose. These choices come in the form of a job opportunity, a chance to move to a bigger or smaller home or choose a good over evil. Life is full of these types of decisions, and we must make the most of them.

I feel that the biggest choice we have is how we react to an offence or a hurt. Statistics bear out that personal argument and disagreement are involved in many violent crimes. What does that mean? It means that how we react to hurt feelings, insults and unfairness is a great determining factor behind violence. Make the right choice and move forward. Nouwen stresses that choice gives us true freedom. A freedom to live life in a way that we determine. That is what choice really is-freedom.

Prayer

Lord, You have given me the freedom of choice in my life. Help me to make the right choice and to always bear in mind that my choices have grave consequences. Protect me from the temptation to be led away from you by the lure of the world. Keep me on the path that will usher in your goodness to my life.

Amen

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January 7, 2021 · 2:11 pm

Complete Joy

Joy is essential to spiritual life. Whatever we may think or say about God, when we are not joyful, our thought and words cannot bear fruit. Jesus reveals to us God’s love so that his joy may become ours and then our joy may become complete. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing – sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death – can take away that love

~~~Henri Nouwen

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~~~Romans 8:38-39

Can you remember a time in your life that you were just exploding with joy? It would be hard for me to narrow down a joyous occasion that was greater than any other or the greatest. I will tell you about one of my big ones Six years ago, we purchased what is our “forever” home. I can remember very vividly walking into it for the first time with the realtor. It was so clear to us that this was the right place for us, we told him to put the paperwork together on the spot. Our offer was accepted, and I remember the joy we felt as we got the keys and entered our home. There were many repairs to be done, but the joy made the work seem miniscule. Every nail that was nailed and wall that was redone was pure joy. It is uncanny what joy can do for you.

When we experience joy, we can take on the world. We become confident and strong. Tasks that would have seemed insurmountable become achievable. Joy makes us feel invincible in a positive way. We know who we are and why we are here. This confidence allows us to learn new skills and tackle tough tasks. When joy enters our lives, it casts out low self-esteem and self-depreciating behavior.

An experience of joy heals hurt. It is estimated that 16.2 million adults in the United States, or 6.7 percent of American adults, have had at least one major depressive episode each year. Often the source of this depression is hurt. We all have hurts that we carry around with us. Disappointment and hurt are normal occurrences in life. These hurts will rule us if we do not allow the joys to lay their claim on our lives. The joy of what God has given you can heal your greatest hurt.

Joy opens the portals of love and the ultimate portal of love is found in discovering the length breadth and depth of God’s love for us. He created us for his joy and wants us to experience that joy. He also created us in his image so that we might have the ability to share his love and joy to all who cross our paths. Jesus said,”. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” He created us so that we may share joy with one another.

Let us wake up each morning and discover the joy of being loved by God and spread it to the world.

Prayer

Lord, Fashion me into one of those people that complete your joy. Give me that confidence to trust you fully and use that trust to lead others to see your joy. Lead me to places that will allow me to share my joy with others. At times when I am down, I ask that you allow me to feel and experience your joy. For in it, I find healing and peace. May that joy fall upon me this moment.

Amen

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November 19, 2020 · 10:29 am

The Hub

In my home country, the Netherlands, you still see many large wagon wheels, not on wagons, but as decorations at the entrances of farms or on the walls of restaurants. I have always been fascinated by these wagon wheels: with their wide rims, strong wooden spokes, and big hubs. These wheels help me to understand the importance of a life lived from the center. When I move along the rim, I can reach one spoke after the other, but when I stay at the hub, I am in touch with all the spokes at once.

~~~Henri Nouwen

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

~~~John 14:6

When I think of the word hub, I think of the binding center of an object or business. A hub is a focal point or center from which other things evolve. We often hear of airline hubs which are places where airlines concentrate passenger traffic and flight operations at a given airport. It means that you can go to a hub airport and literally go anywhere in the world, often nonstop. Nouwen images the wagon wheel hub as a place where you can be in touch with the entire wheel. It goes without saying that our relationship to Jesus as Lord is the hub of our faith. As Christ followers we need a hub of practice.

Let me suggest that the hub of our relationship is communication with God, and that communication is prayer. Without communication there is no understanding or action. We can learn all we can about a famous person, but until we communicate with them, we do not know them. The hub of being a follower of Christ is our commitment to study and service to the world, but these are meaningless without a personal relationship that is established with regular prayer. Prayer is not a luxury or an option, but the “hub center” from which all else in our relationship evolves. How should we pray?

We pray by setting aside time to communicate with God on a regular basis. This could be regularly attending a time of worship. In worship we are taken away from the distractions of the world and committed to a time to be with God. While we are in worship, we have the perfect opportunity to communicate with God. Worship is truly a time of other worldliness. In worship we are inspired by the mere fact that in worship we are not alone and gain strength from the communion of the saints, both past and present. In worship we are given specific times and ways to pray, and we are strengthened by the community that surrounds us. Worship is a time for prayer.

Prayer can also be a time of silence and reflection. This is a time that we can individually set aside to be in communication with God. Try to take just five minutes a day to listen to God and invite his peace into your spirit. You can start this with a simple repetitive prayer, such as the Jesus Prayer. Repeating the words can bring us into focus with God, and he will then he acts within our spirit. This works best when a time and /or a place is set aside. A room, a chair, a tree, anywhere you can be silent and focused..

Prayer can also be highly active. The use of written prayers, prayer beads of some sort or Christian icons can allow you to get in touch with God. Let me urge you to make prayer the hub of your practice as a Christian. The more you communicate, the better you will understand him and the fuller your life will become.

The scripture reminds us that all communication begins with our relationship with Jesus from whom all else comes. (John 14:6)

Prayer BannerLord, I want to communicate with you. May I come to know that prayer is the way that is accomplished. I implore you to help me to learn to pray regularly and effectively. May I see that prayer is the true hub of my relationship with you. Let my prayers be the center of my life and work as one of your followers. This I faithfully and humbly ask of you.

Amen

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November 13, 2020 · 11:46 pm

Present in the Moment

It is hard to live in the present. The past and the future keep harassing us. The past with guilt, the future with worries. So many things have happened in our lives about which we feel uneasy, regretful, angry, confused, or, at least, ambivalent. And all these feelings are often colored by guilt. Guilt that says: “You ought to have done something other than what you did; you ought to have said something other than what you said.” These “oughts” keep us feeling guilty about the past and prevent us from being fully present to the moment.

~~~Henri Nouwen

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

~~~2 Corinthians 5:17

We all live with a certain level of guilt for our past failures and fear of what we may face in the future. A recent article in Psychology Today points out that guilt is a natural reaction to harming another physically or emotionally. We can not avoid all guilt. but we can keep it from being the guiding force of our lives. Nouwen reminds us that guilt of the past can make us absent from the present. Guilty people become angry and lash out at the nearest target. They become paralyzed with fear and usually overreact to situations.

Guilt also taints our future actions and causes us to have a fear of fully living our present day. We are so afraid that we will repeat our mistakes that we do just that. How many times have you sat dazed by something that you have done in the past and missed an opportunity in the present? Our unresolved guilts are like a “snoozing alarm,”and they are just waiting for a chance to go off again.

Our task is to resolve those guilts and live the present moment to the fullest. Paul told the Corinthian church that being in Christ was being a new creation. Such a new creation is blessed with the renewal of life. We cannot erase the past, but we can renew ourselves through the grace of God. As we trust in the grace of God to redeem us, we can be assured that the same grace will relieve us of the burden of guilt and allow us to live to the fullest. Nouwen speaks of the “oughts” of life that keep us guilty and frozen in the present and the future. Because Christ has redeemed us we need not be burdened with the “oughts” of life but to simply live the day, and the “oughts” will take care of themselves.

Going boldly and unreservedly into the future is a daunting task. We all carry our guilt to some degree like a weight upon our shoulders. Let me say again that we have the grace of God to solve this problem. He has promised us that as we live for him, he will make our lives grand. Today I ask you to put the past to bed with the soothing grace of a God who loves us so dearly. It is like an ointment that heals a wound.

Prayer

Lord, The biggest challenge I face is to be present in the moment. My mind loads me down with guilt of past failures and fear of future failures. Make it possible for me to be present in this moment that you have given me, and know that you will continue to give me what I need to move forward. I ask you to bestow upon me the joy of this day so that I may journey victoriously into tomorrow.

Amen

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November 6, 2020 · 9:41 am

Full of Promise

A new beginning! We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new. Imagine that we could live each moment as a moment pregnant with new life. Imagine that we could live each day as a day full of promise. Imagine that we could walk through the new year always listening to a voice saying to us: “I have a gift for you and can’t wait for you to see it!” Imagine.

~~~Henri Nouwen

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope

~~~Jeremiah 29:11

I believe that we were all created in the image of God. That means we are full of promise. Henri Nouwen said of God’s intentions ,” I have a gift for you and can’t wait for you to see it!” These words resonate in my soul and create a new vision for life. The world would be so different if we viewed ourselves and all we encounter through such a perspective.

A life full of promise has self worth and strives to live life to the fullest. People who lack self worth are abused and many times become abusers. A healthy self worth brings us closer to God and each other. A person with a positive self image is more likely to help raise the status of others. Positive self worth makes the world a better place.

Being full of promise means that we believe that God is at work in the world. That makes all the difference! So many people live bleak and desperate lives because they believe that everything that happens is their doing. God wants to help us. He wants to make us more fully whole. We are the crown jewel of his creation, and we are special to him. God never stops creating and recreating, and we are the beneficiaries of his work.

Being full of promise just means that each day brings a new challenge and a new blessing, and both are part of God’s word within us. Face the day, and claim the promise everyday.

Prayer

Lord, It is good to know that you give us a promise of a future that is ripe with possibility. Strengthen us when we fall into negative thinking. Uplift us when we feel defeated. Give us the vision of a life of promise. We know that is the life you created for us.

Amen

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October 15, 2020 · 12:25 pm

Edifying Words

It was said of Abba Ammoes that when he went to church, he did not allow his disciple to walk beside him but only at a certain distance; and if the latter came to ask him about his thoughts, he would move away from him as soon as he had replied, saying to him, ‘It is for fear that, after edifying words, irrelevant conversation should slip in, that I do not keep you with me.’

—-Sayings of the Desert

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.

~~~Ephesians 5:6

One of the more important aspects of being a follower of Christ is focus. It is so easy to lose our focus or way when we are on the journey. All direction toward God is given by edifying words or experiences. More than once in my years as a pastor have I felt truly blessed by a worship experience only to have it ruined by the words of someone that I spoke with after the service. I know that we cannot always take the advice of the monk to keep our distance, but distance is something to consider.

Perhaps we should consider the possibility of departing more reverently from worship. It is the irrelevant conversation that occurs after worship that takes away from the blessings that God has given us. Sunday morning after worship is not a good time for calendar planning or financial decisions of the church. We must take time to absorb the words that God has given us through a worship experience. Worship is a time to get things “straight” with God and not with each other.

I know that the advice of the old monk from another time and another place may seem useless to you, but the whole idea of dwelling on edifying words is something that no one can oppose. Let us hold on to those edifying words and not spoil them with idle chatter. Paul calls on us to not be deceived by empty words, because they can harm your soul.

The call from the ancient desert monk is to take time to savor and digest the words of edification we are given each day. We need room for this to occur. We need time for this to occur. We need discipline for this to occur. Let us give each other room and time to allow God’s words and revelation to take root in our lives.

Let us live in the shadow of “Edifying Words.”

Prayer

Lord, Words of edification are given to us from many sources. Let us take heed to the words we are given and not waste them with idle conversation, but allow these precious to seep into our souls. We are so tempted to pressured to be sociable that we miss the real revelation that you have in store for us. May I stop long enough for your word to become real, and refrain from polluting your words with my chatter.

Amen

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October 1, 2020 · 2:26 pm

Empty Words

A brother went to find Abba Serapion. According to his custom, the old man invited him to say a prayer. But the other, calling himself a sinner and unworthy of the monastic habit, did not obey. Next Abba Serapion wanted to wash his feet, but using the same words again, the visitor prevented him.

Then Abba Serapion made him eat, and he began to eat with him. Then he admonished him saying, ‘My son, if you want to make progress stay in your cell and pay attention to yourself and your manual work; going out is not so profitable for you as remaining at home.’ When he heard these words the visitor was offended and his expression changed so much that the old man could not but notice it. So he said to him, ‘up to now you have called yourself a sinner and accused yourself of being unworthy to live, but when I admonished you lovingly, you were extremely put out. If you want to be humble, learn to bear generously what others unfairly inflict upon you and do not harbor empty words in your heart.’ Hearing this, the brother asked the old man s forgiveness and went away greatly edified.

—-Sayings of the Desert

These empty words and feelings are bitterness, anger, jealousy, strife, and others too numerous to mention. Abba Serapion calls on us to bear unfairness with generosity and grace. Society tells it very differently. If we are wronged we must get even, or at least make it right. People spend far too much time trying to sort out the unfairness of life, and precious little effort is given to generous forgiveness. With that generosity in our hearts, we can put away empty words and replace them with words of grace and forgiveness. We, like the monk who visited Serapion, can rise up edified, and an edified man can accomplish much. All of us have times that we feel unworthy of the place we have been given in life, but God has a way of turning that feeling into elation. Look hard at the empty words that clutter your heart, and give some of them away to the generous grace of God.

When we give our bitterness and anger to the generous grace of God we become different people. We once were self-centered and bitter because we never experienced the grace of God, but we now are people who understand grace and can live at peace with ourselves and others. That peace allows us to live a healthy and productive life. Our lives are then freed from the “empty words” of anger and strife.

Perhaps today is the day that you should seek to give away your “empty words.”

Prayer BannerLord, It is very difficult to put hurt and anger aside. Too often we strike back with words that defile ourselves and the one that offended us. This is not your way. Help us to follow your path of grace and forgiveness by inviting your grace into the very center of our being. Free us from the “empty words” of contempt and anger and fill us with your words.

Amen

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