Friday, November 8 – Looking at myself first

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven....first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.”                                         –Luke 6:37, 42 (NRSV)

We have a tendency to find fault in others before we’re willing to admit it within ourselves.  And oddly enough, we often find the faults in others that match our own.  Think about it when you’re ready to complain about someone else’s weaknesses.  Do you exhibit any of those same behaviors?

Margaret Marcuson, a leadership coach and consultant, offers this insight:  “We move from the impossible—controlling others—to the merely difficult—managing ourselves.”

Jesus would have us know the difficulty, the need for mercy, grace, and patience in changing our own behavior before we go out to critique our neighbors.

So, Jesus, what are we working on today?

Thursday, November 7 – For those who listen...

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
                                                                      –Luke 6:27-28 (NRSV)

Whether family, friends, or strangers, some people in our lives are going to turn out to be “enemies” ...or at best “non-friends.” 

It may be through direct contact or what we learn from others, but some people are going to conflict with the way we think and act and believe life should be like.  Some conflict will turn deadly.  We see that in the news all the time.

So what do we do with Jesus’ advice about the ‘difficult’ people in our lives?    Listen.

Jesus calls us to a degree of trust that’s difficult...but not wimpy.  Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela all listened.

It begins with prayer...and in most cases that leads to a different perception of “the enemy.”  Maybe they can be reached; maybe their power can be neutralized.  “Love your enemies.”  Jesus did...still does.

Wednesday, Nov. 6 – ...but you’re stuck with your family.

Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.   –Luke 15:11

There are lots of biblical stories of sibling rivalry...Cain & Abel, Jacob & Esau, Joseph & his brothers, Mary & Martha...   One has only to pick up the Bible and thumb through a few pages to find family dysfunction.  The rivalry between Ishmael and Isaac—the sons of Abraham—is still playing out thousands of years later in the strife between the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

Family can be a blessing...or a curse...as we all know from our own experience.  So what are we to do with all this family stuff?  Be thankful, and work with the family we’re “stuck” with?

As difficult as it may be at times, I don’t think we’re part of the family we are by accident.  How might God be trying to shape our lives through our family relationships?  What might we need to do to bring justice & healing, grace & forgiveness into our family system?

No matter what the makeup of my human family, I am part of God’s family...and for that I’m eternally thankful.

God of all families, show me your mission for me in my family.

Tuesday, November 5 – You can choose your friends...

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
                                                                   –John 15:13-15 (NRSV)

No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “You can choose your friends, but you’re stuck with your family.”

For some of us friends are as influential and important as family, maybe even more so.  How is it for you?  What kind of friends have you chosen?  Are they friends who encourage you toward the good... or do they lead you in other directions?

Who are your most important friends?  How have they or are they helping you to become a better person?

Take some time today to consider the friends you’ve had and now have.  How are they influencing you?  How are you influencing them?

Jesus decided to call us “friends.”  He decided to lay down his life so that we might be lifelong friends.  How is he influencing your life?  What kind of friend are you being for him?

Monday, November 4 – The ‘saints’ in my life

I thank my God every time I remember you. –Philippians 1:3 (NIV2011)

There are certain people in each of our lives who we think of or remember with joy and thanksgiving; it may be a family member, a dear friend, a teacher, or some other special person who came into our life at just the right time.

Today, take some time to remember, think of, and give thanks for the ‘saints’ in your life.  It was no accident that they came to be a part of your life...

Loving Lord, thank you for sending _______ to be part of my life.