Getting Free Through Forgiveness

Many years ago during a trip through the Guatemalan mountains, I saw people carrying heavy burdens on their backs. The loads seemed enormous for one person to be carrying. It reminded me of people carrying huge emotional and spiritual burdens in everyday life. These burdens come from the guilt and shame of the wrong people have done to them. Others suffer from the resentment and hurt inflicted on them by other people. As they go through life, they drag these heavy loads of anger, shame, guilt, resentment and deep sadness. Is there a way to lay these heavy burdens down? Is there a way to get free?

Yes, there is! The Apostle Paul talks about it in his letter to the Philippians: “…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14).

The “one thing” that Paul is talking about here is forgiveness. First, the forgiveness we receive when we repent of our sin and turn to Christ, then we receive his gift of forgiveness. Next, is the gift of forgiveness that we give to others by forgiving them of the hurts they have caused us. This is the way to be free of spiritual and emotional problems we have accumulated over the years. Some of it comes from our childhood years, for others it comes from divorce, or a hundred other things. Once forgiven, we learn to forgive others, then we are free to focus on Christ because he is the prize.

Teaching my daughter, Carin, to ride a bike was a challenge. She would do all right as long as she knew my hand was on the back of the bike. If she ever looked back and saw that I had taken my hand off or had stopped, she would tumble over. After so many tries I decided to try a new strategy and that was to get her started and then run ahead of her so that she could follow me. You know what—it worked! I became her goal which she could focus on. That is what Jesus is to us. Christ is the one who sets us free, then goes ahead and leads us to live a life free of guilt, shame and regret.

Greatest Job on the Planet

Yesterday I had the privilege to speak to fathers at the church I pastor on Father’s Day. I love these occasions because I have a heart for fathers. This is the greatest job on the planet. I have three children that I deeply love and 7 grandchildren that are the apple of my eye. I was blessed to have a wonderful father. He drove dump trucks, and I loved to ride in the trucks with him when I was very little. It was so much fun being up so high and going so many different places. It was fun taking naps and waking up and having a coke and some peanuts. My dad always kept paydays and peanuts in the glove compartment.

I learned responsibility from my father. My dad was like a machine, getting up so early and going to work. He enjoyed work and made it look easy. He always worked at making whatever he did better than the last time he did it. He made you want to take care of things, whether it was animals or machinery or tools. Most of all he was responsible with people. He treated people kindly and fairly. However, when he came home, he wanted to play and work with his kids. I cherish the moments I had with him.

Dads teach us what is important in life. They teach us how to handle money and make sure it doesn’t handle us. My dad paid his bills on time, and he liked to spend his money responsibly. He didn’t talk about money much, he just managed it well. He resisted the temptation to materialism that has consumed our culture today. He liked to use his own money to buy things, and if he had to borrow any—then he payed it off as soon as possible. He never wanted the latest or newest of anything, only if it was necessary. It never bothered him to use something that was out of date or even a relic if it worked.

When kids make mistakes, it is a wonderful opportunity to encourage and teach them to persevere. My dad did not criticize me when I made mistakes, he would encourage me to try again. When I did succeed, he would build me up and make me feel like I was the best.

Dads are teachers from the moment they begin to hold their little sons and daughters. My dad was so good at teaching us how to do things, such as run machinery and drive trucks and equipment. If he thought we had an interest in something, he would encourage us to pursue it and develop that skill. I remember when I wanted to learn how to arc weld, my father rounded up scrape metal and showed me how to build a metal table. We used it in our shop for years.

When dads love Jesus, they have such a powerful influence with their children. I have memories of my father taking us to church, of him reading his Bible, paying his tithes every week, giving offerings above his tithes and acknowledging that it was God who had blessed him. I have memories of him praying and most of all, of him living out his faith. I am grateful that he shared his faith with me. I know that my father prayed for me as I have learned to pray for my children.