The Word For Today

The story of the prodigal son illustrates the meaning of true repentance. It's about a young Jewish man who rebelled against all that he'd been taught, turned his back on his father, was lured by the bright lights of the big city, and ended up in a pigpen feeding swine.

But he did three things that turned his life around. First, he changed his mind. 'When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death"' (Luke 15:17 NIV)! Second, he redirected his will. 'I will...go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you' (Luke 15:18 NIV). Third, he took action. 'So he got up and went to his father' (Luke 15:20 NIV). Repentance is a change of mind, which brings about a change of will, and results in a change of action. It led to the prodigal's forgiveness and restoration to his family.

Two things about sin you need to know: (1) God will uncover every sin you try to cover up. 'Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts' (1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV). (2) God will cover every sin you uncover. 'He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy' (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). Go ahead - confess and forsake your sin, and God will cover it with the blood of Christ. Do it now.

Paul wrote: 'Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ' (Ephesians 5:21 NIV). Satan is the enemy of marriage. In order to defeat him, you must first know how to identify where, when and how he's at work. As long as you focus on fighting each other or blaming, your marriage will continue to slide into further misery with each failed request for intimacy, each unmet expectation and each day spent hopelessly wishing your spouse would change. Sure, you need to learn better communication and learn how to forgive, and sickness or money problems need to be dealt with. But when you see the conflicts as being sent from the same evil source, you can fight them so much more effectively.

Do these two things: (1) Focus first on yourself. You know you can't change anyone but yourself. And in many ways, you can't even do that. You need God's intervention in your own life right now (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). And you need to understand who God is calling you to be in your marriage. (2) Pray for and with your spouse (see Matthew 18:19). Prayer is indispensable in defeating the enemy of your marriage. Pray for direction in what God would have you to do. If your spouse is willing, pray together and aloud if possible.

Invite God to intervene in your marriage and to make it a demonstration of the work only he can do in two people's lives. The truth is that you can experience Christ's victory in your marriage.

You were created for love, but may have learned to fear! The neurological love pathway in your brain consciously evaluates toxic thoughts, and as you choose to hand the situation over to God, you do not submit to fear. And love is the stronger of the two pathways! 'Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears' (1 John 4:18 NCV).

As a redeemed child of God, love is your normal default mode. You're designed for love to dominate. Regardless of the way you have chosen to react in the past, painful, toxic thoughts can be reconstructed, even toxic feelings you've been nursing for so long and are so familiar with that you think they are normal. You can analyse them and rewire them because of your brain's neuroplasticity.

The apostle Paul said: 'Do not be conformed to this world [its values and thought patterns], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Will this 'renewing' happen overnight? No. Science shows that you need to practise using something at least seven times before it becomes part of you. As you keep doing this, God's Spirit will work with you, and eventually you'll be able to use this amazing love circuit of the brain to balance your reason and emotions. When you do that, you'll take a giant leap in the direction of bringing all your thoughts, which produce your emotions, under control (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Biblically, Egypt represents our days in bondage to sin. Then Jesus liberated us and gave us a new life. Our Promised Land isn't a physical territory; it's a spiritual reality. It's not real estate, but a real state of heart and mind. It's a life in which 'we are more than conquerors through him who loved us' (Romans 8:37 NKJV); A life in which 'we do not lose heart' (2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV). A life in which we are 'exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation' (2 Corinthians 7:4 NKJV); we are 'anxious for nothing' (Philippians 4:6 NKJV); we are 'praying always' (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV); and a life in which we 'do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him' (Colossians 3:17 NKJV).

Max Lucado wrote: '[In Canaan]..."we win more often than we lose, forgive as quickly as we are offended, and give as abundantly as we receive. We serve out of our giftedness and delight in our assignments. We may stumble, but we do not collapse. We may struggle, but we defy despair. We boast only in Christ, trust only in God, lean wholly on his power. We enjoy abundant fruit and increasing faith." Canaan symbolises the victory we can have today, and God invites us to enter it. There is only one condition; we must turn our backs on wilderness living.'

Paul wrote: 'You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light' (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

What do Billy Graham, Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, Young Life founder Jim Rayburn, and the Navigators founder Dawson Trotman have in common? The answer is a Sunday school teacher named Henrietta Mears. When Henrietta was thirty-eight years old, she moved to Hollywood, California. She taught Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church, and she eventually attracted an astounding attendance of 6,500 students. For four decades, she faithfully devoted herself to her passion of building a cradle-to-grave Sunday school. She also started a publishing company called Gospel Light and a successful conference centre called Forest Home. Additionally, she wrote a book, What the Bible Is All About, which has sold more than three million copies. It is impossible to estimate how many millions of people have heard the gospel through this woman and the Christian leaders she mentored and moulded for God. Take the ministry of just one of her students, Bill Bright. He started Campus Crusade for Christ, which at last count had 20,000 full-time staff plus 663,000 trained volunteers in 181 countries. Largely due to The Jesus Film project, Bill Bright's organisation has reached over 3.4 billion people with the gospel - half the world's population.

Now you may not influence millions, but you may influence one person who ends up influencing many others. Andrew, one of the twelve disciples, brought his brother Peter to Jesus, and Peter ended up bringing multitudes to him. You can make a difference. All you have to do is make yourself available to God.

In 1755, a twenty-three-year-old army colonel was running for a seat in the Virginia assembly, when he made an insulting remark as part of a campaign speech. It was addressed to a hot-tempered man named Payne, who responded by knocking the colonel down with a hickory stick. Soldiers rushed to the colonel's assistance, and it appeared a full-blown fight would ensue. But the would-be politician got up, dusted himself off, called off the soldiers and quietly left the scene. The next morning, the colonel wrote to Payne requesting his presence at a local tavern. Payne obliged, but he wondered what motives and demands the colonel might make - perhaps an apology or even a duel. To Payne's surprise, the colonel met him with an apology, asking forgiveness for his derogatory remarks and offering a handshake. Others may have viewed the move as politically expedient, but Colonel George Washington considered it personally imperative if he was to enjoy internal peace as he continued with his political campaign on his way to becoming America's first president.

Jesus said, 'If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly' (Matthew 5:23-25 NKJV). Solomon said, 'Here is how to get free. Don't be proud. Go to your neighbour' (Proverbs 6:2-3 NCV).

The word for today is: humble yourself, and try to make it right.