Tag: New year

Challenge for 2015 – Happy New Year

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17 NLTse)

Since May 2014 I have spent most of my time driving around the country. And I have become increasingly aware of something; people are very much self-centered. I’ve been guilty of this myself. We drive down the road, frequently cutting off other vehicles, oblivious to what others are doing, or are about to do. Why? So that we can get to the next stoplight a few seconds before the other person? Or we wait until the last possible second to get into the open lane coming up to a construction zone, forcing those who paid attention, and already got over, to have to let us, the inconsiderate drivers, in now that we have made it abundantly clear that our destination is obviously much more important than theirs is.

And let’s not forget about the Christmas season. When we proclaim “Peace on earth. Goodwill to men.” But we’ll run each other over to get a certain parking spot; or sucker punch someone to get that gift that our kids just have to have. And I have no clue how many close calls I had on Christmas eve trying to get from Dallas to Oklahoma City. I lost count after the first 50 people cut me off, or tried to come over into my lane… while I was still there… driving my SEMI.

Honestly, I’m not really all that jaded. Hopefully, my attempts at humor are evident. But, there is a serious side to this. Do I drive as though I represent Christ? When I talk to shippers, receivers, and others, do I represent Christ well. Do I drive courteously, even when the driver who just tried to cut me off, makes a point to then make sure I can see him flip me off? How do I respond when someone flips me “the bird?” How do I respond when I arrive at a customer and they begin yelling at me, or cussing me out because I’m late picking up or delivering? How should I behave in these situations?

I’ll leave you to search your own hearts, and spend time in prayer to answer those questions for yourself. But my challenge this year is to keep Colossians 3:17 in mind. Indeed, there are several passages of Scripture that remind us to do and say things either as representatives of Christ, or as though we are doing them directly for Him. I am reminded daily that I don’t work primarily for the company who’s name is on the side of my truck and trailer. I work primarily for God. I am supposed to be His ambassador, and representative. No matter what I do, or say, his Holy Spirit should be evident in my life. May I constantly remember to behave, and speak, in a manner befitting a child of God.

One last thing…. I’d like to give a special shout out to the driver of the little sports car who made it a point to come around and flip me off… May God bless you, and may He continue to protect you… and all those around you.

My challenge for 2014

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colosians 3:12-15 NLTse)

My challenge this year is to put the above passage into practice. What would happen, first in our individual lives, then in our local churches, then in our communities, if each of us who call ourselves Christians would seek to put this passage into practice? If instead of seeking to condemn another person, we simply forgive them. I suspect that there would be a gradual transformation that would spread, and we would become even more effective than ever at reaching those who are lost.
Now, I am certainly not going to claim that this is an easy thing to do. Forgiveness is not for wimps. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do, and even when we manage to forgive, the memories creep up on us when we last expect it. But it is possible. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts, He will transform us into more Christ-like individuals, who are able to share the love that Christ has for is with those whom we may otherwise find unloveable.

Also notice it doesn’t say forgive if the other person asks you to forgive them. It says we are to make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Further, this isn’t a suggestion. It is an order, a command. Paul goes on to say that we must forgive others.

I admit, I have felt some serious conviction over this. Forgiveness does not come easy. But I must. Because God demands it. Because Christ forgave me. And because, if I want peace in my own life, then I have to be willing to let go of the garbage that comes along. It doesn’t say forgive only if the offense was unintentional. And it certainly does not say it’s ok to hold a grudge if the other person purposefully offended you.

Further, it is love which binds us together as believers in Christ. Can you, or I, truly love others if we refuse to forgive? I don’t think so. In fact, I’ll change that to a straight “no, we cannot.” Because when we refuse to forgive we allow our hearts to begin to harden. A hard heart is simply not capable of love, or peace.

Finally, be thankful. When? Always. I’ll be honest, I think Paul was a bit off his rocker here. How am I supposed to be thankful when so much of life gets in the way? You know what I mean. How am I supposed to be thankful when all the bad things like bills, accidents, sickness, death, foreclosures, and disasters seem to be an endless cycle? I have to honest here too, this is also a tough one for me, and probably for many people. But I think I have a solution. Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving to figure out something to be thankful for, think of at least one thing each day. I don’t care how depressed you get, and I am talking from experience, if you ask God to name just one thing that you have to be thankful for, and listen to Him, He will show you several things.

So I think I can sum up this challenge with just a few words: forgive, love, peace, and thankful.

Will you accept this challenge? Or maybe God has a different challenge for you this year. Whatever He asks of us, may our Heavenly Father bless us, and help us to grow stronger in our faith, and in our love for one another this year.

Cleaning out the clutter

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

As 2013 comes to a close, and we prepare for 2014, I realize that I have been holding onto some clutter. Some of this clutter is in physical form, old papers, old clothes that just don’t get used anymore, and a couple boxes that actually relate to a good chunk of my emotional and spiritual clutter. In fact, as I moved from one home to another this past March I had to pull out and move those two boxes of papers that I had previously hidden away. These boxes actually represent some mental and spiritual clutter that I thought I had gotten rid of. So, as I clean out the physical clutter from this year, I must also clear out the emotional and the spiritual clutter, lest they kill my spirit and render me useless to God.

Getting rid of physical clutter is often as easy as throwing it into the trash. Or, if it is something that someone else can use, then it may be donated. But how can I get rid of the spiritual and the emotional clutter? For me the first thing is to forgive those who have sinned against me. Maybe it was lies and gossip that have been told about me, or about my family. Or maybe it was unloving, and unkind attitudes from those who should know better. Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter. I have decided to forgive, and release those individuals and their offenses to God. Why? Well, first of all, because we are commanded to. Think for just a moment about one phase in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I see two ways of looking at this phrase. First, I am asking God to forgive me according to how I forgive others. Second, as I am asking God to forgive me, I am also asking Him to help me forgive others. Either way, we are expected to forgive others as He has forgiven us. I do not want to be like the wicked servant who, after being forgiven a great debt, refused to forgive a fellow servant of a much smaller debt. Another reason to forgive is to allow myself to have peace. God knows the truth, and He is the only one I am responsible to answer to. So whether or not any person who has offended me acknowledges his or her guilt before me or before God, I choose to forgive. I release them, and the debt to God.

The harder person to forgive is myself. But if I do not, then I will continue to drag the clutter with me. So I choose to forgive myself. God has forgiven me. My sins and failures are covered by the Blood. If God has forgiven them , then I must accept by faith that they are no more. Either God has forgiven me, or He hasn’t. But His Word tells me that if I have confessed my sin, then He is faithful and just, and forgives that sin. And I have. So, now I choose to forgive myself.

Finally, I ask forgiveness from those whom I have offended.

So I am ending 2013 on a note of forgiveness. And when the devil tries to remind me of old sins, whether committed by me or against me, I can remind him that I cleaned out the clutter, and they are covered by the blood of the Lamb. And 2014 begins uncluttered, and with a clean slate.