I guess if we could create our own utopia, we would only hang out with those we like/love or agree with. Conversely, all others who we dislike or hurt us, disagree with us or just plain get under our skin could move to eastern Mongolia where they wouldn’t affect our otherwise happy lives.

But life does not worketh that way.

Reality says the very same people who fill us with the abounding joy, love and fulfillment can cause us pain or tick us off. And we do the very same thing to them and gulp… even repeatedly.

For this dilemma, the Bible gives us this instruction, from Colossians 3:13:

- Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. (New Living Translation)

- Put up with each other and forgive each other (God’s Word Translation)

-  Bearing with one another and readily forgiving each other (Weymouth N.T.)

Listen closely to the heart of the Lord as you openly say to yourself  “Put up with… make allowance for… and readily forgive”, knowing that others who love you are thinking of you in the very same way – perhaps at this very moment. Even more so, Christ did this for us and continues to do it every day.

And watch the season of “Peace on Earth” get just a little longer.

Majesty, majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed but alive in your hands
(Majesty – Here I Am by Martin Smith)

I repeated each word one by one.

I came to know Jesus as my Saviour about 22 years ago and I was a little like the prodigal son… no, actually a lot like the prodigal son. I caroused with the world till I had more than my fill and yet, God reached down from heaven and touched my life.

I remember the first time at church, sitting in nearly the back row – I think someone had already scooped the very back row seats. As a new baby Christian, I was overwhelmed with the joy that I was now heaven bound and that God was for me, not against me. I knew deep down that it was God who did it all for me; I did nothing aside from accepting His love and forgiveness.

I brought nothing to the table; it was like I was paying for an around-the-world cruise with pocket lint… I was empty handed and yet Jesus gave it all for me…

On Sunday morning, I thought to myself, “It has been a long time since I felt this way.”

I came into the kingdom as the prodigal son (See Luke 15), empty handed and full of gratitude for a Father God who came running to me and hugged me (verse 20). Someone coined the phrase “an attitude of gratitude” and that surely was me. You couldn’t keep me out of church. I had a whole new family – I remember the first time a man called me “brother” and I thought, I really am his brother.

Sin began to fall from my life and then, for some reason unknown to me, I slowly began to take on a new attitude. Somehow, some of the gratitude was ebbing away and I now had expectations for God and “my rights”. It was as if I had paid for a piece of heaven with my own blood. My serving God joyously and being obedient to His Word had become “slaving and never disobeying orders” (verse 29) and in crept a little arrogance and judgmentalism. I was becoming the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son.

But, as the song says, we are “Empty handed but alive in Your hands”. We are indeed empty handed. He paid it all.

Remind yourself today, as I remind myself, that your Heavenly Father looked for you, as the scripture says; He saw you “when you were a long way off… He ran to you… He threw His arms around you and kissed you…” And don’t be the elder brother.

This last weekend thirty of my friends and I went fishing up at Roche Lake and had an awesome time together teasing, making fun of each other, putting up with each others snoring, just being guys together. We had a blast expressing our hu-man-ity, beating our chests, avoiding showers and shaving and enjoying cholesterol and all meat meals.

Besides all the caveman cavorting we were able to be men who love being men who love other men in a very real and transparent way.

Yes, I did say thirty friends.

You say, “I wish I had thirty friends…”

These guys are all from my Church, and somehow we all get along and actually like each other so much we can spend a weekend together trying to catch the most or biggest fish so our name is engraved on a gawky second hand trophy.

The richest relationships I have are with my brothers from the Church, that is why we call our Men’s ministry, ‘A Band Of Brothers’.

We are building lasting supportive relationships where we encourage, assist, mentor, hug and even cry on occasion because we love each other as brothers.

The rainbow trout dancing on our lines is always a bonus. It’s the deep relationships and bonding that we experience that keeps us coming back year after year. We all want and need friends. The Church is a great place to make lasting friendships and experience brotherhood. I hope you can come with us next year…see if you can put up with my snoring…

   Just as I was finishing, my brother-in-law drove by, saw my garage wide open and spotted me hanging on a corner of the roof doing my reindeer impression. I waved and made a funny face at him and he returned it warmly as he passed by heading who knows where. Moments later I heard a noise and there he was pulled up in my driveway. He had deliberately turned around, put his agenda on hold, and stopped in to chat it up with me.

   I tend to take my cues quite responsibly and since I had numb fingers, and had run out of garland, I quickly suggested he come in and sit down for a cup of coffee and a visit. He gladly complied — after all, he changed his plan for my sake it seems, or perhaps because we share a healthy relationship. He values my friendship and knows I value his.

   This friendly encounter with my brother-in-law reminded me of God’s interest in meeting with you and I. It’s quite interesting to me how ready God is to meet and talk with us and enjoy our interaction with Him. he’s very interested in our lives and thrilled to engage with us about it in great detail and enthusiasm.

   I have come to truly believe that He would love it if you would turn your truck around, put your daily agenda on hold and pull into His driveway for an assumed coffee visit. After all, it is a relationship and He’s always ready to meet and talk. Are you?

   I’m always amazed and so happy that my wife loves me so much. I’m so far from perfect yet my wife loves me in spite of my flaws and mistakes. My mishandlings of her tender emotions at times or misunderstanding or somehow forgetting her needs. My impatience, my moods….I could go on and on. Now without sounding arrogant, I do believe I must possess a certain amount of quality characteristic that she loves and that makes her feel wonderful & loved but, I fail often and suffer from inconsistency. The most amazing thing is that she loves me in spite of my lack. That’s unconditional love!    

   It’s awesome when people love us unconditionally, but what is even more awesome is that God our Father loves us absolutely and totally with an unconditional love. So much so, that He pursues a relationship with us that is only subject to our agreement and willingness to interact with Him. You see, He wants you not for what you can give Him but for what He can give you. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  

   Now it’s up to us to respond to His love. It’s not forced nor is it illusive. His invitation to you says, “Come to me all you who are week and feeling burdened…I will give you rest.”

   He knows you and loves you as if you were the only person on the earth. You are the apple of His eye! So if you are feeling like you have to measure up or be more lovable to qualify for His love, forget it. He accepts you as you are, freely and without reserve in spite of your inconsistencies and failings. He doesn’t base his love for you on your good performance either. You can’t earn His love. He’s bigger than that. You don’t want religion nor does he. He wants a relationship with you! He loves unconditionally and He is God…not a human being.