Kathy Weckwerth

Everyday Encouragement

Kathy Weckwerth

3 Things That Irritated Christ

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So often in life we have things that bug us.  Things that make us irritable and mad.   Things that make us wonder why people act the way they do. When those moments in time come around, I try to look at Christ’s example and reflect on how He dealt with the things that ticked Him off.

You might ask, “Huh!?  He was perfect, remember?”

Of course He was, but He was also a sinless man.  He went through the same circumstances and situations that you and I go through every single day.

In scripture, I picked out 3 specific instances where I believe Jesus dealt with things that irritated Him.

  1. Hypocritical People: The Scribes and the Pharisees- Matthew 23:1-12~ Jesus was not happy with people who were hypocritical.  Lately, we’ve seen a lot of this within our world of social media.  During this time of election, I was surprised at how many times I saw brother against brother, or someone who stood strongly proclaiming their faith, and then quickly turned against one leader or another because of believing gossip.

I also was shocked to see people professing to follow Christ, and then following leaders who promoted things against God’s Word.  Here’s a picture of the moment where Christ is talking to the people:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”  Matthew 21:1-4

  1. Selfish Gain: Jesus and the disciples were headed to the temple in Jerusalem, but once they arrived they discovered that the temple had been overtaken with people selling their wares.  Some were even selling doves that had been taken from the poor.  Christ would not tolerate that a holy place would be overtaken by those who were selfish and abusing others to acquire gain.

 “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” 

  1. Friends who weren’t supportive: While Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His crucifixion, He asked His friends to stay with Him, to stay awake and pray.  He knew the hour for His death was rapidly approaching.  But they did not.  I believe He was dismayed and frustrated at His friends’ lack of concern over His request.

“Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.”  Matthew 26:40 

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve had struggles with being disappointed in others.  For me, my 3 top things that make me irritated are 1)People who don’t respond 2)People who don’t follow through when they have an important task to accomplish 3)People who don’t take me seriously.

When I get to the place where I feel like Jesus, disappointed, angry, and betrayed, I just remember that even Jesus had these emotions.
Here are His steps for you and me:

  1. Stand your ground
  2. Speak the truth
  3. Show others that you have expectations

It’s okay to be frustrated.  It’s okay to not quite know how to respond to people.  But Jesus was very clear, He stood His ground, He spoke the truth, and He let people know His expectations.

Is there someone in your life today that you need to call?  Are there changes you need to make?  Are there friends who maybe should be cut free?  Are there people in your life right now who are anxiously hoping they can be a friend, but you haven’t had room?

Today, start by remembering how Christ dealt with His irritants. Then, let’s look and see where you and I can implement His lessons in our own personal journey.

What’s Holding You Back

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This past week I enjoyed a day watching my granddaughter, Cordelia.  Cordie’s hair is light blonde with natural curl, and from the back, she looks like my middle daughter, Chandra did when she was two and a half.  In certain moments, I find myself back in time … remembering.

But on this sleepy, dark afternoon, I felt the warmth of the kitchen calling to me.  As I slipped Cordie’s tennis shoes on, the ones with blinky princess appliques, I grabbed her little hand and said, “We need ingredients for ginger snaps.  Let’s walk to the store.”

I lifted Cordelia into the stroller and we made our way to the sidewalk.  But something strange happened.  It took every ounce of strength I had to push the stroller.  I thought to myself … this is bizarre!  What was going on, I questioned.

The more I pushed, the harder it became to get anywhere.  I began to feel every muscle in my arms and even my back exerting energy, yet still, I got a few feet from when I pushed the stroller in the moments before.

I stopped and prayed.  I asked God what I was doing wrong.  Should I bother my son-in-law at work?  It seems to me that today’s strollers, car seats, and baby paraphernalia are all created for brilliant scientists, not for the everyday 50+ year old grandma.

I looked at the brake release on each of the back tires.  Nothing.  They were loose.  And yet, I could not get anywhere easily.

As I peered over Cordie’s bright tennis shoes, I spotted my problem.  Not only did they have a brake on the back tires, but also on the front tire.  That brake was engaged!  No wonder I couldn’t move easily.  I was holding us back by not releasing the brake.

Isn’t this a simple way to look at our lives?  How often do you and I put the brakes on something because we can’t understand it, or we don’t know how it works.  We stop ourselves or hold ourselves back from moving forward.  We want to blame anyone and everything else, but in reality, it’s us … we’re holding ourselves back.

This week I looked at my radio show.  I love everything about it.  I love the guests, I love the topics, I love how God is orchestrating every little detail.  And yet, I put the brakes on myself because I fear connecting with stations who might possibly say, “No, we don’t want your show.”  There it is … rejection.  The brakes of what might happen are holding me back to what could happen!

I am praying fervently today for some great doses of courage, for some guidance and discernment, and mostly, for GOD to release the brakes on my life.  I’m ready to move forward!  How about you?

How Do You Handle the Ugly

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As I look out my office window, I see the changing of the season.  No longer do the hummingbirds buzz and flit about on the deck, nor do the butterflies sway subtly in the breeze.  Instead, there is a crisp wind blowing through the front door here at the farm.

The beauty outside us is undeniable.  How can anyone think for a moment that there is no creator when there is so much intricate life in our world.  I say this as I watch a daddy long-legs scurry across the back patio, smell the freshly mowed grass that Farmer Dean is so diligently cutting, and look out at the bright orange pumpkin sitting on the step.  The one that made its way home with me from my quick trip into town.

But alongside good there is evil.  Alongside relief there is pressure.  Alongside peace there is violence.  Alongside God there is an enemy.

I recently encountered harsh words at an event where I spoke.
The words stung me.

I recently faced an unkind smirking woman who wanted to embarrass me.
Her attitude wounded me.

I recently listened to someone attacking a congregation.
His opinion alarmed me.

I recently waited for a response from a friend who no longer returns my calls or emails.
Her rejection crushed me.

Herein lies the ugly, the things that are not of God.  I face them every day and if truth were told, at times I am filled with that same ugliness.

In Matthew 23:16-17, Jesus deals with the ugly flat out.  He just calls it out plain and simple … this is ugly.  “You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn’t matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. 17 You blind fools! ”

In Matthew 10:14, Jesus once again faces the ugly, and gives wise counsel to all of us.  “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.”

And finally, when Jesus approaches the woman caught in adultery, a sinner whose ugliness was known all over town, He states this in John 8:10-11, “Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Christ faces the ugliness and advises to leave it.

Three different ways of dealing with the ugly:

  1. Call it out. Hold that person accountable.
  2. Walk away. Just let it go.
  3. Forgive them and advise them to stop living with the ugly.

Where are you at today?  Has someone blasted you, criticized what you believe, or ignored you?

Look at the example of Jesus and seek Him for your next steps.

Let’s not embrace or enable the ugly … let’s live in the lovely.

Phil. 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Big Boots to Fill

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P1050405I keep a couple pairs of my daddy’s cowboy boots in my entry way.  They just sit there on a mat next to the closet door, to remind me.  They remind me of the person I want to become, the person I think God needs me to become.

When I was little, from the moment I remember, I was obsessed with my father.  I wanted to be near him, I wanted to be with him, I wanted to be like him.

As my siblings and I would scramble out to the car on a Sunday morning, I would hurry out so that I could sit between Mom and Dad, nestled between them in the big old Plymouth’s front seat.

At church, I’d hurry in, wearing my little brown dress with the orange flowered smocking at the top, white anklets with lace, and black patent leather shoes.  I towed my Bible in my right hand, while my left hand held Daddy’s.

“What I want to be when I grow up is a pastor.  I want to tell everyone about Jesus.  That, and I want to be the lady with the big, tall hair who plays the piano.”

My daddy would smile and encourage me that until the day I was taken from this world, it was my job to let people know about Jesus.  That was 50 years ago.  In that time I have worked hard to teach people about a Savior and lead worship to six congregations.

As a child growing up, my father was present.  He was there for piano recitals, band concerts, meetings with teachers, and meetings with pastors.  He cheered me on when no one else did.  He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.  And he loved me so genuinely that it taught me how to love.  He prayed so tenaciously, that it taught me how to pray.  He loved God and music so passionately, that it taught me to do the same.

 

When I went through difficult times, my dad prayed with me.

 

When I fell down, my dad would pick me up and ask me what I learned from the fall.

 

When people around me let me down, Dad would say it was a lesson on who to trust.

 

When I prayed and didn’t get an answer, Dad would encourage me that waiting was the answer.

 

And for the most part, whatever I didn’t know about life but thought I did, Dad helped me along the way.

 

He loved genuinely.  He laughed heartily.  He felt deeply.  He appreciated greatly.  He gave willingly.  He acknowledged the broken and lifted them up.

He reminded me of someone.  Someone who we read about, someone who we prayed to, someone who we believed died on a cross for our sins.

Yes, he was someone who I could only hope to emulate, because he strived to emulate the One we followed … the One I follow.

He was like Jesus.

And my hope is that when I see those boots on the mat, that every day that I walk out my front door and see those boots sitting there, I will be reminded that he was a wise and wonderful man who loved me and loved God.

I want to be like that for my husband, my children, my friends, my God, my world.

They are big boots to fill, but I’m trying, Daddy.  I’m really trying.

The Lake of Life

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My husband’s family owns a cabin up north.  It’s nothing spectacular or fancy, but just a very simple structure that sits up high on a grassy hill, overlooking a lovely lake.

From the wrap-around deck, you can relax and nestle into a comfy chair, sipping your tea, while busy little hummingbirds flit about you, sipping their nectar and jetting to and fro.

For these past eleven years, I’ve made my way from the deck at the top of the hill, down those 97 wooden steps to the glorious deep blue-green waters of Lake Vermont.  The trek down is never really difficult; you just have to make sure you go slow enough so as not to lose your balance and fall.

I’ve been out on the lake when it’s been calm and peaceful, like a big clear pane of glass.  I’ve breathed in clean, crisp air, while I’ve watched the cows chew cud across the way, and gazed at the turtles sunbathing in the warm light of a summer’s day.  I’ve relaxed and enjoyed the very essence of the moment.

And then there were days when I was out on the lake with my family and we panicked as the gas gauge was misread, and ended up stranded in the middle of the lake, wondering how we’d ever reach home.

On other occasions, I’ve been out on the boat when a sudden rain storm would move in, setting the boat to rocking back and forth, waves pushing us side to side, while my heart pumped a little harder…..a little faster.

One day, I happened to be in a large yellow inner tube in the middle of the lake, rising to the occasion of riding the waves, fearful as my little Iowa-girl- self, incapable of swimming, was certain that near-death experience was close by.  I settled into the tube, while settling into the fear of being tipped over, and soon, gasping for breath, was suddenly overtaken by the realization that I had been thrust out, only soon to discover I was wearing a bright red life jacket which would save me.  I bobbed to the surface, having seen my life flash by in a few seconds all the while hoping this would not be the end.  My own family watching my excursion remained calm and confident in that life preserver.

While on that lake, I’ve felt pleasure and contentment, rest and relaxation, but I’ve also known fear, panic and dread.

At times the lake was calm and I would feel confident in myself and abilities, and yet at other times the waves came crashing down and I felt very, very small.

This beautiful lake reminds me of our lives.  There are days where we tenaciously make our way down the 97 wooden steps and jump into the Lake of Life, releasing our spirits to lap up every beautiful ray of sunlight and every glorious echo of rippling water and cooing loon.  But on many occasions, there are days when we lose our balance on our own steps, while trying to get there, falling and bruising our egos.

There are days when out on that Lake of Life, we feel stranded in the middle….unaware that somehow….someway…we are completely out of gas.  Or we feel the waves as they are crashing in so hard on us, and we’re thrown into the depths of despair, sinking towards the bottom, desperately searching for a life preserver.

Here’s what I know about this Lake of Life.  I know that we can learn from scripture and the story of the disciples out on a troubled trip, filled with storms and crashing waves.  In Mark 4:37, Jesus and the disciples were on a lake.  “A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it.”  But the thing that bothered the disciples was that Jesus was peacefully sleeping right through it.  No fear …. no concern.

When the disciples finally wake Him up, He addresses the lake and says, (vs 39) “Quiet! Be Still!”  And then to the disciples He questions, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”

The Lake of Life can be smooth transitions.  It can be rough waters.  It can offer times and spots that are troubled and frightening.  But that’s just it…it’s life.  Jesus did not protect the disciples from experiencing the storm.  Instead, He allowed them to journey through it, while He rested peacefully next to them.  And when they woke Him, He reminded them that through Him, they had the power to not fear or dread….but to experience the Lake of Life faith-filled.

Sometimes the challenge in our lives comes from tripping down the stairs as we head onto the Lake.  We get off the beaten path, we get lost and stumble.

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Sometimes the challenge in our lives comes from being in life and experiencing trials and hard times in our marriages, our jobs, or with our families and friends.

Often we can find ourselves in the middle of life and we’ve just run completely out of gas.  Or the next wave is coming up so high; it’s going to drag us under.

What I know is simply this … if you know Jesus as Savior, you are never alone.  He rides the waves with you; He’s there with the gas tank called His Word.  He is the Life Preserver that you wear around your chest.  He is the One who stills the crashing waves and will not let you drown.

He is also the same Creator who provides the days of sunshine and warmth, when life seems filled with good things and beauty.  But He’s in that boat with you and He’s out now on your Lake of Life.

In John 10:10b, Jesus declares this strong foundation for our daily life….
“I came to give them real and eternal life.  More and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

No matter where you are today, whether you are walking down the 97 steps, or out in the boat on a calm day, or even in the midst of a horrible storm…. you are never alone.  Jesus came to help you live a better life than you ever dreamed of, and the way that you begin, is by putting your faith in Him no matter what’s happening out on the Lake.

And I believe that the “better life” Jesus speaks of is simply this …  experiencing through Christ Your Best Life.