victimhood

“Come, Follow Me”

Dr. Mike 2026 , , , ,

Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” John 21:22

When Jesus makes the statement, “follow me”, what does all that mean?

In my younger days, I associated this as a student following his rabbi. Later, it meant addressing HIM as Lord and King under the rule of HIS Kingdom. But now, just a few days ago, the meaning even has gotten deeper.

I was listening to a person explain his life story to a group of us. This was like the fourth or fifth time I heard it. But this time coming to know him better, I listened deeper. Not just for the words but his psychological state of mind. It was like listening to a tape recorder. He had his story down pat. He believed it. It was his viewpoint of the situation. Who was I to disagree with him.

Yet, the story left a sad mark on me. The story made him the center of all life’s problems. He was the victim. There was no hope. No future. Just yesterday’s pain rolled up into today’s victimhood. Then it dawned on me. Jesus statement to follow HIM is more than a spiritual invitation. It is the invitation to write a new story. A life story where we join HIM in HIS story. We forgo our story. Instead of being the central character in our story, we accept the supporting role. Jesus is the central character. We join HIM in HIS story.

In our story, we are the hero or the victim. In Jesus story, HE is the hero and savior. We repent. We forgo our central position of the story. We refocus on Jesus. We join HIM. We support HIM as HIS follower. HE takes top billings. We accept the role which makes HIM look best. We become engaged with HIM in HIS story. We look forward to making all things new with HIM. We practice the art of Kingdom living with HIM. We do our work and play with HIM. We acknowledge HIM as the lead partner in our dance around life’s floor.

When now asked to share our story, Jesus is the central character, we are the supporting cast. We no longer are the prisoner of our story. We are no longer the villain. We are no longer the hero, savior, or ruler. We are but HIS servant joining HIM in our role at work, home, and community. We gladly deny ourselves. We maturely take up our responsibilities. We now follow HIM as HE completes HIS story in us, with us, and through us.

As Jesus states in this Scripture to Peter, don’t be concern with John’s part in HIS story, but yours. For both of them have a role to share in HIS story. The same is true with us. So let go and let Jesus be the central person in your story. When we do, watch as our part in HIS story becomes more real and rewarding. For HIS story becomes alive and we receive the benefits of HIS Kingdom for ourself, and for the sake of others.

History is HIS story. Current events are unfolding to reveal more of HIS story. The future waits for HIS story to be completed. The Bible gives us a general outline of what to expect. The details are happening as time moves forward. One’s faith only grows when one sees Jesus as Lord, King, and Savior for all humanity. The sad part is when one fails to see HIM as HE truly IS. HE is the hope for all humanity. Hopefully more may come to know HIM, HIS story, and our role with HIM.           

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Aspirations and Writings Neatly Bound in Book Formats:
* indicates audio version available at Apple Books

Coming Soon: The Shape of a Faithful Life in a Unfinished World.

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

The Prison of Unforgiveness

Dr. Mike 2024 , , ,

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  Romans 4:7

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,”  Luke 17:3

“ if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Luke 17:4

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt. 6:14-15

Why do you think Jesus emphasize forgiveness in relationships?  He not only spoke about the subject, but also demonstrated the action. When hanging on the cross in those final earthly moments, HE forgave those crucifying him (Lk. 23:34).

What happens in life when one doesn’t forgive others for any abuse caused by them?

My mom was a prisoner of war during WW2. At sixteen she was taken away from her family in Ukraine to Germany. There she spent almost five years working in a prison labor camp. She wouldn’t talk much about the ordeal with us, but we saw the scars.

She remained bitter against the people who harmed her. From the local Jewish people who sold their loyalty to the enemy, to the German enemy who enslaved her. She never forgave them for her pain. The bitterness remained with her till the end.

On the other hand, my father also was a prisoner of war. He served in the Polish army. He was captured and spent the majority of the war also enslaved in a labor camp. After the war though, he met mom. They married. Packed up their bags. And traveled to America to start a new life. Dad put everything behind him. Left the family farm and blacksmith business to start a new life. They came to America with $3 in their name.

They both had life challenges. The difference was in their attitude and focus. Mom lived in the past. She would bring up those ugly events and relive them. She blamed others for her problems. She was a prisoner of the crimes committed against her. A true victim unwilling to escape.

Dad though, thank God for HIS interventions during the war. As painful a trial they were, he survived and grew from the experience. He walked humbly with confidence. He was a free man from his past and lived it. He raised a family. He lived and died fulfilling all his obligations. He left behind three sons each successful by worldly standards. But more importantly, walking with their God.

Mom remained in the unforgiveness prison till her death. She rarely experienced the joy and freedom Dad exemplified.

Forgiveness keeps relationships healthy. Forgiveness also allows God’s Spirit more room to maneuver your heart into a mirror image of Jesus.  Forgiveness keeps you free from the bondage of hatred. When one fails to forgive, one chooses to live in the confines of a spiritual prison cell. It is a lonely, gray place without comfort and hope.

Better to forgive and experience the freedom love offers, than to withdraw into one’s prison cell. When in doubt between two options, love is the best choice to make. To forgive is too love.

Unforgiveness leads to an emotional prison cell. Forgiveness allows you to remain free.  Jesus’ apprentices learn to forgive as HE did for us.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Books By Dr. Mike:

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

I Can’t

Dr. Mike 2021, Shaped By The WORD , , , , ,

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

You are correct. If you think you can’t, then you have already accepted and acknowledged your defeat. You have surrendered before even attempting to make a difference. You have isolated yourself under the tent of hopelessness. And you are right. Without the resources, support, and internal fortitude to convert your situation into a plan of action, you might as well give up and acknowledge “you can’t.”

We all will come to a place somewhere in life when we will acknowledge the circumstances and situation is so overwhelming that we throw up our hands in defeat and contemplate quitting. We may have knocked on doors, spent every last dollar in our name, and nothing seems to work. We have secured a ring side view of our limitations, and even hear the voices of others who have said from the beginning that you can’t, so why even try.

And they are correct. Most of us have been beaten-up spiritually, mentally, and socially by the time we reach the age of adulthood.  We have been placed into a self-imposed box of blind ignorance and accept the restrictions as normal behavior. Our human condition has been chiseled into a fragment of the God-given potential you and I have been given from birth.

But God, in HIS divine character provides us the means to overcome this world’s destructive forces. And those forces include the self-imposed restrictions we place on ourselves.

Jesus Christ is the way to a full, meaningful life.

When I reached the end of my rope as a teenager and realized the mess I produced in a short-time of trying to do it my way, I knew either this kid would end up in prison or a box six feet under unless something immediately changed; I reached out to God. I didn’t have any personal relationship with Him. I didn’t know how to pray. I didn’t know squat. But I did realize my world was collapsing and I didn’t have the knowledge, resources, nor wisdom to get me out of the mess. So, I went to the Source of Life.

Since then, I have come to realize HE is always with me and wants what is best for me. HE simply wants me to dance with HIM through the everyday details of life. He enjoys sharing HIS life with me and I with HIM.

And no, life hasn’t been easy. Life is designed to prepare you and me for eternity. The challenges, obstacles, and daily crap that happens, are the means for you and HIM to get together and learn how to dance through the maze of garbage thrown your way. But you have gained the confidence knowing you already have a seat at the table of the King. Lord Jesus has already chosen to share His authority and abundance with you. He has chosen to live in you via the Holy Spirit. When you have this faith proven over time and different circumstances, your holy swagger exudes faithfulness with humility, confidence with compassion, and serendipity with purposefulness.

You have come to know HIM and want to make HIM known to others as HE makes you more and more like HIM in character and attitude. Yes, you even come to know you can do all things through HIM. You don’t look at your limitations any longer. Instead, you look at the God-Man who took humanity’s misery and limitations upon Himself so you and I could now begin tasting eternal life as HE prepares you and I for our seat at HIS table in HIS kingdom. HE is the reason we can say “yes, I can.”

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved