A Moment of Hope

by Marilynn Chadwick A revival known as the "Children's Prayer Revival" was ignited around December 28, 1707. The location was near the border of Poland and Czechia in an area where evangelical worship had been outlawed. Boys and girls, ages 4-14, assembled in the open fields outside the town to pray. They would sing hymns, read Psalms, and close with a blessing. Church leaders were furious that prayer was taking place outside the church building, yet it was as if nothing could stop these children from assembling to pray. One father, concerned about his children defying the church and governmental authorities, tried to lock his son and daughter in their rooms. Yet when he heard that they intended to leap out their window to assemble for prayer, he conceded and permitted them to go (as recounted by various revival historians). The Children's Prayer Revival spread and before long the adults joined with the children. When adults witnessed the children singing and praying, it "melted them to tears." The children's gatherings often numbered between 300 to 1,000. A city guard was sent with a whip to disperse the children. But when he saw them praying, he was so moved by what he witnessed that he could not do it. David and I have witnessed firsthand this same boldness among children during our travels to India. Just as the Children's Prayer Revival became the catalyst for more revival, children in India today are bringing entire families to Christ and leading the way for the explosive expansion of the Gospel. As you reflect on the powerful role of children in revival, watch this short 5-minute video (scroll to "Monika's Story"): https://missionindia.org/videos/category/childrens-bible-clubs/. Mission India is one of our Moments Of Hope Church global partners. Pray for the work of Children's Bible Clubs as they spread the Gospel throughout India. Children are a vital part of our church's prayer, worship, and ministry. Let's ask God to give us the bold courage of those with childlike faith!

by Marilynn Chadwick True revival awakens a heart for the least and the lost. Historically, revivals have occurred during times of cultural darkness. England, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, had plunged into moral decadence. Drunkenness was rampant and gambling so pervasive that historians described the nation as "one vast casino." Tickets were sold to public executions as entertainment. Many children died in workhouses. Conditions were dismal all around. Amid this degradation, increasing numbers of British grew rich on the African slave trade, causing one Anglican bishop to remark that morality and religion in Britain had collapsed "to a degree that was never known in any Christian country." It was into this dark culture that John Wesley's life and ministry helped spark the Methodist movement in Great Britain, which gave rise to the Eighteenth-Century Evangelical Revival. This same movement helped ignite the Great Awakening in the thirteen colonies in the 1730s. Methodists and Baptists took the lead in using revivals to expand the spread of Christianity into the frontiers of America. Wesley's revival methods gave birth to a small group discipleship movement. These small groups of five to ten people never exceeded one percent of the total population of Great Britain. Yet their influence swelled among the masses, eventually spilling over to the upper-crust English society. It's no surprise that this Revival had a powerful effect on social conditions in England, including child labor, prison reform, and later the abolition of slavery. Some even say the Wesley Revival movement helped England avoid the type of violent revolution which swept through France. One thing is clear. Throughout history, true revival brought societal reform wherever it spread. If God could use a small group of revived people to transform culture in one of the darkest times in history, just think of what he can do in and through you in these days.

by Marilynn Chadwick The First Great Awakening in America was ignited around 1730 by a scholarly New England minister named Jonathan Edwards. From there, a series of revivals rapidly spread, bringing about the most significant social upheaval to occur prior to the Revolutionary War. The dramatic, impassioned preaching of England's George Whitfield fueled these revival fires as he passed through the colonies. The strategic discipleship methods of John Wesley, also from England, extended the revival's power and impact in early America. The widespread salvation of unbelievers (that extended beyond the church) marked these Great Awakenings, along with renewed emphasis on holiness by believers. The "pattern" of revival often points to a period of spiritual decline and darkness in the culture. Collin Hansen and John D. Woodbridge speak to these patterns in their book A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir. In the midst of despair and hopelessness, someone steps forward to confess their sins and others follow their example. God often answers these humble, heartfelt, corporate cries with a sweeping move of revival. Confession of sin was also the very backbone of John Wesley's small discipleship groups and initially the vehicle for the spread of the English Evangelical Revival. This same "method" was the foundation for early Methodism in America—contributing to the spread of revival fires throughout the colonies. Wesley's foundational verse was James 5:16a emphasizing the healing that comes through confession: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." The Second Great Awakening in America occurred in the mid 1800s following a great spiritual decline after the Revolutionary War. Results were staggering. Revival historian Edwin Orr states that in the U.S., "a million nominal church members were reinvigorated, and more than a million converts were added to the membership of major Protestant denominations—out of a population of less than 30 million." If we want to partner with the heart of God to move in our midst, repentance is key. Take simple steps to introduce rhythms of repentance in your life. You never know. It might create revival in your personal life.

by Marilynn Chadwick Fervent, persistent prayer always precedes revival. Revival historians consistently point to what is sometimes called extraordinary prayer. This is united, persistent, and frequent prayer…often for extended periods of time. The Moravian Revival of 1727 started as a 24/7 prayer meeting that lasted for over 100 years. A group of humble, simple servants who were hungry to see God move. This same Revival gave birth to the most wide-reaching global missionary movement in history. The Moravians' fervent prayer deeply affected the personal faith of John Wesley, who said his heart was "strangely warmed" while attending a Moravian Prayer Meeting in London in 1738. It was there he came to understand the true nature of salvation by grace alone and moved from what he called the "faith of a slave" to the "faith of a son." Historically, revivals were always sparked by prayer. A British pamphlet on Revival, dated 1859, states, "True revival breathed life into every sphere of society. The Church, the family, personal devotion, witnessed its intense ardor. Fervent, persevering, believing prayer marked these movements." Prayer meetings were reported as springing up everywhere from ships at sea to warehouses, marketplaces to workplaces. What is now being called a revival on the campus of Asbury University in February of 2023 bears some characteristics of historic revivals. Sparked by the reported confession of sin by one student, the prayer gathering eventually lasted over two weeks. News of the revival largely spread on social media, attended by about 15,000 people each day. By its end, the revival brought 50,000-70,000 visitors to Wilmore, Kentucky, representing more than 200 academic institutions and multiple countries. As with any revival movement, only time will tell the full story of Asbury. One thing is for sure. Revival always begins with prayer.

by Marilynn Chadwick The dictionary defines "revival" as "coming back to life" or "increasing in strength or intensity." An Emergency Room doctor might revive a patient whose heart has stopped. While the word "revival" doesn't appear in Scripture, "revive" does. Psalm 85:6 says, "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" Isaiah 57:15b says, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Clearly there are moments where God's people find themselves in need of restored hope, new life, fresh perspective. Episodes in the Bible and throughout church history, where Christians are revived, reveal a pattern. These movements were characterized by fervent prayer, repentance of sin, a commitment to holiness, and boldness in proclaiming the gospel. Unbelievers were saved in vast numbers and entire communities experienced the impact of God's grace. This often led to dramatic societal changes. Taverns emptied, crime decreased, and marriages were restored. Children were often found at the forefront of historical revival movements. These same marks of revival are present in the Gospel movements sweeping throughout the world today, especially in the Global South. Over the next several days, we'll explore these and other characteristics of revival – a timely discussion in light of what has now come to be known as the "Asbury Revival" on the campus of Asbury University in Wilmore, KY in February of 2023. Other college campuses across the nation have since experienced their own revival movements as well. We will be asking this question: If revival is real, then what does it mean for me?

by David Chadwick Jesus's final words came on the heels of two very important days that we in the Christian faith know as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. What made Friday so good? Because the cross secured our eternal life forever! Thursday and Friday paved the way for Jesus's last words to be released in power, precision, and purity…paving the way for a future and a hope for all who put their trust in him. Jesus was arrested at midnight in the Garden of Gethsemane. Note that in that moment, he could have called down a legion of angels (600 to be exact!) to help him. But he didn't. He had already submitted his life to the will of the Father: death on the cross. He knew he had to drink the cup of God's anger so we wouldn't have to do so. Jesus became the atonement for our sins. Isaiah 53:5 says that the chastisement that brought us peace was upon him! Think about the next hours of Jesus's life. Arrested and then graciously saved the ear of Malthus – performing miracles and healing in the midst of betrayal and rejection. Brought before Annas and Caiaphas and falsely and unjustly charged. He was beaten and mocked. Imprisoned for several hours. Brought before Pilate. Lashed 39 times by the Romans, which was often referred to as "intermediate death." A crown of thorns crushed down on his skull, mocking him as the king of the Jews. Abused by the crowds as he carried his cross to Golgotha. Nails piercing through his hands. A spear stabbed through his side. Six brutally long hours suffering on the cross. After bearing the punishment and chastisement, Jesus was taken down and placed in a dark and dank tomb! My dear friends, it should have been our tomb! All of Jesus's experiences should have been ours! And on top of all of the suffering and punishment for our sins, we also deserve an eternity in hell! We don't deserve the glory of the Lord apart from Jesus. But he did it all for us out of love. His love for us is SO great! Pause for a moment and think to yourself…I am in that tomb with Jesus. There is no hope for me apart from his resurrection power. Might it happen? In the darkness of this moment, do I realize the price he paid for me? Is there a power that can open the prison door and set me free? Might it come soon---in a day, or two, or three? Can I possibly live in hope that my sins are forever forgiven and God truly has a plan and destiny for my life? Now? Forever? The answer is "YES! Sunday's coming…!"

by David Chadwick Over the past couple weeks, we have been looking at some of the significant final words that Jesus spoke on the cross. But for the next two days, I want to go back a few days and look at the last hours in Jesus's life before he went to the cross and died. In church history we refer to today as Maundy Thursday. This was the day that Jesus celebrated his last supper with his disciples from probably around 6-10pm. They shared a long meal together, a Seder/Passover meal. Jesus's patience, long-suffering endurance, and compassion is seen as he washed the disciples' feet after they started arguing as to which one was the greatest (John 13:1-13). In John chapters 14-17, Jesus goes on to offer the high priestly prayer for his disciples. These same words would go on to encourage and champion disciples of Christ for all of time. After their meal, Jesus walked to Gethsemane. He went into the garden and brought Peter, James, and John with him. He wanted company, as we all need in times of trial. He went to pray for one hour. The disciples couldn't stay awake even for one hour of prayer! Their spirits were willing, but their flesh was weak. During this time, Jesus asked the Father if there was any way other than the cross. He simply couldn't imagine being separated from the Father for even a second. For all of eternity, since before the beginning of time, they had always been together. But the Father said "no." So, Jesus fully submitted to him. Think about this for a moment. We were all lost in a Garden called Eden, in Adam's rebellion in his sin, but we were saved in a Garden called Gethsemane. When Jesus submitted to the Father's will to go to the cross, the victory was won. Satan's last attempt to keep him from the cross failed. Make no mistake about it. Satan was in that garden, tempting Jesus not to drink of the cup of God's wrath. But Satan failed. Jesus won. And our victory was forever secure!

by David Chadwick When someone is about to die or is approaching the end of life, he or she usually shares words that are full of perspective, insight and purpose. There is something about nearing the end of the road that provokes people to say what they wished they had always said and to communicate things they may have missed the opportunity to communicate. Jesus's final words held the most significant meanings in all of history. We are looking at some of his final words. Here is what he said in Luke 23:46, "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." Notice that Jesus acknowledged in that moment that he had a spirit. Yes, he walked in a human body with flesh and blood, but Jesus is a spirit! Jesus's identity is fully God and he lived with a soul and personality (mind, will and emotions) that were fully aligned with the Father's original intent. As he was nailed to the cross, breathing his final breath, he yielded fully into the Father's plan. He surrendered his life into God's hands and committed himself completely to the plan that had been established before the beginning of time. Therefore, when Jesus's body died, his spirit remained and still lives on today! That's why the Bible teaches that all people have eternity in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We have all been stamped by the image of God and have a spirit that will either be awakened to the reality of Christ or will remain asleep. Whenever someone dies, they will live forever – either in heaven or in hell. Because of Jesus's death on the cross, the Temple veil was torn. As a side note, there are some who believe it could have been several feet wide! Jesus's commitment to the Father's plan has now given full access to the Father to anyone who chooses to put trust in Jesus. Whatever need we have, we can now bring straight to the Father in heaven because of Jesus's death on the cross. If we follow Jesus, we can also be assured that our spirits will live forever. After this flesh and blood body dies, we are assured to have a new, perfect resurrection body that will live forever without pain, suffering, disease, or sin! Hallelujah for the Lord our God lives forever!

by David Chadwick Final words. Defined as "the final things said in an argument or a discussion." I love to think about all of the final words that Jesus spoke as he put an end to the argument of who would end up having the victory between him and Satan. Jesus's life, death, and resurrection settled the discussion once and for all when he took back the keys that Adam relinquished in the Garden of Eden. And now, because of the victory on the cross, he holds those keys forever (Revelation 1:18)! The finality of Jesus's victory is shown in these final words in John 19:30, "It is finished." What is the "it" that Jesus is referencing? It is his 33-year mission on earth, fully God and fully man, and sent purposefully by the Father to accomplish the work of salvation for mankind. The "it" is the assignment that the Father asked him to take on when he left the splendor of heaven to enter the squalor of this world. "It" is the battle that Jesus set out to win! "Is" is significant because Jesus knew of the present tense reality of the future hope. He did not say, "It will be finished," he said, "It IS finished." He lived out Hebrews 11:1, being sure of what was hoped for and confident of what was not yet seen. The present tense use of "is" was a display of his confidence and assurance. And then "finished." Completed. Accomplished. Finalized. Brought to fruition. The work was done. The battle had been won! Jesus met the righteous requirements of the law in every way (Romans 8:4). He lived in perfect obedience to everything the Father demanded and asked him to do. Where the first Adam failed in disobedience, the second Adam, Jesus, succeeded in perfect obedience to the Father's will. Our sin debt was paid in full. Jesus paid it all! All to him we owe. Our sins are forever forgiven. We need never fear death. All the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in perfection. To be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:7) to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 bearing our sins for his glory, now finished! On the cross, the Father's love manifested to us all.

by David Chadwick Have you ever spent the day at the beach on an especially hot summer day? Splashing through the waves for hours? After so much time in the salt, sand and sun, it is very common to feel very thirsty. Did you know that some of Jesus's final words in John 19:28 were, "I thirst"? I love the depth of this phrase. Jesus was most likely physically dehydrated. He probably had not had anything to drink for more than 18 hours. His last liquid was most likely at the Last Supper the night before. But he was probably also spiritually thirsty for all God was about to do! Think about the timeline of events he walked through. After going through an hour of prayer in the Garden, he faced arrest. He was beaten, imprisoned, and had a crown of thorns placed on his head. He endured intense mocking and was then forced to carry his cross to Golgotha. He was nailed to the cross. For six hours, from 9 am to 3 pm on the cross, he was pinned to the cross in a scorching sun with no option other than to await death. In his physical state, of course he would say, "I thirst." He was thirsty! But I think it goes beyond physical thirst. Why does this phrase make it into the council of Scripture? Why point out his thirst from the cross? First, I think these words emphasized that Jesus was totally divine. He perfectly hungered and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and lived the life that none of us could live. The divinity of Jesus is an essential piece of the Gospel as that is the only way that he could forgive us of our sin. Secondly, these words emphasized that Jesus was totally human. He experienced real human sensations, emotions, and temptations. While totally divine, he did not consider "equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself" and took on a servant's form. He completely understood what it felt like to be thirsty. Yet, remained perfect as he walked out his life. Only a perfect human life could be the substitute for us in our sin and pay the price for our sins. If Jesus walked this earth as a perfect human, then there is nothing we go through that he and God himself do not empathize with us and fully understand (Hebrews 4:15-16). From the cross, Jesus wants us to understand his divinity and total humanity. He understands the things we feel in every way…even our thirst!

by David Chadwick Jesus is the Word. Made flesh. Who dwelled among humanity (John 1:14). His words will go down for all of time as the most significant words ever spoken. They perfectly reflect the divine heart of God for the world. Here is another example of some of Jesus's final words on the cross. In Matthew 27:46, he said, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" Jesus was quoting from Psalm 22, a Messianic psalm. Many scholars believe that as a rabbi, Jesus may very well have quoted, at least under his breath, the entire psalm. Much of what happened to him on the cross was prophesied in Psalm 22. While we don't know for certainty if the entire psalm was quoted, we do know that the first verse was stated, making a clear claim that he was the long awaited Messiah. If we are to use the Word of God as a sword (Ephesians 6:17), how profound for Jesus to live by example and to quote the Word as he carried out his mission on earth. There was another even more significant meaning to these final words on the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before he went to the cross, Jesus asked God if there was any other way to avoid having the drink of the Father's cup. In the Old Testament, drinking from the cup was always a reference to God's judgment being poured out on his enemies. Jesus knew that when he drank from the cup of God's judgment, he would absorb all sin upon himself, something too terrifying to comprehend. From eternity past up until that moment, the Son always had a perfect relationship with the Father. But when all the world's sin came upon him, he knew the Father would have to abandon his Son, if even for a moment. This is the reason Jesus stated this sentence of feeling forsaken. At that moment, all the world's sins came upon him and the Father could no longer have union life and perfect fellowship with his Son. But that was the price both the Father and the Son were willing to pay for our sins to be forgiven! What a glorious grace! It cost Jesus everything to perform this act of forgiveness and love. Because Jesus was forsaken, we are now forgiven! Hallelujah! What a Savior! What great love and grace Jesus displayed for us on the cross!

by David Chadwick Over the next two weeks, we are looking at some of the final phrases Jesus spoke while on the cross. Final words are very important. When someone is nearing the end of life, the words they release are usually incredibly purposeful and poignant. Anyone in the presence of someone who is approaching the end of life should pause and take note of what is being said as their words tend to be pretty significant. The most important final words ever spoken were spoken by Jesus. In John 19:26-27, Jesus said, "Woman, behold, your son!…Behold, your mother!" He was speaking to John, his beloved disciple. The word behold is powerful. It means "to gaze upon" or "to observe." In these words, Jesus was taking in all of the details of the needs around him, even in the midst of his excruciating death. Jesus wanted to make sure that his mom was cared for after he died. With profound love for his mom, at the point of death, Jesus honored one of the 10 Commandments to honor his mother. At that point, Joseph had already died and I suppose Jesus knew that she would need someone to care for her as she aged. John was not only Jesus's beloved disciple, but he was most certainly the youngest of all the disciples. Some think he could have been as young as 14 when he first decided to follow Jesus. Jesus's commission to John and Mary therefore pointed out the incredibly important gift of the biblical family. Over time, we learn that John did care for Mary. He took her to Ephesus where he pastored. Evidently, she became a pillar of that community of faith and the Ephesian church helped care for her, perhaps and especially when John was exiled on Patmos. Dear friends, family is so important. It should be fought for and cherished whenever possible. There is no greater gift than a family who is unified and yielded to Jesus and his principles. Even from the cross, Jesus was magnifying the importance of family, which is the microcosm of the greater family of God called the church. He highlighted the gift of caring for parents.

by David Chadwick "Today you will be with me in paradise." Some of Jesus's famous last words found in Luke 23:43. Did you know that when Jesus was crucified, he was placed on the cross in between two thieves? These two criminals were undeniably guilty of their crimes. According to Roman law, they were justifiably receiving their deserved death sentence. Their punishments fit their crimes. Yet their responses to Jesus were entirely different. In the presence of the Savior of the world, they had two very different responses. One thief, in his human pride, never acknowledged the Lord of love and his forgiving grace. He remained obstinate and impertinent to Jesus. He died and headed straight toward hell. The other thief, however, encountered the saving grace of Jesus in his dying breaths. He recognized who was in his midst and accepted the free gift of eternal life. His heart was softened, and he was repentant. This story has a profound impact on the gospel of Jesus. The repentant criminal proved that anyone can receive Jesus's gift of eternal life. Yes, even in his or her last breath. Grace means grace! Nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken away from it. It's not based on works, so that no man can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it is a free gift that Jesus gives because he is the Lord of love. While crucified on the cross next to Jesus, the repentant thief humbly received the gift of grace. Jesus responded to him with these final words, "Today you will be with me in paradise." When the thief died, he would immediately be with Jesus in paradise, where he would experience the restoration and perfection of heaven that will one day come to earth to restore everything back to its original intent. May all of us realize that Jesus's life, death, and resurrection is what allows us to be in his presence immediately after we die. There's no purgatory. No intermediary state. No holding place. Simply to be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus, as Paul clearly stated in 2 Corinthians 5:7. What good news from some of Jesus's final words on the cross!

by David Chadwick Jesus is the Word (John 1:14). Because of this, any words he spoke in Scripture are profoundly important. However, as we learned yesterday, the words leading up to someone's death are often very rich, purposeful and profound. I have found seven of Jesus's "last words" in Scripture. Let's look at the first one today. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). If you were following along with us, we just completed a series in March on the madness of unforgiveness. We learned so many truths about how bitterness and resentment that take root in our hearts can actually perpetuate madness in our hearts! I find it absolutely fascinating that Jesus's first sentence from the cross dealt with forgiveness. As he hung naked on a cross in front of his enemies, after experiencing painstaking betrayal, and in the midst of the most excruciating physical pain, he chose to speak to the importance of forgiveness. Jesus knew that the only ones truly hurt in unforgiveness are us. Jesus's plea to his Father to forgive those who put him on the cross was a statement of love, from the lips of the Lord of love, to remind us all that only love conquers hate. Only love opens the prison door of bitterness. Dear friends, remember what I shared with you from R.T. Kendall's teaching on forgiveness. He said that most people who have hurt us don't even know how badly they have hurt us! In fact, some research estimates that only about 20% truly understand what they have done, thus implying that 80% are clueless of the pain they've induced. Forgive them. Set them free. Let God do vengeance. He alone knows everything. He alone does perfect justice…and one day, justice will prevail! And what about 20% who clearly knew what they were doing when they hurt you and chose to do it anyway? Yes, forgive them too. Remember, it's primarily for your benefit that you forgive. And it's the heart of Jesus's message to us all from the cross!

by David Chadwick Over the next two weeks, I want to take you on an adventure to the cross. I want to look at the details, big and small, and help you understand the full meaning of Jesus's journey from the cradle to the cross. How are we going to do this? Each day, we will look at seven of Jesus's "last word" phrases that he spoke on the cross. Every word he spoke was rich in meaning, intentional, and purposeful. Words, in general, are powerful. But when you realize that John 1:14 says that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," and that Jesus IS the Word, the power of his words bear more weight than any human expression ever could. Often, when someone is about to die, they will speak their most important words to those loved ones standing around them. It's like the old joke says, "No one who is dying ever says, "I wish I would have spent more time in the office." Instead, someone nearing the end of life usually talks about his or her love for Jesus. And their spouse and kids. Their grandkids and sometimes even great grandkids. In Marilynn's 97 year old dad's case, if you were to spend even five minutes with him, he would gladly point out how proud he is of his kids, grandkids and GREAT grandkids! Then, they may talk about what they want you to remember. They may share last pieces of advice, last memories, last insights. The same thing was true of Jesus. His last words on the cross sought to give his followers great insights into his heart and to share the most important things with all of us before his death. We will spend the next seven days looking at these seven truths that he left us in his final words on the cross. Then, after hearing his final words on the cross, we will go back and relive his last words on the night before his death and then in the final hours on Friday leading up to his crucifixion and see what these hours may mean to us. Join us on this journey for the next two weeks!

by David Chadwick God can use it for good. No matter what has happened to you. No matter what pain you have experienced. No matter what pain has come your way. God can use it for good. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is a remarkable verse that says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." In these verses, Paul is stating that when something bad happens to us, not only will we become more than an overcomer through Jesus (Romans 8:37), but we are also presented with a wonderful opportunity before us. What is that opportunity? We are now able to use what happened to us to help someone else who might be going through a similar experience. Nothing is new under the sun. Most difficulties that someone experiences has been experienced by someone else before – especially when it comes to rejection and/or people hurting one another. I am certain that there is someone somewhere who is going through something very similar to what you have gone through. Can I make a suggestion to you? Find those people who are experiencing the same pain you once experienced. Seek them out. Offer someone else your greatest gift: your time. And when you get together, listen. Be a friend who has empathy. Be someone who gives understanding.Then, give them some ideas on what helped you get through the mess that they are now experiencing. Tell them how God walked you through the fire. More than anything, share how you came out on the other side unburned, still intact, still alive and well (Isaiah 43:2)! This is one of the best ways to laugh in the devil's face when someone else hurts you. This is how to use what you have learned to breathe life into someone else. God can take anything that happens to us and use it to help someone else. Remember, Satan means it for evil, but God will always use it for good!

by David Chadwick As we continue to explore the madness of unforgiveness, there are many questions that pop up. Here is a really important one. What about the imprecatory prayers in the Psalms? For those who may not know, many of the Psalms have what are called "imprecatory Psalms", ones where David cried out to God because he didn't understand why his enemy had been able to wreak so much havoc on him. One example is Psalm 69:24. David cried out to God, "Pour out your indignation on them, and let your burning anger overtake them." If you want to explore more of the Psalms that fall in this category, go read any of the following chapters in the book of Psalms – 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 109, or 137. As you can see, there are quite a few! These imprecatory Psalms leave a lot of questions with regard to forgiveness! The seemingly violent pleas of David's heart are shocking. He leaves no stone unturned with regard to his true feelings toward those who had hurt him. So, as followers of Jesus, who are seeking to live as he called us to live, what do we do with this? Does this suggest that we should be angry with our enemies and seek God for revenge? Not at all. The imprecatory Psalms do two things. First, they show the honest pain of the person who has been hurt. And secondly, they show us how the offended person gives the situation to God and lets him resolve the situation. God does promise to do vengeance, both in the Old and New Testaments. But once again, what's the key here? It's HIS job to do it. Not ours. He alone knows all the facts. He alone knows the best remedy. Our job is to submit to his wisdom, knowledge, and plan for our lives. There is repayment to the wicked at the judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Everyone will eventually get what he or she deserves unless he or she receives Jesus's forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Because of Jesus, we receive what we don't deserve – all the eternal blessings and benefits of believing in Jesus!

by David Chadwick Do you know what one of the ways is that you can be set free from the madness of unforgiveness? One of the ways you know you've truly forgiven? You don't feel pain when you see your offender! After you've been hurt by someone, there's a very good chance that you will still hear about them from others. You might even hear that they are doing well or prospering in one way or another. Or you might even run into them in public or at some event. It's inevitable. Here's a way you'll know you've forgiven that person. When you hear their name, or hear of some blessing or success they may have, or you do run into them at some occasion, your heart won't hurt any more. When this happens, you will know that their life has no more power or control over you. And at that point, you will know that you are truly free. This truth is at the heart of Jesus's command to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). While we were still Jesus's enemies (Romans 5:8), in rebellion against him, he still came to die for us. He didn't wait for us to become perfect before he went to the cross on our behalf. Forgiving those who have hurt us or forgiving our enemies is truly hard – especially when the pain is deep and profound. Maybe you had a spouse leave you. Or a boss fired you. Maybe you had a family member speak words of death over you. Maybe someone cursed you publicly. Maybe you even lost a loved one to a heinous crime. There are many offenses that take place in this broken world, some greater than others. But all require Jesus's supernatural love in us, flowing through us, to the offender. We can't do it in our own human strength. But Jesus can! As we allow his grace that forgave all our sins to live in us and move through us, we will become more set free. The more we know Christ's love for us, the more we will be able to give that love away to others, yes, even our enemies! You'll know it's real when you don't feel any more pain when someone's name is mentioned in your presence or even when they are in your presence. True forgiveness is experienced when the pain no longer holds you captive! You remember the situation, but are now stronger because of it!

by David Chadwick There are so many layers to forgiveness. It takes practice, patience, and a deep pursuit of abiding in the presence of God. While forgiveness is radical, it's not careless. God's heart in teaching us forgiveness is for our good. It's not to make us a doormat to other people's poor treatment of us. It's to set our hearts free from the prison that unforgiveness wants to hold us in and to keep us from the madness it creates! With that said, forgiveness does not equal forgetting. Sometimes we wrongly think that in order to forgive, we must forget. That only if we have completely forgotten something could there possibly be evidence of true forgiveness. But that's just not realistic! Not only is that the antithesis of how humans are hardwired to think and feel, I don't believe it's biblical. The Bible talks repeatedly about remembering and the power of memory. Psalm 103:2 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." God gave us a memory for a reason. In fact, he encourages us to recount and remember things God has done for us. To remember all of his past victories. If God did it once, he can do it again! So, why would he give us a memory if he expects us to completely forget our pain in order to forgive? I think there's another reason God gave us the gift of painful memories: so we don't get hurt again! He wants us to learn from our past situations and to grow in wisdom. If you have ever had a child touch something hot, he or she will usually never touch it again. Our memory often helps protect us from future pain. Remember, we are commanded to forgive. That's not optional. But God keeps the memory of the past alive within us for many different reasons, I think. First, to constantly remind us of God's grace, which takes us back over and over again to the cross. But secondly, to keep us from going back to the source of the pain. He wants to keep us out of toxic relationships. He wants to remind us of the kinds of people we should not trust. He wants to show us the kind of people we want and need in our lives. Forgive, but never forget! By forgiving, you are set free. But by remembering, you will learn a lot of valuable truths that you would never know without God's gracious gift of memory.

by David Chadwick 70 times 7. Jesus says that this is the number of times we must offer forgiveness to others. Read Matthew 18:21-22. Much of the entire chapter in Matthew 18 has to do with forgiveness. In Jesus's day, within Hebrew culture, the number of 7 represented the number of completion. Therefore, when Peter asked Jesus how often to forgive someone else, he inquired if God's idea of completion would be encapsulated in this question from Peter: "Are we supposed to forgive someone who has hurt us 7 times?" Jesus's response to Peter is compelling. He said, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." Or, as we see in other translations, Jesus told Peter it wasn't just 70 times, but 70 times 7! What was Jesus saying? Was he teaching that on the 491st time we are now allowed to retaliate and respond with revenge? No! Jesus was teaching that 7 (the number of completion) extrapolated outward (to 70 times) means that we are to forgive repeatedly. Over and over again. In that moment, Jesus took Peter's understanding of completion within Hebrew culture and brought him up to a higher perspective of the culture of the Kingdom of heaven. He wants to do the same with us! When the offense and your offender come to mind, or someone reminds you of your pain or trauma, or you run into the offender at the grocery store and the pain returns, stop and pause. Remind yourself to forgive that person again. And again. And again. Jesus knew that most likely painful memories would recur. The good news is, over time, the pain will lessen. I think Jesus knew the reality of the human heart. He knew the quicker we respond with forgiveness, the less chance we have for bitterness to remain in our hearts, causing a root of resentment to reestablish itself. At some point, as we faithfully obey Jesus's teachings, the grace of forgiveness from Jesus to you will overwhelm the bitter feelings of what happened to you. The next time you hear something, see someone, or are triggered to be reminded of what happened to you. Pause. Remember. 70 times 7. Forgive once again. And eventually, the pain will go away.

by David Chadwick You might be thinking after reading this title, "Wait a second, David. You mean Jesus's teaching on forgiveness applies even to my enemies?" Yes! Now, take a moment and read Matthew 5:43-48. Jesus clearly taught his disciples to forgive their enemies. And he wants us to do the same! He knew that the natural instinct when people get hurt would be to retaliate with a bit more venom toward the offender. Retaliation always calls for just a bit more intensity, which makes the offended person's retaliation a little bit worse. And then the offender would feel even more anger. And on and on the cycle goes. Jesus wants us to learn how to break this cycle. To nip it in the bud. To not allow our anger to escalate. But how do we do this? Forgive! Forgiveness breaks the back of our offenders. Yes, even our enemies. You may think, "But David, I can't do this! This one is too hard." I understand your pain and can actually relate as I too have had a hard time forgiving my enemies. But do you remember Romans 5 that we discussed yesterday? While we were still God's enemies, he came and died for us. Pause again and think about that! We were God's ENEMIES! And yet he still offered us his forgiveness and grace. Let me state clearly here that this is not something we can do in our own strength. It's not natural. You can't muster up forgiveness toward an enemy without Jesus. Our natural inclination is to get even. To take revenge. To retaliate. But when we receive Jesus's love, it's a supernatural love. Where we can't, Jesus can! Because of Jesus, we can love our enemies by his love that is in us and flowing through us. Jesus's supernatural love is what allowed him to forgive us as his enemies. And that same love can give us the ability to forgive our enemies too! This is why the world desperately needs Jesus. His love, grace, mercy, and kindness can change even the hardest of hearts. Jesus wants to conform all of us to his image (Romans 8:29), from the inside out. That way, we can live as he lived. And love as he loved. Yes, even when it's our enemies. As he forgave us when we were his enemies.

by David Chadwick Today, let's walk through another good exercise that should help us understand more about forgiveness. Read Romans 5. Whenever I read the first part of Romans 5, I am immediately struck by the insurmountable grace of God. It truly is amazing. There is nothing like it in the entire world. We have peace and access to a hope in God that we never would have otherwise experienced (Romans 5:1-2). While we were still walking in sin and bound by folly, Jesus chose to die for us (Romans 5:8). Look at some of the words used by Paul to describe us in our pre-Christ condition in Titus 3:3. Foolish. Disobedient. Easily led astray. So unlike God in every way. Now look at how Romans 5 describes us before Christ. Ungodly. Sinners. Enemies. Rebels. Without Jesus, we are truly weak! We were ungodly. John 8:44 says this of humanity before meeting Jesus, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires." Our innate desires before Jesus are to quest after Satan's ways, not God's. We were sinners. Do you know what the word sinner means? It means "missing the mark." When an archer would shoot an arrow at a target and miss it completely, the onlookers would call, "Sin!" God did have an original intent for all of us, a desired bullseye he wanted all of humanity to have. But we are the ones who have completely missed the mark. Way off course! We were enemies. Think on this one for a while. A synonym for enemies is rebels. We have led a revolt against the one who gave us everything. God gave us our lives. He gave us provision, possessions, fun, laughter, and vision for productive and fulfilling lives. But we rejected his rule. We wanted life on our own terms. But God. While we were ungodly, sinners, rebels, and enemies of God, he STILL pursued us. He STILL left heaven to come to us and die on the cross. He pursued us in the ultimate rescue mission that has marked mankind forever! God didn't wait for perfection before he expressed grace. Think about this. Now think about the person who has hurt you. Can you give to others the same kind of grace that you've received from Jesus? That's the essence of Romans 5. That's the heart of Jesus's gospel of grace.

by David Chadwick As Christians, can we judge people? We learned yesterday that the answer is, "Yes." However, there is a biblical way to do this. It must be done in humility and with the awareness that you, too, have sin that must be confessed. So, how do you go to someone who has hurt you? Let's take a look at Matthew 18:15. A real life example may look something like this. You have been offended. Someone hurt you in a very intentional way. Start off by asking yourself if you should step over this offense. One good question is this, "If I were to share this situation with a trusted, seasoned mentor, leader or pastor, would they confirm that this situation is too big to step over?" Sometimes, we make mountains out of molehills. Our minds can inflame problems that aren't actually that big. However, if after processing you recognize that the situation was so big, so hurtful, and so painful that it warrants a conversation, what should you do next? First, remember you don't want to judge someone with vitriol and anger. You may need to take some intentional time to remove the plank out of your own eye (Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:3-5). Settle your own heart and pray for humility, recognizing your own imperfections. Side note, this is a regular discipline that everyone should do. It is almost like an internal house cleansing that keeps all of us in touch with God's grace. As you remember how you, too, have hurt people before, ask Jesus for grace anew. Ok, now what? Jesus tells us to then go to the person who has hurt you. Not by text. Not by email. Not through a phone call. Not by a letter. Go to the person. Face to face. And have a loving sit down where you can share your heart. Ask to hear the other person's heart as well. And have mutual understanding, forgiveness, and even reconciliation. If the person blows you off or will not listen? Take another person. A trusted, mutual friend of you both would be best. Someone who can hear both sides and offer a path toward renewed friendship. And if the person still blows you off and won't meet with you and the mutual friend? Go to the elders of your church. See if greater measures of protection and discipline are necessary. Ultimately though, regardless of how things work out, you need to let this person go. Forgive them even if you don't feel like it. Release them to the Lord. Let God deal with them over time. If there is wickedness in his or her life, the Lord will deal with him or her. But you will be free! Free to love, free to move on knowing you have done all that you can do. Go live your life without regret and bitterness – the way our Lord desires all of us to live.

by David Chadwick When it comes to forgiveness, there are so many steps to carry it through to completion. There is a fine line between discerning clearly what is good from what is evil, and being able to fully release someone of the debt they owe to you. On one hand, you must maintain a measure of conviction when something bad happens to you because it allows you to rightly judge truth from error, which is a crucial skill to have while living in a broken world. But on the other hand, you don't want your rumination on the reality of your correct diagnosis of evil to take you deeper into the pit of unforgiveness. A question that often comes my way is, "Can I judge others?" Jesus talks about this in depth in Matthew 7:1-6. Some people, when hurt, are unable to step over the offense. As followers of Jesus, they don't know what to do with their pain, for they think they can't judge others. After all, in Matthew 7, Jesus said to judge not, lest we be judged. People often read this and think they should swallow all hurt and never confront any evil done to them. But this wasn't what Jesus was saying at all. Think about this for a moment. We judge people all the time. To protect ourselves. To rightly determine whether we can entrust ourselves to someone. To determine if we can trust what they are saying to us. So, what Jesus meant was this, BEFORE we judge someone, we must realize that how we judge others is how God will judge us. We set the standard and if it's hard, harsh, and unrealistic, then that's how God will treat us. Jesus also said that we must take the log out of our own eye before we try to take the speck out of someone else's eye. We must recognize how we have hurt others before we determine how they have hurt us. In prayer, ask the Lord to reveal these things to you. Read Galatians 6:1. It hints at this same idea, suggesting that you remain vigilant to watch over your own heart whenever you seek to restore a fallen brother or sister in the faith. After all, we are all susceptible to falling into sin. So, the answer to today's question is, "Yes!" You can judge other people, but it must be done with the utmost humility and awareness of your own sin. Tomorrow, we will look in greater detail as to how the Bible calls us to go to someone else who has hurt us.

by David Chadwick Forgiveness. It's one of the most powerful forces in God's creation. On the contrary, unforgiveness can easily hold people captive and destroy their lives. Let's keep looking at the madness of unforgiveness. What is the best way to stop unforgiveness? If possible, step over the offense. Proverbs 19:11 says, "Good sense makes one slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Here is a pithy way that I like to remember this biblical truth. Offenses happen to us all. But good sense would say to step over offense! Some people will purposely offend us. Some do so unintentionally, without evil intent. But here's the bottom line: offenses do happen! People offend us. And we offend them. It's not a matter of if this will happen to us, but when. I truly believe the best way to handle most offenses, if possible, is to step over them. Notice I did say, "If possible…" I do recognize that sometimes the offense is so big, so damaging, and so hurtful that it needs to be confronted. There are certainly times where the only way to move on is to deal with the offender so that he or she can't do any further harm. However, if the offense is deemed to be manageable, if it is something that won't really hurt the friendship, if it's a silly conflict with your husband or wife, or if it's not something that would greatly harm the family or organization, it's always best to step over it. When you step over the offense, remember to give it to God. I like to repeatedly say to myself in these moments, "David, remember that love is not irritable. It isn't touchy. Or rude. Indeed, love really is patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:5)." With Jesus's supernatural strength living within us, we truly can step over the offense. And move forward in enjoying life to the fullest!

by David Chadwick Continuing to unpack the madness of unforgiveness, let's talk about what forgiveness is and what it is not. Forgiveness is releasing someone else of the debt they owe you. Forgiveness is softening your heart to the ones who have hurt you. Forgiveness is remaining open, yielded and willing to respond to another however the Holy Spirit may lead you to respond. Remember the story of Joseph that we looked at a couple days ago? How he forgave his brothers after 22 years of separation and being wronged? Forgiveness can look wild and radical. Ultimately, forgiveness is freedom and victory. But, forgiveness does NOT always mean reconciliation! These are two separate actions. Forgiveness depends on one person: you. But reconciliation depends on two people: you and the one who hurt you. Biblically, you are commanded to forgive. It's not optional and Jesus makes that very clear. Reconciliation, on the other hand, may or might not happen. Yes, if you can possibly reconcile with another, that's God's best. After all, God gave us a ministry of reconciliation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Romans 12:18 says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." But reconciliation is not always possible. Why? Well, for one the person who hurt you may have died. Or the trust within the relationship may have become completely eroded and impossible to regain. Or you simply may not want that person as your friend again for many different reasons. Whatever the reason, so long as it's not rooted in hatred and bitterness, I think it's okay not to reconcile the relationship. Certainly, you must forgive. But you may not be able to reconcile the relationship. And I'm sure that Jesus has compassion when it's simply impossible to do or you just don't want to do it this side of eternity. Just remember, you are always called to forgive as Jesus has forgiven you. That is his will for you.

by David Chadwick Forgive yourself. Release God of anything you have wrongly blamed him for doing. And forgive others. Instead of just forgiving others by letting them off the hook of your wrath and anger. What if you actually forgive others the way you would want to be forgiven. After all, the Bible says to treat others the way you would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). This is an absolute key for forgiveness to have its full impact in your life. Read and reread Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Now start with asking the question, "How do I want God to forgive me in all the ways that I have hurt his heart?" Really answer that honestly. Here are some of the ways that I know I want God's forgiveness. I want complete and total forgiveness. I want to be assured that I won't be haunted by the memories of the pain of what has happened to me. I don't want my own sin to be remembered. I don't want my own sin to be broadcasted to the world. I don't want my sins to harm me in the future. Ok, now you try. Keep making a list for yourself. Maybe you want to be received with a hug instead of a punishment. Maybe you desire to experience joy and laughter after doing something you know was terribly wrong. Maybe you want the entire mess forgotten in order to move on in life. Now, think of the person you need to forgive. You don't want them unduly punished, right? Do you want their sins forever remembered by God? Do you want to see all of the wrong they have done to you made public? Do you desire to see them spend eternity separated from Jesus's eternal love? Or be repaid for their sins here and forever? If you truly are a follower of Jesus, I don't think you could desire any of these things. So, pause for a moment and release them. Forgive them as you want to be forgiven. And then watch as Jesus sets you free.

by David Chadwick Unforgiveness will make you mad! Both frustrated and crazy! Yesterday we talked about the need to forgive yourself. Today, I want to talk about how you might need to forgive God. Now, hold on just a moment. This seems blasphemous, but it's not. Let me first say this…God can do no wrong. He is infallible and perfect in every way. However, we come into this world fallible, sinful and broken. Because of that, we can easily carry offenses toward God that he is not responsible for creating, but we may need to throw our burdens back on him and remind ourselves that he is not our offender! Some people spend their entire lives remaining angry toward God for letting something bad happen to them. Part of their healing may be to let God off the hook and "forgive him," so to speak. Interestingly, in the Psalms, God never seemed to mind when David expressed his frustration and anger toward God for different events in his life. God is a big God. He can handle our childish temper tantrums. He understands our human emotions. He created us, fashioned us, knit us together in our mother's wombs (Psalm 139:13). But after we work out our plethora of emotions with the Lord, there does come a point when we must turn back to faith and not remain in anger. Living in resentment, even/especially toward God, is unhealthy and harmful to us. Faith trusts in God's providence. We believe that God is working ALL things for our good and his glory—even the painful stuff. That's the essence of Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28. Release God from any of your unforgiveness. Instead, replace it with a love for God and a faith in his overarching providence. Recognize all he has done for you. And remember this. One day, in heaven, everything will make sense. We see through a mirror dimly now (1 Corinthians 13:12). But one day, we will see him face to face. And when we do, we will nod in approval and adoration at how he used all for his purposes. And for our good. We must also always remember that what God is doing here has a divine purpose in heaven. Submit to his heart for your life. He is, after all, a good, good father.

by David Chadwick Sometimes the hindrance to forgiveness can loom over your head because of the offender. Other times, you may experience a hindrance because you haven't learned to forgive yourself. 1 Corinthians 13 says that love does not keep a record of past wrongs. This can certainly refer to those who have hurt you. But it also refers to ourselves when we have done something wrong. We must not keep a list of all the things we have done wrong and ruminate over them in our mind. In fact, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." Nothing should take up space in our minds rent free that hasn't first been submitted to Jesus and filtered through his Word. In the same way that we are called to forgive others (Luke 6:37), we must forgive ourselves. This might even be a daily discipline that you have to go through, at least for a season. You might have to wake up, look yourself in the mirror and say something like, "David (you fill in your name), you are covered by the blood of Jesus and forever forgiven. There is absolutely nothing you can do to separate yourself from God's love. You are not the sum total of your life's mistakes. Jesus can redeem any situation and make it good. Pick yourself up and walk in your true identity as a son of the Most High God." What you say may look a little different, but that should give you an idea of what it looks like to learn forgiveness for yourself! Satan keeps wanting to remind us of the sins we have committed. Wanting us to believe that our sins are somehow stronger than God's grace. It's a lie! Remember what it says in Romans 5:20-21, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more!" I often wonder if this is why Jesus appeared to his disciples behind closed doors after the resurrection. To be with them intimately, in a close setting so that he could remind them to forgive themselves. For betraying him. For running away. For their lack of courage. For only then could they truly obey John 20:21, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." I believe the disciples had to be unencumbered from all guilt and shame, truly forgiving themselves, in order to be fully used by him in the world in the years to come. And I believe the same holds true for us!

By David Chadwick The madness of unforgiveness is plaguing our world. You can see its effects all over the place. Bitterness. Offense. Anger. Rage. Depression. Despair. The enemy loves to take wounds and pain and use it to shut down the strongest of people. Remember the phrase that bitterness is like drinking arsenic and expecting the other person to die. It's one of the major ugly roots of unforgiveness and it's a joy robber! Think for a moment about some of the people who have hurt you over the years. Now let me ask you this question: are they hurting you from the grave? Sadly, bitterness and unforgiveness are so powerful that they can even give people who have died the ability to continue to haunt us and hurt us. It reminds me of a wasp I once found in my den. I casually took a napkin and grabbed the wasp to throw away. Guess what? Even after I killed it, it still stung me! I couldn't believe it. And the pain ended up lasting for some time. The same holds true with unforgiveness. Someone may have already died, but if you try to engage the pain associated with that person without a heart of forgiveness, the offense that took place can still sting you long after that person has died! Don't give your wounds this kind of power! Let them go. Release the pain to Jesus. Put the ones who hurt you in God's hands. In fact, when it comes to your offenders, if they have died, they have already met their Maker and been held accountable for their offenses against you. God is perfectly just. Therefore, let God be God, trusting he will handle them accordingly. Otherwise, it's almost like you're in the grave with them! A prison of death called bitterness. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free." Luke 4:1 says, "Jesus came to set the captives free." Especially from those who have hurt us who are already dead! Today, choose to throw the wasp away without letting the dead thing sting you and move on to enjoy life to the full.

by David Chadwick The madness of unforgiveness will truly drive you crazy. But true forgiveness brings healing. But how do you know that you've forgiven someone? Sometimes it can be hard to know if you've truly forgiven someone. Does it mean you can be in the same room as them? Does it mean you would give them a hug? Does it mean you don't desire the worst for them when they cross your mind? Let's take a look at the story of Joseph to unpack this a bit more (Genesis 37-50). It's one of the most powerful stories of forgiveness in the entire Bible. Joseph's brothers treated him terribly. At the age of 17, they threw him into a pit and then sold him to a passing Egyptian caravan. Joseph was then purchased as a slave by Potiphar where he ran his household excellently. Potiphar's wife actually came on to Joseph and he courageously fled sexual immorality just like Paul urges all to do in 1 Corinthians 6:18. Potiphar's wicked wife was so angered by Joseph's holy and righteous rejection of her that she concocted a false narrative to her husband about Joseph, implying that he was the one who came on to her! Joseph was then thrown into prison, some think for as long as 10 years! Eventually, he was set free and went on to become the Prime Minister of Egypt, the second in command in the most powerful nation on the face of the earth at that time. While in charge, during a time of great famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt, asking for food. They appeared before Joseph, not recognizing it was their brother. The gist of the story is Joseph, after spending 22 years in Egypt, forgave his brothers. He embraced them and even wept over them. But what happened next is an incredible part of the story. When Joseph appeared before Pharaoh to tell him about his brothers in Genesis 45, he did not once, NOT ONE TIME, ever speak disparagingly of them to Pharoah. How do you know you have totally forgiven someone who has deeply hurt you? I think it might be as simple as the clues found in Joseph's story…you never speak badly about them to another—especially someone who has the power to hurt them later on...The offense is completely forgiven. You've moved on in your life. And who knows, you might even be able to extend a hug to them if they were to come to you in repentance!

by David Chadwick Let me give you another insight that will help you better understand the madness of unforgiveness. Most people don't know how deeply they hurt you. I know this sounds crazy to say, but generally speaking, most offenses will feel far more intense to the person who experienced the offense. RT Kendall, an incredible theologian who wrote the book Total Forgiveness, estimates in his book that 80% of the people who hurt you don't have a clue how badly they have wronged you. They may know some of it, but don't fully understand the depth of your pain. Perhaps that's why in Luke 23:34 Jesus said on the cross, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." He gave a plea that was full of compassion - a blanket call to forgiveness for all those who nailed him to the cross! From the Pharisees, to Pilate, to the mobs, to the Romans, Jesus asked the Father to give them all the gift of forgiveness. Did they truly understand that they were crucifying the Son of God? If you really sit back and think about this for a moment, this is wildly incomprehensible. The kindness and compassion to not just beg his Father to forgive his enemies, but to acknowledge that these people killing him didn't actually know what they were doing. It's amazing! What about those who clearly knew what they were doing when they hurt you? Per RT Kendall's earlier mentioned statistic, the 20% who were fully aware of the pain they were inflicting on you? I wish there was a way out of forgiveness for these people, but there is not. We are still called to forgive them. Release them to God. Surrender our pain to him. Why? Well, mostly for our benefit. For our health. We were not made to carry around anger and bitterness. We are to forgive as we've been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32). In that posture, we find freedom to live as Jesus desires all of us to live. Not as prisoners of bitterness, but free in every way. If Jesus could forgive his murderers and state they did not know what they were doing, surely we can find forgiveness for those who knowingly wound us.

by David Chadwick Forgiveness puts justice back into the hands of God. It allows you to bless those who curse you. Forgiveness also protects your heart! Unforgiveness leads to madness. God never intended for you to absorb the depth of pain that offense and bitterness place on a human being. It's a weight that's all consuming and crushing. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." I love the word vigilance. It's somewhat of a militant word that shows a tremendous level of responsibility on our part. Often, my daughter will look at her kids and say, "Guard your gates." When she says this, she's imploring them to guard their eyes, their ears, their mouth… and their hearts. Everything in life flows from the heart! As you've heard me often say, "The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart." God did not design for our hearts to hold onto hate. Our hearts are supposed to be a source of life, not a container in which bitterness and resentment dwell. You can think of forgiveness as a spiritual drain cleaner. It flushes out hatred, anger, resentment, and bitterness. But once the bad stuff is out, something else must enter. That something is love. The eternal love of Jesus must fill us where bitterness once resided. His love will coat and protect your heart from further "clogs," so to speak. Consider the cross. Ponder the depth of God's love for you. It's this love that allows us to love our enemies, the ones who have hurt us (Matthew 5:44). My dear friends, Jesus loves you so much. Let his forgiveness of your sins flood your heart with love and gratitude. Then, you will be able to love your enemies with supernatural love. This can't happen in your own strength. But Jesus's love in you, flowing through you, to your enemy…that can happen…and is life-changing! Jesus's love dwelling in us allows us to follow his command. Choose forgiveness. It will make your heart whole. So it will be well with your soul.

by David Chadwick Choosing not to forgive will only leave you captive. Today, I want to talk about what it looks like to bless those who curse you. It is one of the clear commands Jesus gave to his followers in Luke 6:38. Let's be really honest with one another for a moment. Our flesh really does not enjoy blessing those who hurt us, does it? Especially when the pain comes with words that curse us and leave us in a swirl of despairing thoughts. Human nature is bent toward retaliation. But the problem with retaliating is that if we strike back harder toward someone in revenge, they will inevitably strike back a bit harder toward us. Then we will want to retaliate even more. The conflict will continue to escalate with no end in sight. As Gandhi once said, if you live with the mentality of "'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' eventually the entire world will be blind and toothless!" How do we bless those who have cursed us? Let's go back and look at Luke 6:38. First, choose to bless people with your words. Refuse to slander them to another person. Slander is an attempt to use words to punish someone for the pain they caused you. Said another way, it's a way of you seeking vengeance. Secondly, pray for them. How do you pray? I think if they are truly wicked, pray for their salvation. We should not desire for anyone to go to hell. Pray for them to come to grips with their sin and to repent. The greatest blessing would be for them to encounter Jesus. Clearly their hearts are full of evil. Ask God to bless them with wisdom. With knowledge. With understanding. With the same conviction that made you realize you needed Jesus at one point. Your prayer may look something like this: "Bless this person who hurt me, Lord. You know what he/she needs. I trust that you know best. I release him/her to you and will not carry any hate in my heart. Unforgiveness will destroy my heart and soul. I give this situation to you. You are God, I am not. Heal him/her. Set him/her free. Heal me. Set me free." This may feel so unnatural at first, but keep trying! You must rely on the Holy Spirit inside of you in order to accomplish this mandate of the Christian faith. A Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life is the only way to walk out these hard mandates. But you CAN do it! Step out in faith and try it. You may be surprised at the results!

by David Chadwick Let's continue to look at this topic of forgiveness. It is one of the main reasons Jesus came to the world. To forgive us from our sins. One of the major questions I get when it comes to the topic of forgiveness is, "How do I forgive when I still want to see justice for the wrong I experienced?" Take a look at Luke 18:1-8 for a moment. Jesus tells us in Luke 18:1 that he is giving us this parable so that we won't give up in prayer and so that we will continue to persevere in faith. A poor widow with nothing was treated badly by someone. We don't know the specifics about her situation, but we do know that she was treated in a terribly unjust way. She went to the home of an unjust judge who didn't fear God nor man. She started banging on his door and repeatedly demanded justice. Because of her persistence, he finally gave in to her unrelenting cry for help. This is quite the depiction of God's heart for justice. We are not poor widows. Because of Jesus, we are now adopted sons and daughters of the King of the universe. Not to mention, God is not an unjust judge, but a loving father. If the unjust judge gave justice to this poor widow in Luke 18, how much more will our loving father give justice to his children? Next time you are unjustly treated, persevere in prayer to your Daddy in heaven and demand justice. Perhaps it's just a quick reminder, like: "Father, I know you will deal with this one day. I believe it in faith because justice is your character." From there, release the offense back to God, trusting he will make all things right in His time! For when Jesus returns, will he find faith on earth? (verse 8). Will he find us believing that God is good and just and will right all wrongs? Even if we've not yet seen it? Remember, it may be heaven before we fully see God's justice and understand all that happened to us. But justice will be done. That is God's character. So continue to ask God for justice regularly in prayer, believing in faith one day it will occur.

by David Chadwick How do we forgive? What does it look like practically to walk this out? We know that forgiveness is the act of releasing offenders and offenses back to God and receiving his compassion for the pain we experienced. We also know that forgiveness is a requirement for followers of Jesus. We know that our source of forgiveness is Jesus and without him, we can't forgive. We know that not forgiving can lead to bitterness and slander. But how do we forgive? How do we become better at walking out forgiveness? Always remember this one, great, biblical truth: God is perfect justice. No one gets away with anything. If someone has deeply hurt you, God will address it one day. Because of this, we can confidently release and forgive knowing that God will one day have the last word for every tear we have cried, every pain we have experienced, every hurt that has come our way. That's the essence of Romans 12:19. We are not to return evil with evil, but evil with good. We don't take vengeance in our own hands but leave it to the Lord who does vengeance much better than we do. He alone knows all the facts and he will deal with our pain and situation in a perfectly just way. God is God. We are not. And as we continually remind ourselves of that truth, we are no longer overtaken by the desperation of vindication. What if we try to enact justice ourselves? Then God will take his hands off and let us try to do it ourselves. We will quickly learn that it's an impossible task. If you want to keep exploring this truth, go to Deuteronomy 32:35, Hebrews 10:30, Psalm 94:1 and Leviticus 19:18. This concept must be a very important one for us to understand or God wouldn't have repeated it as many times as he did in his Word!

by David Chadwick Forgiveness can only truly happen when Jesus is your source. Without his strength, bitterness will inevitably take root in your heart, defiling your soul. Have you ever thought about what springs up from a bitter heart? Slander! When given the chance to speak ill of someone who has hurt you, we seldom turn down the chance, do we? We all struggle with this temptation. Somehow, we think we are punishing them for what they did to us and at the end of the day, we don't want our enemy to be admired. Do you know why I think it is so easy to keep slandering someone? Because they hurt you! Hurt people hurt people. It can also be hard to speak well of someone who brought so much pain and devastation into our lives. If you're not careful, the pain of your situation can create a stronghold over your life that drives you into deeper sin instead of holiness. Once you truly forgive someone, you won't gossip about them. You won't have the desire to slander them or put them down to someone else. Now, let me say this. It is okay to find a Christ-centered pastor, counselor or trusted friend to help you work through your pain. Sometimes you have to share your heart with another in order to get free. This is acceptable. But slander is not. Make sure that as you share something with another person that your end goal is forgiveness and becoming more free. Not aimless chatter simply intended to do harm to another. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us how to be kind and forgive just as God in Christ forgave us. After receiving Jesus, remember that God will never punish you for your sins. His grace covers you rather than exposes you. And he will never hold our sins against us again. When I fill my heart with Jesus's love for me - his cross, his mercy, his kindness - I can release my offender and continue to have an abundant life. That is God's desire. For you and for me to be free.

by David Chadwick Forgiveness. Releasing offenders and offenses to Jesus so you can be made whole. This is something that can only happen when Jesus is your source of life. Unfortunately, many people choose to remain embittered and trapped by unforgiveness. What is the result of unforgiveness? Bitterness. As you remain in unforgiveness, bitterness takes root (Hebrews 12:15). Bitterness corrodes your soul and defiles those around you. It's a deep, dark prison from which no one can escape without learning to walk out forgiveness. As you heard me mention the other day, refusing to forgive and holding on to bitterness is like drinking arsenic and expecting the other person to die! This is especially grievous when thinking about those who have hurt you and have died. Oftentimes, when people haven't experienced forgiveness, their offenders continue to hurt them from their graves! Think about how incredulous this concept is! It's like the time I picked up a dead wasp and it still stung me! What a terrible thing for something that has no life in it to poison you! My dear, dear friends, forgive! Pull the root of bitterness out of your soul. Then, where bitterness once held you captive, replace it with the same grace and mercy that Jesus has given you. As you set the other person free, it will free you.

by David Chadwick Yesterday, we learned about what forgiveness is - releasing any offenders and offenses back to Jesus, knowing that bitterness will only hold you captive and destroy your life. But what is the source of forgiveness? Well, it's supernatural. A strength that can only come from a love outside of us. Within ourselves, in our own strength, it's impossible to forgive. We can only love because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19). We can only forgive because God first forgave us. God's forgiveness is the source. Our ability to forgive is rooted in God's forgiveness of us and our sin. We owe him a billion dollar debt. One we can't repay. The debt to God for all our sins is far too great. And his love lavished over us through forgiveness becomes the source from which we can pull to forgive others. Remember the parable of the forgiving king and the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35? If not, take a moment and go read it. The king mercifully forgave his servant of a massive, unpayable debt. You would think this would prompt the servant to do the same for other people, but it did not. The servant would not forgive someone of the smallest debt that was owed to him. Because the unforgiving servant wouldn't forgive, he was thrown into a prison and not allowed to leave until every penny of his debt to the king was repaid. The unforgiving servant's decision to not extend forgiveness left him in a literal prison of bitterness, which we will learn more about tomorrow. Jesus used this parable to teach a very important lesson. If God's forgiving love extended a billion dollar debt repayment to us, we must not be unwilling to forgive someone who has hurt us. Paul reiterated Jesus's teachings in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13 urging people to be kind and compassionate and to forgive just as Jesus forgave us and to bear with one another, forgiving grievances. Use the one, true Source named Jesus as your strength to forgive. It will be a supernatural display!

by David Chadwick What is forgiveness? Well, if we look at the dictionary definition from Merriam Webster, it means "to cease to feel resentment against an offender." Biblically, forgiveness releases someone of the debt once owed. It's a significant display of love, ultimately mirroring what was displayed to us by Jesus. Forgiveness is extraordinarily powerful and, like grace, sets apart the Christian faith from all the other world religions. On a practical level, if bitterness can be described as "drinking poison and expecting the person who hurt you to die," then forgiveness is the release of that bitterness. A complete relinquishment of the debt owed to you by someone. Forgiveness doesn't hold onto a record of past wrongs done to you (1 Corinthians 13:5). Forgiveness replaces bitterness with a love for your enemy that allows you to pray for those who have hurt you (Matthew 5:44). It places a desire for God's mercy and grace to wash over the pain that you've experienced. When forgiveness becomes real to you, you will become fully aware of what someone has done to you, yet you still choose to forgive. To let the other person or people go. There is no repression or denial because if you deny your pain, forgiveness can't really take place. You must know that what happened to you really happened. But you release them. Not wishing for them to suffer like you have suffered. And cancelling the debt of the way they have hurt you. Forgiveness hands over the offender and the offenses to Almighty God. This release becomes a wonderful display of just how much you trust in Jesus. After all, he certainly forgave all of us!

by David Chadwick Today is our fifth and final hidden insight into God's Word. Acts 10 recounts the story of a man named Cornelius. In his story, you will find a very special hidden insight into God's Word. While not often referenced as a commonly known key biblical figure, Cornelius might be one of the most important biblical characters in Scripture. Cornelius was a Gentile - a Roman centurion and devout follower of the Jewish God. When Peter was struggling with whether the gospel was for Gentiles, or only for Jews, he visited Cornelius. Think about the significance of this for a moment. Peter must have trusted Cornelius so much to be willing to enter into such a tender and necessary discussion at that time. On Cornelius's rooftop, Peter received a vision. Previously thought of as unclean food, the vision showed Peter he could now break kosher laws! At that moment, he clearly knew that the gospel was both for Jews and Gentiles. This was the first time that the church officially opened its doors to Gentiles, marking a pivotal moment and a marking time in the church's life and history. Here's the insight. Because Cornelius opened his home to Peter, and was a safe place for Peter to process with, Peter was able to hear from the Lord and receive a vision to open the doors for all Gentiles for all times to receive the gospel of Jesus. Maybe you, too, will choose to open your door one day for someone that will end up leading to the salvation of many others. There is no greater joy than to play a role in leading others into a relationship with Jesus Christ! Cornelius is evidence of that truth for us all.

by David Chadwick How many of you have ever played a game of hide and seek? It is one of the most commonly played childhood games. There's something exhilarating about little kids counting to twenty and then searching around to find their hiding friends. I believe that God, the Creator of the universe, knows the beauty and wonder of childlike faith and appreciates hiding things for us to search out. Numbers 21:14 says, "Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, 'Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon…'" This verse is where you will find today's hidden insight. Book of the Wars? What is that, you might ask? Evidently, it was an extra biblical book written by various different Jewish authors. The way it is mentioned in Numbers 21 seems to suggest that it was a rather well known book among the Jewish people. Apparently, it was a book that described Israel's many victories over enemies and how the Lord repeatedly rescued his people from their adversaries. They most assuredly took account of these testimonies to be able to read them again and again. Perhaps all of us should write a book that lists out God's victories in our lives. We can then go back and read it repeatedly to remind us of God's victorious power in the past. And if God did it once, he can do it again! Revelation 12:11 says, "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto death." Testimony is one of the best ways to keep moving forward in faith in the midst of a broken world. For if God did it once, he can do it again. Seeing that there were other books outside of what we know to be God's Word also speaks to the miracle that there were 66 books that were preserved by the Holy Spirit to make it into the canon of Scripture! Now you know how to answer someone if you are ever asked about the Book of Wars that is mentioned in the Bible. That book did not last. It was not preserved, but God's Word is. Another hidden insight for you!

by David Chadwick Proverbs 25:2 says "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Those close to the heart of God seek to know him deeply. To understand his heart. To be a student of his ways. Joshua 10:12,13 is where you will find our hidden insight today. It's the passage where Joshua spoke to the Lord and God made the sun and the moon stand still. As you keep reading, you will see the book of Jasher referenced in verse 13. What is the book of Jasher, you might ask? It's today's hidden insight. The book of Jasher is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18-27. Occasionally, the Bible mentions different books that were written during the same time or even before the canonical books of the Bible. While outside the canon of Scripture, these books, such as the book of Jasher, give insights and perspectives into history during the biblical times. These books should be seen as aids to understanding the Bible, but not considered authoritative. Most likely, the book of Jasher was probably lost before the destruction of the first Temple in 586 B.C. Always remember, the Bible alone is God's Word, but there are outside aids from people like Josephus and the Roman historian Tactitus that can give us insights to help us understand the times better. It is okay to look for hidden insights into God's Word through some of these outside aids. But as you do, remember only God's Word is canonized. Only his Word is authoritative, giving us insight into all areas of faith and practice. Only God's Word is God's Word! However, now if anyone asks you about the book of Jasher, you will know what to say!

by David Chadwick In a world full of cowards, God's courageous ones stand out! We are drawn to men and women of courage. Today, let's talk about what it means to be a man of courage. There are so many stories that give us keys and principles for how to live godly, courageous lives. If yesterday's insight displayed what happens when faithless, wimpy men release fear and lack of courage over situations, today's insight will show what happens when men of courage step up to the plate. The ten spies were so scared of the giants and of the walled cities in the land. They were told the land they were being given was God's PROMISED land and yet they let their fear overtake them. This fear led to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. But wait a minute. There were 12 spies, right? Not ten? Exactly! Yesterday I only mentioned ten names. Ten names who have been forgotten due to their cowardice. But there were two more men I didn't mention. Men of courage. Let's look at them now. Joshua and Caleb. Two men of courage who remained faithful in spite of the bad reports. Unlike the other ten spies, these are two commonly used names even today. In fact, two of my grandsons are named Joshua and Caleb. Caleb in the Bible was 85 when he entered the Promised Land and he wanted the area where the giants lived! He knew his God was greater than any giant. Joshua was around 75-80 years old and he replaced Moses as Israel's leader. He is the one who said that as for he and his house, he would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). Here is your insight for today. Live like men of courage. With great faith. Fortitude. Passion. Men like Caleb and Joshua. Follow their character as they follow God's heart! Nations are changed by men like this! And be sure to name your kids after men like this, honoring the great legacy of biblical men of courage!

by David Chadwick As many of you know, I love to seek out the hidden places of God's Word. To find the concealed things that God has given us and to search out the deeper meaning in it all. I have five hidden insights into God's Word that I want to share with you this week. This one is from Numbers 13:4-5,7, and 9-15. Have you ever heard of Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palit, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Shethur, Nahb, and Gruel? Do you know the unique parts they played in God's overall story? Do you recognize any of their names? No? Guess why not? Because they were all cowards! Cowards of the faith are much less remembered than the heroes. These ten men had little to no faith. Their lives were so impactless that no one even needs to remember their names. Who are they? These named ten spies went into the Promised Land and brought back nothing but bad reports to the Israelites, thus infecting God's people with unbelief. They were the ones who created fear in the hearts of the Israelites, which ultimately caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that generation of unbelievers died off. Eventually, God was able to raise up a community of people who had great courage and faith, but he had to let the old mindsets die off. So what lesson do we have from these ten cowardly men? Here is the insight. Guard your hearts and seek to be people who release reports and receive reports that only come from God himself. Don't believe the narratives of the evil one. These guys are not people you should emulate. And definitely don't name your kids or grandkids after them! These guys were wimps. They did not help to establish a strong nation, but rather kept God's people stuck in a place of doubt and fear for 40 years. Follow the courageous ones! They will lead you to the heart of God himself.

by Marilynn Chadwick Live a life of sacrifice and honor. Give yourself for the larger good. Put others before yourself. Don't give up. Family is worth it. No matter what comes your way, persevere. And always do the right thing. These were some of the messages my parents taught me by example over the years. Mom and Dad believed in dreaming big and always encouraged our dreams. Through the years, nothing brought them more joy than to watch their children and grandchildren (and now great-grandchildren) shine. But the last chapters of life can sometimes be hard. Honor can be an uphill climb. For Mom and Dad, doing the right thing day after day required endurance, faith, and sometimes a good sense of humor. I watched their courageous battle and I agree with whoever said "Old age is not for sissies." I watched my mom's quiet and uncomplaining spirit even when she was in pain. And I still see Daddy's cheerful attitude as he perseveres day after day. "How did you do it, Dad?" I asked the other day, reflecting on how he loved mom until her last breath. "He just shrugged his shoulders and said matter of factly, "Your mom was worth it." I look at their life in the light of the meaning of the word honor—to show a person respect and esteem. To treat someone as though they have great worth. Honor by its very nature is strong, solid, and above all, enduring. I'd have to say Mom and Dad are living examples of honor and a testimony to its high cost—not something you hear much in our "it's all about me" culture. Toward the end of Mom's life, they had an especially difficult morning, which stretched Daddy to practically the end of his strength. Some days were harder than others. Later that day, Daddy quietly beamed as he told me about how Mom had looked at him that morning for a minute or so and then spoke these words with perfect clarity: "You are so patient. I am so proud of you." Just a few simple words from his wife who didn't talk so much anymore. And yet Daddy wore those words like they were a medal of honor. And if you think about it, I guess that's truly what they are. Honor. A concept so simple even a child can grasp it. God set the bar low so that even the youngest and weakest among us can practice honor. But God has also set the bar high. People defend freedom, fight, and die for honor. Believers around the world honor Jesus by suffering for their faith. And honor inspires husbands and wives to love each other for a lifetime. In good times and in hard ones. Honor guards our marriages and sets them on solid ground. Honor protects friendships. Honor guards a culture. No wonder it's so important in our homes. By teaching us to treat each other with honor, God has set before us the most noble and enduring way to live together—with a love that never dies. So that we can finish strong. _____________ This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!

by Marilynn Chadwick Education was very important in our home. Mom and Dad were both college graduates back in the day when that was not common. Mom had been the valedictorian of her small country high school and Dad was a campus leader and played basketball at his high school, finishing early to go into the navy. He qualified for submarine school and left for his tour of duty, then returned after the war to go to college on the GI Bill. Mom's mother, my Grandmother Eunice, taught first grade for about 50 years. Sometimes when I would run errands with her in their small town in southern Virginia, grown-ups would stop and say proudly to me that my grandmother had been their favorite teacher and the one who taught them how to read. I found my grandmother fascinating. One of eight children, her parents had died when she was very young, back in the late 1800s. She left home at an early age and somehow managed to go to college and became a teacher. Then she hopped on a cross-country train trip going west and taught school in various places along the way. She made her way to Montana and eventually to Pasadena, California, where she taught for a few years, even attending one of the very first Rose Parades. She hopped on another train and made her way back across the country, stopping here and there to teach. I remember looking at photos from the time she rode by mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Finally, back in Virginia, my grandmother at age 38 married my granddaddy, a farmer. He had met the pretty young schoolteacher before her travels west, and I suppose he was holding out until her return. By this time, he was 48. They married and had my mom a year later—their only child. My dad's mother, Grandmother Lois (the irony of a Eunice and a Lois will not be lost on some of you), was another special role model for me, and I adored her. Like my Grandmother Eunice, she also attended college back in the day when few women did and played on the very first women's basketball team at William & Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia. So you see why getting an education was its own "code of honor" in our family. My parents thought of education as noble. Even a responsibility, along with duty, sacrifice, and honor. A heart that seeks to learn, grow, and receive from others is another mark of honor and, I think, helps to establish a legacy of honor in marriages and in families that is so lasting and so important. ______________ This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!

by Marilynn Chadwick Daddy happens to be one of the few remaining World War II submarine veterans. He and my mom vividly remember the war—they don't take our freedoms for granted. So growing up, neither did we. One of the ways they helped us appreciate our heritage was to tell lots of stories—especially stories about our family. I grew up hearing about Daddy's submarine adventures in the South China Sea. And about rations and blackouts, or brave young friends who lost their lives in the war. Mom and Dad were also proud of our family's long history in this country dating back to before the Revolutionary War. Captain Simon Hunt, from Daddy's mother's side, was one of the original 80 minutemen who fought the British in the famous battle on the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. It was on that bridge that the "shot heard round the world" signaled the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Our youngest, Michael Hunt Chadwick, loved hearing his grandparents' stories of the Hunt family and his namesake. Looking back over my life, I can also see how Mom and Dad's values quietly shaped my own. They grew up in the South back in the day before the Civil Rights movement had ushered in change. They didn't talk much about racism, but they lived a life that spoke volumes to me. I watched how they lived. To them, all people mattered. Everyone had worth. Everyone was equal. And all were welcome in our home. Black. White. Old money, new money, or no money. They treated everybody the same, and their simple, as well as honorable, example spoke louder than any sermon. This is another telltale sign of honor. The quiet, unspoken, consistent lifestyle that points to prioritizing others above yourself. Honor is established through testimony. As you share stories of honor and examples of honor, it becomes real to other people and they are able to emulate it as well. I am thankful for my family's stories that gave me a roadmap for how to continue to establish honor in my life as well, with my husband and with everyone around me. ______________ This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!

by Marilynn Chadwick Mom and Dad suffered two especially hard losses as a young couple. When I was about two, Mom delivered a baby girl who died shortly after she was born a few weeks premature. Today's neonatal technology could likely have saved the baby. I have no memories of this incident. Tragically, the very same thing happened again when I was five. This one I do remember. There were two of us kids at that point. My sister Susan and me. Mom went into premature labor again and delivered a baby—another girl who also died soon after birth. But Mom, just 28 at the time, somehow managed to keep life moving forward in our home. I know she had a deep faith, and I'm sure it was her faith and her courage that gave her the strength to persevere. She and Daddy kept hope alive, and two years later welcomed my youngest sister, Janice, whose name means "God's gracious gift," into our family. I'm a mother myself now, and a grandmother. So when I look back at those times in my mother's life, I don't know how she kept going. She and Daddy had to be grieving. Yet I'm amazed at how little she allowed those terrible losses to impact our lives as children. By that I mean that she and my dad didn't retreat to fear or hold us back from a normal, active, and happy childhood. Mom kept moving forward for us—evidence, again, of her self-sacrificial nature and her servant's heart. Mom had been an only child and always wanted to be part of a large family. So she especially loved Daddy's large family. And Daddy loved hers. They were a team. Family was their priority. They also shared each other's interests, like a love of the outdoors. They enjoyed camping. Some of my favorite childhood memories—even into my teen years—are of our family camping trips every summer. To the beach, to the mountains. To historic sites such as Colonial Williamsburg and Kitty Hawk. Mom and Dad both had keen minds. They loved good books and good movies, and made sure we had access to those things growing up. They appreciated education, patriotism, and the land. Our people were mostly a collection of educators, farmers, and those serving in the military. Being native Virginians, they especially loved all things Virginian. Honor was present in so many ways in our home, though typical of their generation, they didn't flaunt it. I guess you could say Mom and Dad were good, solid, honorable people who came from a long line of good, solid, honorable people. They all had long-lasting marriages and were proud of their heritage. And they passed that legacy on to us. ______________ This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!

by Marilynn Chadwick My dad honored my mom, but I also saw how my mom honored my dad. Looking back, I can see some of the reasons their marriage remained strong. Sometimes when we're in the middle of daily life as it's happening, we don't fully realize the truly heroic nature of the people right in front of us. It all seems normal at the time. So it's been special for me to take a look back at the life my parents lived and the legacy they left me. As I reflect, I feel enormous gratitude for their sacrifices that paved the way for the life I have today. We've been talking about the importance of how to create a legacy of honor. So it has helped me to think back about Mom and Dad's life together with honor as my lens. How did Mom honor Dad? What are some ways they honored each other? And what kind of legacy have they left to those who come behind them? During our growing up years, Mom was Dad's helper in the best sense of the word. She was a true ezer, the Hebrew word for "helper" as described in the Creation account (Genesis 2:18). Mom was strong and kind. And she was his rock of support. I remember how Mom built Dad up. She believed in him. Mom had stopped teaching school when the kids came—family was everything to Mom. She especially loved Dad's parents and his three sisters and their families. She even took an interest in Dad's sales force—"Daddy's men," as she called them—and sometimes we got together with their families. Dad's job as a regional sales manager with a large company required quite a bit of travel. Mom never complained. She simply kept life going for her three daughters. But invariably, most of our life crises seemed to hit when Daddy was away. Like the time I tried to do a cannonball dive into three feet of water and didn't tuck quite fast enough, hitting my head on the bottom of the swimming pool. After Mom and I took a fast trip to the emergency room and 27 stitches later, Dad finally made it home. Recently, when I asked Daddy to describe some ways Mom had honored him, he pointed back to that incident. "I never worried when I was traveling," he said. "Even when you cracked your head open, I could always count on your mom to handle things. She was always so calm." Daddy's right. Mom honored him by her strong resolve and her ability to keep the family on track in his absence. The popular World War II expression "Keep Calm and Carry On" was originally created to inspire the Brits to keep their courage during the war. And I think it described my mom quite well. It is also a characteristic of honor we can all embrace. _____________ This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!