IT’S SPRINGTIME!! (Well, almost.) It’s the time of year when I can hardly wait to get out and log some serious miles on my bike. But where I live in central Indiana, this is also the time of year when one can never be sure what the temperature and wind chill will be like because it can fluctuate like crazy. Heck, just a couple of days ago it went from 68 degrees to 28 degrees in a matter of hours!
So, my strategy for this time of year is to layer up—a neon hoodie over a long-sleeve wicking shirt, and maybe some wool tights under my cargo pants. Then, if I warm up enough after several miles, I can peel off a layer and stuff the unneeded clothes in my bike bag.
If only it were that easy with some of the other “layers” we accumulate in our lives, especially the layers of guilt and shame that build up over time because of our sins and mistakes. While they may not be obvious to others, we can feel them just the same. And unlike a hoodie or a pair of cargo pants, they’re not so easily peeled off.
So, what do we do? Well, may I suggest that you first focus on Jesus’ forgiving love?
There’s a story that’s told in three of the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—about a paralyzed man whose friends carried him to Jesus on a mat. But because there were so many people crowded into the house where Jesus was teaching, they had to lower him down through the roof!
As if that’s not surprising enough, when Jesus sees the paralyzed man lying there, the first thing he does is notto heal the man’s body. Rather, Jesus sees the invisible “layers” weighing the man down and, in a moment of great compassion, says to him, “Friend (or man or child), your sins are forgiven.”
Of course, what people tend to remember most about this story is that a short while later Jesus completes the miracle by healing the man’s body, much to the amazement of the crowd. But I can’t help wondering if later that man didn’t look back on that day with every bit as much gratitude for the healing of his soul as he did for the healing of his body.
What about you? Are you carrying invisible layers of guilt and shame that you’ve been unable to shed on your own? If so, I invite you to look into the loving eyes of Jesus and hear him say to you, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” You may be surprised at how those layers begin to shed themselves.
“If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for looking beyond outward appearances and loving me all the way to my soul. Please forgive my sin so that I may walk in the freedom of your love. Amen
(If you’d like to enhance this devotional with music, I recommend “Chain Breaker” by Zach Williams, https://youtu.be/JGYjKR69M6U?si=1V-1BxL8V7gQbwi_, and the more quieter classic by the Rambos, “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need,” https://youtu.be/e2fEf-XNb2Y?si=NzPM9o491A8WdefP)
Dave Marty is a retired pastor who lives with his wife, Mary, in Brownsburg, Indiana. They have two beautiful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and two creative teenage grandchildren. In addition to cycling (including unicycling), Dave also enjoys gardening, Scrabble, hosting Holy Land tours with Mary, and tutoring kindergarteners at a nearby school