Mid-Week Message - Make It Right

One of the programs we watched as a family was My Name Is Earl.  The main character, Earl, had quite a seedy past.  He was a trouble-making child who grew up to be a thief and had no concern for anyone that got hurt in the process of doing whatever made himself happy in the moment.  After scratching a lottery ticket worth a sizable amount he was running around celebrating, ran into the street and was struck by a car. While hospitalized, he heard about karma while watching a certain program on TV.  He decided then that he had to make amends to the people he had hurt so he made a list of all he had done wrong.  Each episode focused on him choosing an item on his list and making it up to whoever was involved.  When asked what karma was, he said, "Do good things and good things happen to you."

Twelve step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous teach much the same thing.  If you make amends to the people in your life that you have wronged or hurt, then it becomes easier to handle your addiction.  The reason for this is that it improves how you see yourself.  Carrying guilt is extremely detrimental and often causes us to harm ourselves in some way.  Addiction is often a form of self punishment.  Seeking forgiveness lessens the guilt we carry thereby lessening the need to self-punish.

I don't believe in karma.  I do, however, believe in mercy, grace, forgiveness and the love of the Lord.

What does He say about this?  When questioned about the greatest commandment, Jesus told us that the greatest was to love the Lord our God with all we have and following that was to love our neighbor as ourselves.  As far as making amends, we are instructed in Matthew 5:23 and 24,

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."  

Part of loving our neighbor as ourselves is having a right relationship with them.  If we become aware of some way that we have offended or harmed someone, we need to seek their forgiveness and "make it right", as our mothers would say.  In so doing, we can approach the Lord with clean and open hearts and are free to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.  It all ties together.  

So, was Earl onto something big?  If we do good things will good things happen?  Not necessarily.  However, if we do what our Father in Heaven commands out of love, we will have a right relationship with Him and be open to learn what He needs to teach us no matter what is going on around us.  Plus, we will be able to find the blessing in each moment and know that His plans for us are perfect.  In His presence we will find peace.