Weight Training

by Caryl Havasy

“…let us lay aside every weight…that so easily entangles us…” ~ Hebrews 12:1


Every day my purse becomes heavier. I never realized how much I could cram into one little bag! There are so many things that are essential – my wallet, my keys, hand sanitizer, lipstick, checkbook and calendar. Yet there are so many things that are just dead weight – the Matchbox cars, used tissues, chewed gum in the wrapper and the rock my little boy couldn’t leave the playground without. If I didn’t examine the contents of my purse and empty these unessential items every day, I would very soon have a horrible backache from all the weight.

Yet, as a woman, there is another weight that I have often carried around spiritually – one that left unchecked has produced tremendous heartache and destruction in my life. That weight is guilt. Guilt attacks me every time I fall short as a wife, mother, friend or witness for Christ. I hear the words: “You’ll never get it right!” “How could God use you after what you’ve done?” “There is something wrong with you; you just don’t have it together like so-and-so!” So I accept my guilt as from God because I failed. And in view of that guilt, I just either try harder to keep from failing again, or I stop trying so there is no chance I will fail again. Either way, guilt pulls on me like a weight, producing a life of regret which devours my joy and destroys my hope!

My dear sister, do you also carry this weight of guilt? Do you want to be set free from this hopeless weight? Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). The truth is that guilt is not God’s work in your life. Do we still sin and fall short of His glory? Yes! As His children, will He let us continue in our sin? Absolutely not! But God does not use guilt. God uses the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

So how can we know the difference?

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, God reveals the difference between guilt and conviction: “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God (conviction) produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world (guilt) produces death.”

According to God’s Word, the difference between conviction and guilt can only be seen in the outworking or result. God’s conviction of sin and righteousness and judgment in our lives (John 16:8) produces the hope of change through repentance – our sanctification, which then produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11) and the restored joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12). There is no regret!

Guilt produces death, hopelessness and regret, and it is from our enemy, the devil. He has come to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a) – and guilt is his tool! BUT Jesus has come that we may have life and have life more abundantly (John 10:10b). In Jesus, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) because He has already carried our weight of sin, guilt and sorrows to Calvary (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Would you be free of guilt and condemnation? Then come … come to Jesus. He will carry your burden. He will give you rest!

Living and Leaving a Legacy

by Vicki D. Balkcum


Recently my 7-year old granddaughter, Ruthie, began asking me questions about my family. She wanted to hear stories about my parents, who are deceased. She also wanted to know what I did when I was her age, who my playmates were and what some of the games we played were.

I recalled when I was growing up in the ‘50s that we played outdoors more than indoors. And we played all kinds of fun games like Hide ‘N Seek, Mother May I, Sling the Statue and many others. We loved skating in the street, riding bikes and jumping rope. We came inside to eat our meals, usually in our own homes, then met up outside again. In the summer, we played outside at night under the street lights while our parents sat on the front porch.

Revisiting those childhood memories also caused me to remember how my mother always let us know when not to disturb her – during her time spent in prayer.

Down through the years, when it came to raising their children, many parents have demonstrated a strong faith in God through prayer, worshiping God, singing about God’s love and reading God’s Word in the home. And what a blessing to have the privilege of passing the torch of faith in God to the next generation!

What a legacy we can leave as a parent or grandparent. After all, being a godly example to the children in our sphere of influence as a way of life is what Moses taught the Hebrew people.

And these words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)

What was the important truth Moses taught them? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

May God use each of us to lead the children in our sphere of influence to a faith in Him – as a way of life.

Loving God with All Your Heart

by Caryl Havasy

She loved much. ~ Luke 7:47

Read Luke 7:36-50 and Psalm 51

Last Christmas as we were leaving my Steve’s parents’ house, my bottle of Beautiful perfume cracked open in my travel bag in the back of our minivan. Within minutes the fragrance filled our van and became overpowering. So strong was the smell that we had to ride with the windows open in December – even after we removed the bottle and the bag (all my stuff was now in Wal-Mart bags!)! I have to admit I was upset that my expensive perfume was wasted on our minivan and luggage! I knew that with our tight budget it could not be easily replaced. So I did what any mature grown woman would do – I pouted. It was my perfume, and I should have been the one to wear it! “I was worth it.”

Then God reminded of another lady, a precious sister, who broke her expensive perfume on purpose. It was a deliberate choice – an act of her will, her heart. And while I was like those concerned with the cost, she had found one truly worthy – worthy of all and the best that she had to give. His name is Jesus.

What motivated this woman to break open her alabaster vial of perfume and pour it out on Jesus’ feet? Love. Love as a result of the forgiveness of God. We know that “she is a sinner, an immoral woman” (Luke 7:39). Like David, her “sin is ever before her” (Psalm51:3). Yet she knows the “only One she has offended” (Psalm 51:4) is the only One who can forgive her and cleanse her and “create in her a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10). So she comes in faith, with a “broken and contrite or repentant heart, which God will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). And now Jesus says, “her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”(John 7:47) This lady saw the depth and debt of her sin, and because of the greatness of God’s grace and mercy she is now forgiven. Now there is only the depth of her love and the debt of her gratitude to Jesus.

Are you loving God today? In view of your forgiven “debt,” are you loving much or little?

Like this woman, do you see Jesus as worthy of those things that are most precious and valuable to you?

As that precious alabaster vial was broken at Jesus’ feet and the perfume spilled out, I imagine her saying “I surrender all.” All that my life has been, all of my accomplishments, all of my failures, all that I have worked for, everything that has been most important to me I give to you. I leave it behind to follow You. “I surrender all.” All my future needs, my security, my self-sufficiency, I give to You. I trust You to meet all my needs present and future according to Your riches in glory – not by my own wealth or prosperity or strength. Everything is Yours – I will not withhold anything of myself from You. My alabaster vial is broken.

Is your vial broken for Jesus? Or are you just pouring it out a little at a time, holding something back “just in case”? Will you irrevocably give Him your most precious treasure? Will you break it open for Him? Will you give Him your _________? Jesus alone is worthy.

As this sister came in faith and repentance, receiving the salvation of her soul, she surrendered her broken life to Jesus. And through the fullness of His grace He used her brokenness and gave her a testimony – a witness that “wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13). David said it this way, “Create in me a clean heart…restore to me the joy of Your salvation…then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.” (Psalm 51:10-13) Jesus desires to use your brokenness in the same way. He longs for those around you to see, to take notice that you have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Are you allowing others to see your brokenness as this woman did? Or are you trying to keep it all together for those around you? What will it take for you to live a transparent life worth asking about? (1 Peter 3:15)

I pray that as we continue to learn how to love God with all our hearts that we would be able to live a life of love and gratitude, completely surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that through our broken lives made whole, sinners would be turned back to God to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.