“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:8-10
(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at Kaanapali beach on Maui)
“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Ephesians 5:15-17
(This photo was taken in the summer of 2012 in central Minnesota)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14
(This photo was taken in the fall of 2014 at the Nakalele Blowhole located in the northern part of Maui)
There are many paths in life to choose from…don’t give up on loving others and doing good as Christ has instructed us to do.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:7-10
(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in the summer of 2013)
It is one thing to say the following words about Love but it is a whole other level of Love to live them in your daily life with others…
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
(This photo was taken by my wife in South Dakota and that is our son standing on a level above her to project his shadow in the image of the cross)
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:1-4
It’s not about you…I have seen and read this message many times while reading a devotional or some other faith based writing. When I was reading this morning it struck me differently…it spoke to me about sowing a seed with the hope of changing a life. It made me think…how have I been blessed and how can I share that with others? I know that God created me…I know that God has given me certain gifts. My job is to discover my gifts and use them to help others…and it is the same for you.
Today as I was reading from a daily devotional written by John C Maxwell the words that struck me hard and fast were these…a quote from entertainer Danny Thomas…”All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”
It doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it to be in our heads…start today…start focusing on your gifts and start using them to help others. If you are unsure of what your gifts are then ask God in prayer to help you identify those gifts so you can begin to sow seeds in your daily life.
It’s not about you…it’s about how you have been blessed and how you can use those blessings to help others.
Peace be with you.
The places one can have experiences of growth and pure joy are the places that start out as the most uncomfortable. Often times to get to an uncomfortable place you have to step outside of “The Status Quo” of life in this world. Routines and doing things the same way with the same people every day can quickly turn into ruts. At first, the routine becomes comfortable we may experience contentment…however, if that continues for an extended period of time it can turn into a rut that we feel stuck in.
Society has many certain paths that are seen as normal or “the way you should do things” sticking only to these paths is typically the path of least resistance and the simplest to follow. These often are also the least challenging for your God given potential and if you spend time with God consistently you will learn that he is always with you even in the uncomfortable moments. As with everything in life you must have a balance of challenging, uncomfortable paths and being a contributing member of society. The uncomfortable places I am referring to involve issues of charity vs justice for the hungry and homeless…or choosing a role of work that is serving others instead of trying to climb the corporate ladder for personal wealth. Society tends to look away from the hungry and homeless and working to become a Director, VP or Executive is seen as ambitious. If we pursued justice for those who need a hand in life with that same determination we could impact so many more lives.
The bible teaches that we should be working to be living sacrifices…
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2
Challenge yourself…look for that uncomfortable place that is in your community. Pray about it and stretch out of the status quo…you may find a new path that transforms your life and the lives of many others in ways you never imagined.
Peace be with you.
It is Thursday of Mission trip week and we are living full throttle for Christ! The message for today can be summed up quite simply…do whatever you can, whenever you can, wherever you are. Your act of service or kindness does matter, even if you don’t have direct interaction with the receiver of your action. We should strive to include acts of service and kindness in our lives daily. If you don’t feel like this is part of your life right now, start small. Change one thing in your routine that is not about you. Start out once a week or whatever you can do.
My service group spent 4 hours today loading a 53′ semi trailer full of medical supplies including beds for transit that will be sent overseas for people with little or no medical facilities so they can get the medical attention they need. The organization that coordinates this effort is run by 20 full-time staff and 15,000 volunteers. The vast majority of the volunteers will never encounter the individuals who benefit from the supplies being available but that doesn’t lessen the impact of their work…it is still necessary. This activity was not on our schedule this week originally but we were asked to do this instead of our planned event after a different group was unable to make it and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the week.
Whatever you are able to do for others is important and it does make a difference…believe it and do something whenever you can…wherever you are.
Peace.
It is written, Jesus said “Come, Follow Me”…and Levi got up and followed him. Just like that…nothing further is written about this encounter specifically. The message that can come out of such a simple interaction is strong. Another interaction written in the bible…A rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus instructed him to “sell all of your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” There it is again…
It is simply three words; come, follow me. As they say, that is easier said than done! Everything around us in the world is telling us to do this and get here and do that…very few times do we get the opportunity to sit and think about what it would mean to follow him. Here is what I have learned…the bible has all the instructions. It is clear about how God wants us to choose to live. Both of the above interactions are written about in the Gospel of Mark. The Levi encounter is in Mark 2 and the rich young man encounter is in Mark 10. Then in Mark 12 there is writing about The Greatest Commandment…
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no greater commandment than these.”
Mark 12:30-31
Thus we have the instructions…Love God and Love your neighbor. Do not do things just to serve you. Pray daily to grow in your relationship with God. Be humble and try to live with an attitude of gratitude. Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday…start thinking now how you can show the important people in your life how much you appreciate them, maybe give food or clothing or whatever you can to the needy…whatever that looks like is up to you and God.
If you are not sure where to start sit down for a quiet moment and ask him…he is waiting to hear from you. Then watch carefully for his guidance.
Peace to you and yours.
Take Your Faith With You 