Epiphany…seeing something old in a new way.
In talking about the season of Epiphany, Rev. Fred Lentz, pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Parsippany, has been asking us to focus on three thoughts.
1. Know who you are!
2. See what you have been given!
3. Do what matters in this world!
Three simple thought processes, yet how powerful they could be in re-making our lives, the lives of others, and the world.
It is easy to get dragged down into the negative thoughts of our lives. There are plenty of news stories that detail all sorts of sad or distressing news. It is so easy to let the world overshadow the true joy of life.
Take joy in….
Knowing who you are! YOU are a child of God. What could be better than that? You are loved… no matter what. You are forgiven. You are claimed. You will never walk alone.
Seeing what you have been given! Each of us has been given gifts, talents, skills, and knowledge that is unique to you and the experiences of your life. You know you can do things that other people can’t. You might have the gift of humor, or financial insight, or gentleness, or management, or coaching, or singing, or writing, or gardening, or painting, or leadership, etc. You have unique gifts. Use them! You are more than what you perceive yourself to be lacking!
Making a difference! Use those gifts, talents, skills and knowledge to ease the burdens of others, make the world a better place, or bring someone closer to God. If you are gifted with leadership skills and do not lead, you have wasted your gift. If you are gifted with organizational skills and do not use them, you have wasted your gift. If you are gifted with (name it) and do not use it, you have wasted your gift. If you waste your gift, will you be able to stand before God at the end of your life and justify this wastefulness? You are more than what you haven’t done…think of what you can do!
If you’ve been following this blog or know me I am perpetually searching for God’s direction in my life. It is a journey. Sometimes the path is clear and I follow it easily. Sometimes I get lost and the journey gets hard. I want to be on the path God has set for me because He will provide me with opportunities to use the gifts He has given me and I will enjoy the journey.
Knowing I am a child of God makes a difference in my life. I know to whom I belong, even if I feel like an outsider in the world. I know I am not alone, even if it feels like the world has abandoned me. I know I am forgiven no matter how many times I screw up. I know I am loved, even when I feel unlovable.
There is a song (yeah, I know… more music analogies, but hey, it moves my life) that I’ve heard on Star 99.1FM called “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgi-G-dHYkY
1. Know who you are!
2. See what you have been given!
3. Do what matters in this world!
Three simple thought processes, yet how powerful they could be in re-making our lives, the lives of others, and the world.
It is easy to get dragged down into the negative thoughts of our lives. There are plenty of news stories that detail all sorts of sad or distressing news. It is so easy to let the world overshadow the true joy of life.
Take joy in….
Knowing who you are! YOU are a child of God. What could be better than that? You are loved… no matter what. You are forgiven. You are claimed. You will never walk alone.
Seeing what you have been given! Each of us has been given gifts, talents, skills, and knowledge that is unique to you and the experiences of your life. You know you can do things that other people can’t. You might have the gift of humor, or financial insight, or gentleness, or management, or coaching, or singing, or writing, or gardening, or painting, or leadership, etc. You have unique gifts. Use them! You are more than what you perceive yourself to be lacking!
Making a difference! Use those gifts, talents, skills and knowledge to ease the burdens of others, make the world a better place, or bring someone closer to God. If you are gifted with leadership skills and do not lead, you have wasted your gift. If you are gifted with organizational skills and do not use them, you have wasted your gift. If you are gifted with (name it) and do not use it, you have wasted your gift. If you waste your gift, will you be able to stand before God at the end of your life and justify this wastefulness? You are more than what you haven’t done…think of what you can do!
If you’ve been following this blog or know me I am perpetually searching for God’s direction in my life. It is a journey. Sometimes the path is clear and I follow it easily. Sometimes I get lost and the journey gets hard. I want to be on the path God has set for me because He will provide me with opportunities to use the gifts He has given me and I will enjoy the journey.
Knowing I am a child of God makes a difference in my life. I know to whom I belong, even if I feel like an outsider in the world. I know I am not alone, even if it feels like the world has abandoned me. I know I am forgiven no matter how many times I screw up. I know I am loved, even when I feel unlovable.
There is a song (yeah, I know… more music analogies, but hey, it moves my life) that I’ve heard on Star 99.1FM called “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgi-G-dHYkY
Check it out. You’ll be “re-made.”
No comments:
Post a Comment