THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
22nd August 2010 by Maureen Homer
Enjoy!
“God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
I Timothy 6:17
It can be said that Christians sometimes give the impression of being miserable, or killjoys, or strangers to fun and pleasure. How can this be, when the Bible tells us that we were created to enjoy life, and that God gives us joy? The mistake lies in equating enjoyment with things like drunkenness, noise, or immorality and this can make us feel that any pleasures and enjoyment are somehow wrong. Life may be marred by sin, but there is no need to feel guilty about enjoying the blessings that God brings.
The best enjoyment is to have a right relationship with God because if we are right with God we will be right with everything else, and we will be able to enjoy all the blessings he gives us to the full. We have the security of our faith, the pleasure of fellowship with each other, and the peace that God brings as well as the countless pleasures of everyday life like sharing a meal with friends, holidays, sport, or even just reading a good novel. Our relationship with God makes our pleasure in these things deeper, so how about showing others how you enjoy the good things God gives you?
Further reading: Psalm 96: 10 – 13
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank and praise you for all the blessings you give me, especially _____________. Help me to show my joy in you so that others may learn to share it. Amen.
The views contained above are not necessarily those of the Clergy and P.C.C. of St. John the Evangelist Church, Fareham.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
29th August 2010 by Maureen Homer
Lead a worthy life
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love.” Ephesians 4: 1 – 2
The Apostle Paul was not one to mince his words and when he wrote to the Christians at Ephesus he told them in no uncertain manner that their day to day lives must be worthy of their Christian calling. He allowed them no concessions for living in a city that was renowned for pagan beliefs and moral depravity and believed that if the lives of Christians were to have any worth, they were to lead lives that were worth something, not worthless. Even from prison, where his life could have been considered to have little worth Paul was still leading a life worthy of Christ by his preaching and teaching.
So are we also expected to lead lives that have some worth? Should we also be meek, patient and forbearing in the face of what can be a hostile or apathetic environment? We certainly should, because if Christ valued us enough to die for us then our lives should reflect the worth He put on them. No matter what our circumstances, no matter how low our self-esteem, we are called to follow Him and lead a life that is worthy of Him and a life that shows His worth to others.
Further reading: Revelation 3: 4 - 6
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for valuing me. Give me the strength to reflect that value by ______________ , and becoming more worthy of your calling. Amen.
The views contained above are not necessarily those of the Clergy and P.C.C. of St. John the Evangelist Church, Fareham.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
5th September 2010 by Maureen Homer
You are God’s choice
“Nathanael asked Him ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus
answered ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you’.”
John 1:48
Have you ever noticed that God appears to be completely illogical when it comes to choosing the people to serve Him? Most people he called in Old Testament times were hardly qualified to be national leaders or prophets but God ignored the cleverest and more important people and chose those with inadequacies and fears just like us. In the New Testament he chose twelve very ordinary men to be his closest followers instead of the religious leaders; and Paul, a dedicated persecutor of Christians, as a missionary.
It is the same today because God still calls the most unexpected people to be His saints, and we can see why in the above conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. In saying that he had seen Nathanael under the fig tree, Jesus was telling him that he recognised that he was a man of faith and prayer, and not just the cynic that he appeared to be. Only God can see people as they really are whereas we judge by outward appearances, so our logic is not like His.
Therefore we should try harder to see the good that God sees in others, and trust Him to guide us into the way of service that He chooses for us.
Further reading: Hebrews 11: 32 – 34
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me to follow you in spite of my fears and inadequacies. Help me not to judge others on outward appearances like _________ but to look at them with your love. Amen.
The views contained above are not necessarily those of the Clergy and P.C.C. of St. John the Evangelist Church, Fareham.
