Tag: impact

Carrying a Burden

Read Psalm 32:1-5

Many of us carry burdens unnecessarily. There are times we are not even aware that we have accepted a burden; other times we willingly take it up. When these burdens are pointed out to us, we may even choose to continue carrying them instead of laying them down. There can be a strange comfort in holding on to our burden because it is familiar.

In the portion of today’s psalm, a burden is mentioned. This burden, familiar to all of us, is sin. The psalm begins by admitting what a blessing it is to be forgiven. The psalmist continues by saying that while carrying the burden, instead of confessing it, there were negative results which caused torment and weariness. The change took place when the sin was acknowledged out loud and no longer hidden. Forgiveness was given and the burden was removed.

Each of us have reasons why we choose to continuously carry our sin. Fear may drive us, the fear that the sin is unforgivable. We may decide that we deserve to have to carry this load. Our thought could be that if we keep the sin hidden, we can maintain the proper public image. All of these reasons are just excuses which prevent us from experiencing a full life. Carrying the burden of sin destroys our life from the inside out. Our health, self-image, spirit, and mental wellness are negatively impacted by the carrying of our sin.

Confession of our sin to the Lord, and when necessary to others, allows this burden to be laid down. Jesus reminds us endlessly that in him all sin can be forgiven. By laying this burden at the foot of the cross we can experience the fullness of life. We will see improvements in health, spirit and our minds.

Lay down your burden and receive the blessing of forgiveness.

In Service

Read Matthew 25:34-46

In a few months we will be entering the Christmas season. The Christmas season means a return of wonderful movies and animated shows. Two of my favorite, must-see movies are A Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life. In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge learns the importance of caring for others and taking care of the needs of others as one of his lessons. George Bailey discovers in It’s a Wonderful Life how much his decisions and actions have had a positive impact as he met the needs of others. Both movies provide an important message regarding how we are to demonstrate love and compassion for one another.

The reading for today comes in the midst of Jesus telling a parable about caring for others. Jesus presents a scene which can occur upon the return of the Son of Man. There is a division which happens. This division is between those who cared for others in their lives and those who chose not to reach out in compassion and love. The point made in this story is that even if we are not aware, the choices we make in regards to the needs of others have an eternal impact. Since God is love, and Jesus is the embodiment and example of this love, those who desire to follow Jesus must demonstrate this love in their lives. Jesus indicates here that failure to do so means a person cannot truly be in Christ.

The truth of Jesus’s parable was demonstrated in the Christmas movies mentioned at the start. Our choices about how we respond to the needs of others around us have impacts of which we may never be aware. These impacts change the lives of those in need but also change our very own life. The lasting nature of these choices make their importance even greater. Both Jesus and Paul tell us that only if love resides in and through us can we truly know the fullness of our God.

There are needs constantly around us. We must be open to seeing the needs of others. Then we must act on meeting those identified needs. This is not something relegated to a select few. No, this is the responsibility of each person who claims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Humble Beginnings

Read Exodus 2:1-10

The birth of a newborn is an absolutely amazing experience. The lives of the parents change dramatically. In many situations the birth signals a new beginning with an endless amount of possibilities. One, or both, of the parents may wonder what is in store for this new life. Maybe this child will become President of the United States or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Perhaps this new one will be the scientist who discovers a cure for cancer or the physician who perfects a spinal cord regeneration surgery. This baby might become the person who writes the box office success which remains on Broadway for fifty years or the painter who created a masterpiece that hangs in the Louvre one day. The possibilities are endless no matter the circumstances of the beginnings.

Our passage for today comes from Exodus and tells the story of a child’s beginnings. The Israelites were living in Egypt after having fled famine in their native land. The opportunity came from the unfortunate selling of Joseph into slavery by his brothers. (But that is another story to tell.) Over time the leadership of Egypt changed and the Israelites became servants and workers for the Egyptians. They were considered by the Egyptians to be second class. Social rules were established to keep a separation between the two groups of people. Into this, a baby boy is born. His Hebrew mother saw a bleak future for him so she arranged a plan to have Pharaoh’s daughter find him. The plan worked brilliantly and Pharaoh’s daughter adopted the boy. She gives him the name Moses.

From one of the humblest beginnings, a powerful servant leader of God’s people emerges. Moses’s story is truly amazing as he rises and falls in stature, only to rise again. The story of Moses’s start serves as a reminder to us that no matter the circumstance of our birth or the events of our lives, we are capable of having a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We may not become the leader of a nation which we deliver out of captivity but we still can be a part of changing the direction of someone’s life. We may be the one who inspires someone else to alter the course of a nation. The possibilities are endless and timeless.

No matter how your life began or what events have shaped you, remember what you do today can be the most world  altering act for others. In God, there is always greatness in each one of us. Today may be the day in which you change history. Seek what the Lord has planned for you today whether you feel worthy or not.  Moses’s mother did.