In this year of “COVID-19,” how can we still know God is there and answers our prayers? Is God listening? How can I tell? Even after years of church attendance and reading the Bible many people still have basic questions when it comes to prayer.
Every problem can teach something or be a stumbling block. The choice is up to me, so my really persistent problems only have one name and that is, (gulp) Larry.
The dictionary defines trust as: “a confident reliance on the integrity, honesty or justice of another.” Trust for me was a confident reliance on the skills of my dentist.
As peacemakers, we can lead our churches in a divided and turbulent environment. Churches should be a sanctuary where people who act and think differently feel safe to discuss, explore and even change. A church is where God provides guidance in the midst of complex and often painful issues. A church is where God provides comfort and grace in the midst sin and strife.
We have been given a field. “What a person plants, he will harvest.” If we plant selfishness, ignore the needs of others, ignore God? We will harvest weeds. If we plant in response to God and allow God’s Spirit to work within us. We will harvest a beautiful crop: eternal life.
After the class, I took a walk to clear my head. It was cold but I was too preoccupied to notice. I looked up toward the top of the mountain and saw a bright light in the shape of a cross. It took a few minutes of climbing and walking to get there but finally I stood below a brightly lit cross that could be seen for miles. Despite the temperature, I somehow felt warm and secure beneath this shining beacon of light. It was as if Jesus himself was offering me comfort and reassurance.
Why am I sharing this story? I had a talent but that talent, that gift, that treasure, remained buried until a teacher offered encouragement. Teachers play a significant role in our education, but they also influence many other aspects of our lives such as ethics, attitude and even our career choice.
I saw a bumper sticker: Christians are not perfect… just forgiven. That phrase assures me that my primary purpose is to do my best and trust God. God honors effort, not perfection, attitude, not just results.
Personally, I feel overwhelmed and powerless against the cataclysmic changes that brought so many disruptions and changes to our daily life and our worldview. As a pastor, as a Christian as a citizen of society, what should be my response?
Is this what God means by spiritual blindness? At first, you think you can manage as other senses provide clues; but suddenly something shifts, like COVID-19, and you are thrown off balance. Alarms in your brain scream out as you recognize approaching danger. Your spiritual eyesight becomes crucial, but it is like you are blindfolded. How can you take next steps if you can’t see where to place your feet?