Clothe Yourselves With Love

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony Colossians 3:14

Joe was a recovering alcoholic who had a powerful conversion experience. He spent his days and nights hanging out at the homeless mission with a smile on his face and gratitude in his heart.

One evening, a guest preacher was preaching and there was one man who came down the aisle and knelt to pray, crying to God to help him change. The homeless man kept shouting, “Oh God! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!”

The preacher leaned over and said to the man, “Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, ‘Make me like Jesus.’”

The man looked up at the preacher with a confused expression and asked, “Is he like Joe?”

If you are the closest thing to Jesus some will ever see, what are they seeing? Are they seeing his compassion? Are they seeing his love through you? Whatever else you put on this day, make sure you “clothe yourselves with love.”

Pastor Jamey Prickett

Small Things

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff?”

What if it is the small stuff that is damaging our relationships?

The weight of small things may be the symptom of a larger need.

A dirty sock constantly left on the floor can turn into “you don’t listen to me, you don’t respect me.”

By taking the time to sweat through the small things, we are better prepared to handle the larger challenges confronting our relationships.

In Luke 16:10 Jesus says, “If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things.” Working through the small things in a relationship builds trust and greater trust brings deeper intimacy.

We love through small acts.

What small things do you need to pay attention to today to make your relationship healthier tomorrow?

Prayer for the week:

Loving God, let your blessing fall upon those who serve neighbors without reward, who weep with friends, and who forgive seventy times seven. Be with us all this day and help us to be attentive to the small things before they turn into big things. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Pastor Jamey Prickett

Listen

Our world is in need of listeners. It will be through the quality of our listening and not necessarily just the wisdom of our words that will affect change in the world around us.

When we listen we offer a safe place for people to share where they feel they have been denied, unloved, and/or devalued.

From the Bible the author of the letter of James says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

Imagine the difference that it would make if we were known more for our listening rather than our opinions. A lot of healing can happen in our world if we all just take the time to listen.

A lot of problems could be solved if we would take the time to listen.

The twentieth century theologian, Paul Tillich said, ““The first duty of love is to listen.”

Who needs you to listen to them today?

Prayer:

Gracious God, give me ears to truly hear what others are saying. Allow my heart to be still and my mind open to the person who needs me to listen to their story. Guide me in wisdom and understanding before I speak. Amen.

Pastor Jamey Prickett

Center Yourself

Luke 10: 38 - 42

In the Bible we have a story of where busyness becomes a distraction from the important. It is the story of two sisters. In the story Jesus visits the home of Martha where she lives with her sister, Mary.

In the story, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus while her sister, Martha, is moving around the house serving as a good host. Martha is busy cleaning and preparing while Mary is comfortably with Jesus. Martha is not pleased and asked Jesus to rebuke her sister for not doing her share of the work.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38 - 42).

When Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha……..” it is not from a position of rebuke more than it is an invitation for her to see herself as God sees her. What this story is telling us is that serving without grounding ourselves in our identity as disciples of Jesus leads to anxiety.

We can all identify with Martha. She is trying to respond well to her position as a host. She seeks to provide a welcoming environment.

We want to provide for our families, we want to give our children every opportunity, we want to be a good neighbor and lend a hand when needed, we want to do our jobs well. What is our motivation? What drives our activity?

Activity as competition, activity as striving to meet expectations, activity in response to a scarcity mentality can all drive us to a life of distraction. Activity without centeredness on Jesus drives us to a distracted life. Martha’s distracted busyness prevented her from being truly present with Jesus. It caused a wedge to be driven between her and her sister. If we are not careful, our distracted busyness can also drive a wedge between us and the people we love.

If you are looking for a way to center yourself on Jesus, email Rev. Carolyn Clifton today and she can share with you some valuable resources on Centering Prayer.

Prayer:

Gracious God, Help me to seek my identity in Christ. Forgive me for being distracted by things that have no eternal value and grant me the grace to stay centered on you. Amen.

Pastor Jamey Prickett