Do You Love Your Job?

I recently saw a sign in a co-worker’s office that said,

“Pick a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Wow! Just the thought of having a job that you love to go to every morning seems like a fantasy to many. This was not the first time I had heard this saying and I must say I have to believe that it is not true. While the thought of doing something you love every day may seem like heaven on earth, no job is without challenges.

For years I thought I wanted to be a Spanish teacher or interpreter. I dreamed of the day I could get up every morning and go to a classroom and teach. I felt like all would be well in my world if I could just do what I wanted to do every day. Naturally, this was an unrealistic thought process. Once I finally landed a job using my Spanish skills I realized that many days were less than perfect.

The biggest challenge of any job is the fact that we have to work with other people who are as imperfect as we are. There are people to deal with on any job. No matter what I do, I will have a supervisor to answer to and co-workers to get along with. Often my co-workers ideas will conflict with my own. If I am not willing to compromise and work at reaching an agreement that everyone can live with I will always be frustrated.

I remember when I used to think that I would be happy if I could just be in charge. I laugh at such thoughts now that I am in management. When one is in an entry-level position, he has to concern himself with what his superiors think. When one is in management, he has to balance what his superiors think with what his subordinates think. Often those at lower positions in a company feel that management could change things if they would. What they fail to understand is that everyone answers to someone and their immediate supervisor is probably following orders in the decisions she makes. It is easy to say what needs to be done until one is responsible for getting it done.

For years I worked in lower skilled, low paying jobs, not feeling like I could do anymore. I had skills but did not have confidence in myself (or in God) to believe that I could do more. I often knew that I was not happy with my current position but I did not know what to do about it. I had an ideal job in mind and thought that all would be well if I could obtain that job.

In time and through God’s blessing I obtained a better paying position. I had a job that matched my skill level and I should have been content. But I was not content; I lacked the confidence that I needed to do my job and felt that my opinion was not valued. I will never forget the moment during a church service when the Spirit of God spoke these words to my heart: “I have promoted you but you are still thinking like a janitor.”

I was stunned because I realized in that moment how true these words were. I was still walking around like someone that had a minimum wage job. I had to stop thinking like someone with a low paying job and no skill set. I had to behave myself like a professional and understand that my opinion mattered. I hesitated in using this example because there is nothing wrong with being a janitor. However, there is something wrong with believing that one’s work is meaningless. (We all know that the custodial staff is one of the most important positions in any place of business.)

With time I have come to believe that the most important thing in any job is one’s attitude about that job. One can have the best job in the world and still not want to be there. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side. No job is without its challenges and one must face those challenges each day with the mindset that he will do his best.

I do believe it is important to pick a job that one will enjoy when possible. I am a people person and I love languages. I enjoy talking to people and learning about their cultures and lifestyles. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but I do recognize one thing about myself; I do not enjoy math. I would not be good at crunching numbers all day and could not imagine being a bookkeeper or accountant. My own aversion to numbers let me know not to study accounting or anything remotely related to it while in college.

If one has the ability to study and pick a job s/he will like, by all means do it. Just remember that the best job in the world will still have its challenges because nothing in this world is perfect. The sooner one learns that lesson in life, the more content s/he will be. If one finds one’s self in the place where he has to take whatever job he can get at the moment, he should do that job to the best of his ability. Nothing stays the same and chances are that a better job will come along eventually. In the mean time, he should see the job as an opportunity to better himself. There is always something that can be learned from any job, even if the lesson is more about human nature than skill set.

While it may sound good to say that a job you love will turn everyday into play, this is simply not reality. While I am not saying that one should not try to find a job he will enjoy, I am saying that even the best job will have things about it that one does not enjoy. One has to make the most of those things and give every day to the Lord. Remember, we should be doing everything as unto the Lord; He gets no glory out of a job half done. Give your best to every situation and you may be surprised to find out that you do love your job after all.

Blessings,

Pastor Sullivan Jones

The Jewish New Year

Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The festival begins at sundown today and will continue until Friday at sundown. This is a time when Jewish people the world over will celebrate the creation of the world. They will offer prayers of thanksgiving for life, health, and blessing; many will make New Year’s resolutions. Some will use the time to renew their consecration to God and ask for his forgiveness for wrongdoing. They will seek to make amends for any wrong done to someone else. For this season also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe in Judaism, a period which begins with Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

As I contemplated the Jewish New Year this afternoon I realized how appropriate it would be for me to take time to join my Jewish friends in celebrating Rosh Hashanah. There is so much going on in our world, from hurricanes to terrorist attacks to earthquakes. I realize that God has been very good to me and my family. I have a good job, a house to live in, two vehicles to drive, and the list goes on. I have a host of family and friends who love me and I am in relatively good health. So far I have been spared the devastation from which so many are presently suffering.

This is also a time for me to pause and say a prayer for others. I am no better than another. I cannot say for sure why some are suffering so while I was spared. Though I am thankful that my home and community have been spared this time, I must not take that for granted. None of us is secure in this world and our only hope is in God. Perhaps I have been spared tragedy so that I can be of help to someone else in need.

I also think it appropriate to use this time as a time of repentance. It is easy to point fingers at the things that are wrong in my country and my world. Rather than point fingers, I must allow God’s word to judge my heart. What have I done to help the situation? Surely someone else’s sin is no greater to God than my own sins have been. Perhaps I need to evaluate my own life and see if I am living up to the standards I say I believe in.

Rosh Hashanah is a time of soul searching and reminding ourselves that all we have comes from the Giver of Life. I find this particularly beneficial now, coming just before the American holidays. In a few weeks we will all be rushing around making “holiday” preparations. We will spend a lot of time, and often too much money, on things that are not needed. Many will buy extravagant gifts on credit, wishing in January that they had not done so. Though we may enjoy the Christmas music and the lights, most of us are just glad when the fast-paced holiday season is finally over. I often wonder how many of us even stop to consider the religious meanings behind the holiday. To many the holiday season is only a time for gaiety with little contemplation for spiritual matters.

So I find it particularly useful to stop now and reevaluate my own life. What is most important to me? Are my own relationships in order? Am I at peace with God and in my own soul? Are there family matters that I need to attend to? When my family gathers this holiday season will there be peace or strife? What can I do to mend a broken relationship or right a wrong? Above all, am I aware that Christmas is supposed to be a time for celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace? If there is a lack of peace in my heart perhaps I should realign some priorities.

As a Christian I do not feel that I am bound to celebrate any certain day above another. Yet I am free to celebrate any holiday I wish, as long as it is for the right reason (Romans 14:5-6). So I have chosen to reevaluate my own priorities during this time our Jewish friends call Rosh Hashanah, the New Year. I make a renewed pledge to God to keep him first. I determine to make the most of family relationship and cherished friendships during the upcoming holidays. Above all, I choose to have a thankful attitude for God’s continued blessings on my life. Would you join me in this time of rededication to God? The benefits are more than you can imagine!

Blessings,

Pastor Jones 

Who Will I Serve?

I awoke this morning thinking about slavery. Perhaps that seems like a negative subject to think about early in the morning but bear with me. The thought came to me that we are never really free from bondage until we are bound to something else. What! Yes, you read that right. It is impossible for human beings to be completely free from bondage.

The same law that sets the slave free demands that all citizens pay income tax. The law demands that all of its drivers obey the speed limit and refrain from stealing, killing, and cheating. The penalties for each crime or different but there are punishments for breaking each rule. If a person thinks that he is completely free from the law, let him fail to pay income tax. Eventually he will wind up in trouble with the law and might actually wind up in jail. One could see the law as unfair or unreasonably binding. I think most would agree, however, that they would prefer the constraints of the law to anarchy.

It would be easy to decide that we don’t want to pay income tax and do away with such laws. It sounds good on the surface, but the government could not operate without revenue. Without taxes, the government would shut down. Then where would we be? There would be no laws to say that one couldn’t kill his neighbor or even enslave another person. While income tax might seem to be an undue burden, it is better to pay taxes and have the protection of the law than to live without it.

Many people look at the laws of God as if they are unjust burdens. Some would even say that Christians are not bound to the laws of God since we are under an era of grace. The question I would ask is, “has God’s nature changed?” We know that God’s word is forever settled in heaven and it does not change (Psalm 119:89). Thankfully, Jesus paid the penalty for every lawbreaker when he went to Calvary, but this does not mean that there are no rules for Christian living.  

Romans chapter eight talks about two contrasting laws. They are the Law of Sin and Death and The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. (Notice that the Law of the Spirit of Life does not exist apart from abiding in Jesus Christ.)The law of sin and death is the old law that says, “If I sin I will die”. None of us can escape this law. We were all born with an inherently sinful nature that drives us to do things we do not even want to do. This law enslaves us to our sinful passions. This law will drive an alcoholic to drink, though he has come to hate the alcohol. It causes people to lie, steal, cheat, and all sorts of things they are ashamed of. It is truly a law of sin and death.

The only way to escape this law is to embrace the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. This new law says that I can embrace a new life when I am born again.  I have traded a life of bondage in servitude to sin for a life of joy in the service of Christ. Some are uncomfortable with the terminology of service in a relationship with Christ; this language is absolutely Biblical. Paul referred to himself as the slave of Jesus Christ many times. Though the King James usually translates the word “doulos” as servant, its primary meaning is slave (Romans 1:1). Paul clearly understood that serving Christ meant giving us his own desires to live according to God’s word.

Jesus himself said that no one can serve two masters; a person must love one master and hate the other (Matthew 6:24). Notice that Jesus did not say a person could be free from service. The terminology here implies that we must all serve someone. We humans were not created to be free from any rule. In God’s original order we were created to serve God. Because of man’s disobedience the cruel taskmaster called sin entered the picture. Since Adam and Eve’s failure, man has constantly cried out from freedom for his sin. God provided the means to that freedom through Jesus Christ by allowing us to His services. One mistake that people make is in thinking that salvation sets one free to do as one pleases; this is simply not so. Salvation returns one to a place of rightful service under the first master and owner, the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are some who see all the constraints of Christianity as too difficult. They desire to formulate a Christianity that requires nothing of its followers; it was the same in Biblical times. The earliest Christians were Jews who previously had known only the Law of Moses. This law was strict and required complete disobedience or swift judgment. It is unthinkable that some of the early Christians would chose to return to the Law of Moses after having tasted freedom in Christ, yet some of them did. Paul warned against this Galatians 4:21. It was folly to think that the old law, with its uncompromising mandate for punishment, could be better than Christ’s Law of Love.

Sometimes Christians think they can walk away from their relationship with Christ, returning to their old lifestyles with no thought of the consequences. The person who does such a thing has forgotten what his life was like before Christ set him or her free. S/he is only looking at what s/he sees as bondage under the rules of Christian living. He thinks it will be better to live without any constraints. He has not considered that returning to the world returns him to a life of servitude to sin.

Slavery is an evil word in today’s world. Subjugated peoples of the past fought long and hard to earn their rightful freedom. The problem with slavery is that we humans were not meant by God to be in bondage to any another person. The institution of slavery exploits one person for the good of another. Theoretically, masters were supposed to provide for their servants. A slave did not have to worry about paying bills, supplying his own food or clothing, or anything else. What a slave needed, the master was obligated to supply. We all know this didn’t happen. Slaves instinctively knew that they would be far better making their own way in the world; it would be better to starve than to spend a lifetime in bondage to a cruel master who did not care about his servants’ needs.

Our master, Jesus Christ, is not like the taskmasters of the past. He is a wonderful master who provides everything that we need. His laws have made provision for his servants and he keeps his promises. There are promises in his word for the supplying of needs, for the healing of sickness, for peace of mind and anything else we could possibly imagine. The Christian has the best master imaginable because Jesus Christ cares for his servants and always provides for their needs. I know some see the restraints of the Christian life as bondage. Personally, I would rather be bound to Jesus and enjoy the benefits of being his servant than be responsible for myself and be in servitude to sin.

The only real freedom is in Christ!

Blessings,

Pastor Sullivan Jones 

Earthquakes and Natural Disasters

There will be famines, natural disasters, and earthquakes in many different places ... (Matthew 24:7).

As I look at the news this morning, the things that are happening in our world seem overwhelming. There are three major hurricanes in the Atlantic. One of them has demolished several Caribbean nations and is headed toward the mainland U.S. There is another major hurricane right behind it. The island of Barbuda is demolished and people are trying desperately to get off of the island before the second hurricane hits them. Mexico was rocked with a major earthquake this morning on its west coast while Hurricane Katia pummels the east coast. This is all after Hurricane Harvey has done so much destruction in Texas.

As I look at the destruction, I am reminded of something God spoke to my heart in prayer at this time last year. After the floods in Denham Springs in August of last year, God spoke to me heart about our country. He said that we were going to see a rise in natural disasters. They are going to be so severe that the government cannot take care of the need and people are going to have to depend on one another. He spoke this to my heart very strongly. People will have to depend upon one another. This is what we saw happen last year in the Baton Rouge area and it is what we are seeing in the aftermath of Harvey. People helping people!

The Bible says clearly that one of the signs of the end time would be a rise in natural disasters. This is the meaning of the Biblical word translated pestilences in the King James Version of the Bible. We are seeing troubling things happening in our world on an ever increasing timescale. (Matthew 24:7). I know there will be some who will say these things are just a part of life and have always been. It is incumbent upon the Christian to hear what the Spirit would say to the church. I think we all recognize that we are living in different times and we are seeing Biblical prophecy fulfilled. Let us not be lulled into believing that this is business as usual.

I am reminded that Jesus said two very specific things in Matthew 24 about the end times. He said that nation would rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom; he also said that we would see famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many different places. Our country is experiencing both. We have seen a rise in the nation against nation category in the last few years. The word nation here is ethnos and it means ethnic groups. The last few years shows us just how divided our nation has become on the issues of race, language, and culture. We are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy. I believe the second part of that prophecy is also coming to pass. The rise in natural disasters is happening before our very eyes and we have become largely blinded to it.

Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:8 that “all these things are the begging of sorrows.” The things we are seeing happening in our world are the begging of a chain of events that will fulfill Biblical prophecy. There is coming a day soon that the fulfillment of verse fifteen will take place. We will see the Abomination of Desolation take place. We will see the anti-Christ himself take seat in Jerusalem and claim to be God. We must be prepared lest we be deceived.

Some say that God will take his church out of the world before then; others say no. They believe the church will see the anti-Christ and live through part of what the Bible calls the great tribulation. I certainly can’t say definitively either way. I like to tell people that I hope for a pre-tribulation rapture but am prepared for a post-tribulation rapture. I would like to believe God will spare us but know that His Holy Ghost power can keep me through any tribulation that God allows.

My main point here is not about the tribulation. It is to make us aware that we need to pray for our nation like never before. We need to pray for God’s mercy. We need to pray for God’s protection. We need to pray for revival. Most of all we need to pray that these disasters will draw us closer together and turn the attention of this nation back to our God. Instead of rioting in our streets and fights about flags and national monuments, may we have prayer meetings and times of repentance for our nation. God help us to all work together to help the victims of these natural disasters. Let us pray that God will have mercy on us. Some things are not set in stone in scripture. I believe this is because God is looking to see how he will respond.

I am never one to say quickly saw that a natural disaster is always the punishment of God. The scripture warns us against such folly (Luke 18:1-3). We must realize, however, that God can use the natural elements to bring a nation to its knees (consider Egypt and the plagues.) If this is what is happening, may we not harden our hearts like Pharaoh and the Egyptians did. Let us pray that God will soften the heart and soul of America that we can turn our eyes once again upon him.

Blessings,

Pastor Sullivan Jones 

Family Relationships

In the beginning God created a perfect world. Then he put humans into the world and nothing has been perfect since (Insert smiley face).  We humans have our share of troubles in this life and many of them we bring on ourselves. One of the first troubles that Adam and Even ran into, after eating the forbidden fruit, was trouble between their sons. The jealousy became so great between Cain and Abel that Cain actually killed Abel. Can you imagine! I don’t think I’ve ever been angry enough to actually want to kill one of my own siblings. There may have been times when they all wanted to put me in a pit and sell me down river like Joseph’s siblings did. But hopefully none of them has ever wanted to kill me. (I’m not about to ask).

All joking aside, family relationships are often some of the most troubling. It wasn’t meant to be that way. Home should be the safest place we have and our family relationships should be the most peaceful. We should all know that no matter what dish lives serves up, our family will be there to make the dish more palatable. Unfortunately, that often isn’t the case. I have met a few people who seem to have the perfect little Leave-It-To-Beaver family where everyone loves one another and all problems are solved by dinner time. It sort of leaves the rest of us feeling left out because our situations aren’t quite so perfect. So what are we to do if we find ourselves in a less than perfect family situation? Guess what! There are no perfect families!

We should recognize that perfect families only exist in sitcoms from the 1960s. Everyone else has problems. Everyone! The fact that we have problems doesn’t make us odd. Problems are a part of life in a fallen world. This includes problems in our relationships. We are all imperfect and we should realize that others are imperfect as well. All of us make mistakes and we should give a little grace to the other imperfect human beings around us- even when these mistake makers are family members. Ever notice that it is harder to deal with a family member’s imperfections than with a co-worker’s imperfections? Why is this? Because we expect more from our family members and often our expectations are not realistic.

Some of us seem to have the idea that our family members should always understand us. This is so not true. We all have different personalities, different ways of seeing the world. Those differences can make the world a beautiful place. They are also the source of much contention. We shouldn’t expect family members to always agree with us or always have the same values. What is important to me may not be important to another member of my family and vice versa. This does not make either one of us intrinsically evil. It just means we have different goals. We can give this grace to our friends and fellow church members so why not to our family members as well!

We should also realize that no family member, whether it be a spouse, a sibling, a parent, or a child, can bring us happiness. Each of us must find his own contentment in himself. We Christians understand that this contentment can only be found in a true relationship with God. When one is at peace with himself and with God then it is easier to be at peace with our family members. Our happiness or lack thereof, is not dependent on what another person does or how s/he behaves. It is far easier to get along with someone when we don’t expect that person to be the source of our inner peace.

All of us should pray for our family situations. Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have against the attacks of the enemy. There is no place the devil likes to attack more than in a family. The enemy knows that if he can bring division in our families he can throw everything out of line. When we see this happening, we should understand that this is the enemy attacking so that we can pray against it. We often remind ourselves in times of strife that our co-workers and church members are not our enemies. We learn to pray for unity when there is misunderstanding. We should do the same in our families.

The family unit is God’s original order for mankind. In the beginning God saw that it wasn’t good for man to be alone so he created a wife for Adam. In time they had children and then trouble started. If you feel like your family situation is less than perfect, you are not alone. There have been family misunderstandings since the beginning of time and there will be as long as the world stands. If we learn to respond correctly, this trouble does not have to turn into strife or bitterness. It can be a time of growth rather than heartache.

The best remedy is to pray for our family members. We should ask God to give us his love for our family members. We tend to think that we should automatically love our family members but this is unrealistic. Love is not natural; it is supernatural. True love can only come from God. If we ask him too, God will fill us with his love and help us to show it to our family members. This love will conquer a multitude of evil and help us to redeem the relationships that are most important to us.

If you have a family situation that is less than perfect, don’t give up. Pray for that troubling relationship and watch God work. It is God’s will that there be peace between family members. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace; no situation is too difficult for God’s intervention. God hasn’t given up on us and we should never give up on one another.

Blessings,

Pastor Sullivan Jones

Disclaimer: I have the perfect family and none of this applies to us. I am working on my master’s degree in Family Counseling and my thoughts on the subject gave birth to this article. I had no one particular in mind while writing. 

Why I am so Blessed

Today I am the big 4-0; I suppose that makes me middle aged. I realize that to some 40 seems young while to others it seems almost ancient. For all practical purposes it is somewhat of a halfway mark in life and I find it a good time to reflect on God’s blessings. As I look back over my life I am reminded of how blessed I am. I am blessed to know the Lord. I am blessed with a great job that I love and wonderful people with whom to work. I am happy in my marriage and I have a wonderful church family that loves me. Birthdays are often times to think about the passage of time and how fast life goes by. As I thought back over God’s blessings on this morning I could not help but think about how different my life is from some of the people I know. Not that I am pointing fingers but I do realize that my life is much more blessed than the trouble some of my youthful companions have found themselves in. If I could attribute the blessings in my life to anything, I would say there are three factors that have contributed to my peaceful and blessed existence.

First, there were people who prayed for me along the way. Every day of my life I have had people praying for me. I have been blessed with a mother, brothers and sisters, and church members who have constantly held me up in prayer throughout my life. I have had the wisdom of godly people, from Sunday School teachers and pastors, to elders and youth workers, imparted into me continually. I have never had to wonder what to do for very long because there was always someone I could go to for appropriate counsel, even when I didn’t want to listen.

I am convinced that in this life no one gets anywhere alone. If there is a success story, someone had to help. A few years back former President Obama (personal politics aside) made a statement that no one gets anywhere alone; I completely agree. Though it does take hard work and personal effort to be successful, all of us have had help along the way. The most prosperous restaurant owner in the country would not have made it without dishwashers, servers, and cooks. It may have been the kind word of a teacher or a boss who decided to hire us but someone had to give us a chance. Grant it, some people have had more chances than others; I will readily admit that. Yet none of us is an island and I am thankful for the people who have invested in me.

The second thing I can contribute my success to is surrendering my life to the Lord. I was raised in a Christian home and was saved at a young age. Yet I had to make a choice as a young man; I would live my life in search of my own pursuits or seek to follow in the ways of God. While I certainly did not always make the right choices, I remember coming to a point where I decided that I would walk in the ways of God to the best of my ability and allow him to guide my career, lifestyle, and marriage decisions. When I look back on the blessing this has brought to my life, I can truly say I am glad I made the decision to life for God.

The third thing I can say that has brought blessing to my life is the woman I married. I am married to a wonderful, faithful lady who loves God. Not only does she love God, she loves other people. She meets new people easily and can get along with almost anyone. She is a hard worker and loves to be busy for the kingdom of God. I can be somewhat introverted, so having a wife who is outgoing is a wonderful blessing. My wife prays for me, encourages me, and helps to lift me when I am discouraged or feel overwhelmed. I realize that she is truly my number one fan. Though she knows I am not perfect, she tells that I am the most intelligent, handsome man on the planet and I choose to believe her (smile).

I remember a pastor telling a much younger version of me that the woman I married was the most important decision I would ever make, aside from committing my life to Jesus. The middle aged me understands that well. How thankful I am today that I listened to the advice of that elder and chose to spend my life with a god-fearing, faithful woman. I realize that my life would be completely different had a married a woman who not as committed to the ways of God or committed to me as she is.

If I had to sum up thoughts on this day, I would say that I am a blessed man and I am thankful to be alive and involved in God’s kingdom. He has granted me another day, another year of life and I want to give each moment to him. In the words of Corrie ten Boom, "In life or death this is truly all that matters".

Blessings, 

Pastor Jones  

A direct line to God

Have you ever heard someone say that sister so-and-so has a direct line to heaven? I have heard people refer to certain older saints in awe because they seemed to have a special relationship with God? I must admit that I have probably had similar thoughts. We tend to think that certain people have a special relationship with God that no one else can have. Believe me, it just isn’t that way.

In the Old Testament, it might have been that way. The Old Covenant required men to bring an animal sacrifice to the priest and the priest would pray to God for the individual. The average man could not go into the tabernacle for himself. Only the priests could go into the Holy Place. Beyond that was an even holier placed called the Holy of Holies; only the High Priest could go there, and then only once a year. Sorry for the women and children; they were left out altogether.

Under the New Covenant, thankfully, worship is completely different. The New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for us (I John 2:2) and that we can all now go directly to God through him (Hebrews 4:16). All of us can pray to God for ourselves because God has made us all priests unto himself (I Peter 2:9, Rev 1:6, KJV). None of us is anymore qualified to pray than anyone else. The door is open to God for us all; the direct line to heaven is never busy and anyone can use the heavenly line to make a call to God at any time.

This is not to say that we don’t need the ministry. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we do (Ephesians 4:11-13). Neither does it mean that we don’t need the church. Jesus taught us to bind together with other believers in prayer (Matthew 18;19); this is probably because it helps to increase our faith when we know someone is praying with us about a need. My point is that none of us need feel like we are not worthy to approach God or good enough to pray to him for ourselves.

I think many people ask grandma to pray because they know she has a regular prayer life; That is the key. When someone makes pray a daily discipline it is easy to pray. Someone may not feel like he or she is worthy to pray because they haven’t prayed in a long time. They might also feel condemned if they know they have sin in their lives that they haven’t repented of. This need not stop one from praying. If someone feels convicted or condemned when he starts to pray, all he needs to do is repent and ask God to put his sin under the blood of Jesus. Then he is free to pray without guilt again.

We humans tend to make pray more complicated than it has to be. Pray is a one on one conversation with God. A prayer life means that one develops the pattern of daily, consistent prayer. Prayer takes many forms and each person’s prayer will be different. According to a person’s personality her prayer may be loud or soft. Some may walk or kneel and pray; some may sit in their favorite rocking chair and pray. At my house we have a prayer chair. My wife usually sits in that chair to pray and it has become a special chair.

It doesn’t matter where you pray; it doesn’t matter when you pray. The important thing is to pray. It does help to have a certain time each day to call on God. However, prayer is available to us 24/7. If you want or need to talk to Jesus, you have a direct line to him. Make us of it today.

Blessings,

Pastor Jones 

Am I reaching my maximum capacity?

Recently I have been reading a book by John C. Maxwell called, “No Limits.” Like most of Maxell’s writings, the book is largely about perspective and attitude. One of the things that has stood out to me in this writing is knowing the difference between what I can and cannot control. There are many things in life that I cannot control. There are also things that only I can control. Knowing the difference is essential to reaching my full capacity, in my career, in ministry, and in my personal goals.

I certainly cannot control what other people think about me anymore than I can control the weather. I cannot control the actions of others. I cannot control the state of today’s politics or economics. I can’t even prevent myself from getting a flat tire, catching a cold, etc. When we focus on what we cannot control, it can be tempting to get frustrated, angry, bitter, or even depressed. Instead we should be focusing our energy on what we can control. Controlling what we can, and not wasting precious energy one what we can’t, is one of the most important lessons we can learn in life. One might say that it makes the difference between a person being perpetually frustrated or at peace.

There are many things that only I can control. I am the only one who can control how I spend my time. I can spend the same thirty minutes (or four hours) watching television in the evening or reading something that will help me grow. I once met a man who spoke French, German, and Italian fluently enough to have a nice conversation with a native speaker of these languages. The man had never taken a foreign language class and had never lived out of the country for more than a couple of weeks at a time. He told me that he decided he would spend an hour a night with a language instead of being in front of the television. It worked and he was quite a linguist. Naturally, being linguistically inclined myself, I was inspired. Perhaps you have no interest in learning a language but the point is that all of us have the same amount of time in each day. It behooves us to make the most of it.

Another thing I can control is with whom I spend my time. I can choose to stop by the office of a person who will share the office gossip everyday. While this might keep me “informed,” it usually also keeps me focusing on the negative. I must admit that there are certain people I do not want to talk on the phone. If a person calls me with a definite need to talk, I am “all ears”. If the same person calls me continually, only with a need to talk about how bad the world is, I may utilize caller ID. Please don’t feel bad at me for saying so. There are some things that only I can control. One of those is the people I allow to speak into my life.

I am the only one who can control my attitude about life. One day I will have to answer to God for the talents and abilities he gave me. I want to be able to show him that I used them for the good of his kingdom. I want to have reached my maximum capacity. I will not answer for anyone else, only for myself. I need not feel bad if I can’t sing, play, draw, or paint like someone else. I need only take what I can do and use it for God’s glory.

My passion should be my priority. Many people spend years of their lives berating themselves because they can’t sing like sister so-and-so. This is such a waste of energy. My energy is renewed when I take what I know I am good at (all of have talents) and focus my time on doing it well. Mr. Maxwell uses the analogy that he will never be a good ballet dancer. Sadly (or thankfully) neither will I. Yet I will not worry about this. I will find something else I am good at doing and develop it for God’s glory.

One day I want to hear God say well done. Though my salvation is not dependent on my abilities, scripture is clear that I will answer to God for the use of my time. God help me to control the use of my time and my energy for his glory!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Jones

Works Cited

Maxwell, John C. No Limits: Blow the Cap Off Your Capacity. New York: Hatchett Book Group, 2017. Print.

Look for the Rainbow

Recently, I saw a photo of a rainbow that a friend posted on Facebook. The caption said, “I feel hope every time I see a rainbow.” As I sit here and listen to the rain this morning her comment seems appropriate. It has been raining for days; it actually seems like months. It probably doesn’t help that I have a list of things I want to do outdoors. One of those things is to fix the wipers on my wife’s car. Thankfully, it is parked safe and sound under the carport where I can work on it this afternoon without getting wet. Meanwhile, I have to go out in the rain and drive to work when what I really would like to do is curl up in my chair with a good book. Oh, the joys of being an adult!

Actually, I don’t mind the rain so much. It is much cooler when it rains. I understand that it is watering the grass and keeping everything green. But on days like today, it is tempting to wonder if the rain will ever stop. If I didn’t have the promise of a rainbow, that is. For those of you who know the Genesis story, you will understand the reference. In the ancient world, God sent a massive storm and flooded the earth because of man’s sin. After that horrific flood, where it rained for forty days and nights, almost nothing was left alive. Only one man, Noah, and his family of eight was saved alive in a boat called an ark. After the flood, God promised Noah that he would never destroy the earth with such a flood again; he put a rainbow in the clouds as a token of his promise. If you will look close enough, there is always a rainbow after the rain.

When I think of the rainbow I am reminded of God’s promises to always take care of us. That is why the rain doesn’t bother me this morning. It may temporarily spoil my outdoor plans. It may inconvenience me and make my morning commute messy. Yet it also reminds me of the promises of God. No matter how hard it rains, I am reminded that God will not allow it to flood the entire earth. This in turn reminds me that God is always looking out for me.

Perhaps there are things I am tempted to worry or fret about this morning. Maybe my plans aren’t falling into place the way I want them to. Like the rain, there is nothing I can do but wait it out. Eventually, the rain will stop and I will walk on dry ground again. It always happens because God’s promises never fail.

Trusting Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones