This morning was bittersweet, as it was my last time at Sandy Lake Wesleyan Church for awhile (until December 19 -- after Crista and Jon's wedding!). This church has been so welcoming to my friends and me ever since we began attending in the fall of sophomore year. I am so thankful for the prayers and encouragement from the pastoral staff and my Adult Bible Fellowship.
God used the sermon this morning from a familiar story (the Rich Young Man in Mark 10) to challenge me to evaluate my priorities. In this passage, Jesus points out the rich young man's obsession with possessions and invites the man to follow Him. Likewise, Jesus is calling each of us to lay aside the things that we value more than Him. Lately, I've been convicted about the amount of time I spend with my friends versus reading the Bible and being still before the Lord. I love my friends and truly believe that God is honored through our fellowship; however, if our conversations take precedence over my time in His presence, my priorities are out of whack.
While sitting in the pew, I wrote a brief prayer of reflection on the back of my sermon notes: "As I leave GCC, I know that it will be a hard transition -- but, God, remind me of the joy that ultimately comes from You, not just time with others. My friends, professors, acquaintances are blessings from YOU. May You receive glory in those relationships -- and may I place my relationship with You first, above all earthly ones."
God is calling us to find our identity in Him, not our things. We must trust in His plans for our lives, not obsess about planning the future ourselves. We are to derive meaning from who we are in Christ, not worldly success. What are you holding onto more than God? Are you willing to give it up in complete surrender? I pray that the Lord would continue to reveal to me areas that I need to turn over to Him.
"With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27
No comments:
Post a Comment