Living in the Spirit
June 14, 2017
Scripture Reading: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!—Psalm 116:6-19
I honestly do not know what point the Psalmist is trying to make by self-attesting to being a servant and the child of a serving-maid. Perhaps he is identifying with one in poverty or maybe one humbling himself before God. When I read it, however, I immediately think of my mother as a servant of God. She was not the typical serving-maid by profession, but she had the heart of one who wanted to make all things good for the others who crossed her way. She was a deaconess, a teacher, a social worker, and a leader. Hard work and perseverance were her standard practices. She passed on her trust in God to all three of her children and while we God graced each of us with gifts differing we are all children of one of God’s serving-maids.
What are we passing on to our children? What examples do we see in their behavior that reflects our influences? The questions are for all, not just parents or grandparents. Children are like sponges they take in all that surrounds them. I held my six-week-old great grandniece yesterday for the first time. Her bright blue eyes were recording everything. Will they see us loving our neighbors or making fun of them, will they see us welcoming the stranger or chasing them away, will they see us supporting peace through love or peace through violence? There future in many ways is in our hands. Let us vow and keep our vow to model God’s love in all that we do.
Prayer: Lord, help us realize that we are all role models whether we know it or not. Help us to see ourselves as the little ones see us. Amen.