Living in the Spirit

September 8, 2022

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

I, too, am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service. I truly do not know where I would be without the love of God, the model of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I am a cradle Christian and reading this scripture made me wonder if I take for granted God’s love. I think we can, and we should take God for granted, but we must do that with humility and the knowledge that we are responsible servants of God’s call to share that love with everyone. As we grow into adulthood, we must choose to accept that responsibility and claim our own path to service.

All people were not born into the faith, and even those who were born in a faith-practicing family may not have experienced God’s love in a manner that welcomed them into his service. It breaks my heart when I read about or meet someone who has withdrawn from their faith community or worse been asked to leave it because they do not meet that community’s standards for serving God. I do not know of a time in my life when our faith communities needed to turn around from the ways that drive us away from loving like God and reclaim that which God is ready and eager to heal making us all whole so that we can love all of God’s children made in God’s image.

Prayer: Lord, make us whole, make us one, make us just. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.