Living in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 26, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:1-13

 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. — Philippians 2:12-13

It seems to me that many of us spend a lot of time working out other people’s salvations and not a whole lot of time working out our own. Salvation comes from God. What we have been called to do is introduce people to God specifically by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ so that they can work out their own salvation through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. That is not to say that we introduce and then walk away. We are on our own journey of growing with God and God made it much easier to grow with God when we do it together by sharing in study, prayer, confession, service, and communion. My fear is that the time we invest in trying to identify the pitfalls in another’s life somehow removes the need to constantly survey ourselves for the stumbling blocks in our own lives. It is a paradox but it is true that the better our relationship with God the freer we are to love the other just as they are and be a conduit for their finding their own way to a more meaningful connection to God in whatever way God choses to use us.

This truth is particularly valuable when working with and for children and perhaps even more importantly when working with their parents. Lifestyles and values that are align to us, perhaps even repulsive, may be limiting our ability to love others. Sometimes we judge these lifestyles and values as sins and insist that others cannot know God unless they stop these so called “sins”. A quick review of Jesus’ life and ministry should dispel this approach. In most instances when he met a person that others had condemned as sinners, Jesus’ approach was to ask them “What do you want?” “What do you need?” He recognized the image of God in each of them no matter how much clutter might be trying to hide it. By doing so, Jesus was able to heal brokenness, return dignity, and save the person from themselves. He will do that for those we introduce to him just as he did it for us.

Oklahoma Fact: in 201 the teen birth rate in Oklahoma was 48.8 births per 1,000 females under the age of 19. The rate for the United States as a whole was 29.8. Oklahoma ranks second highest of the fifty states.*

Prayer: O Lord, help me to see your image in each child and each parent with whom I come into contact. Use me in whatever way you need me to help them grow with you. Amen.

*http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_09.pdf#table12

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.