Thinking About Our Thinking

Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian

welovefirst.org & facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian

William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, came across a piece of art in a magazine and just had to see it.  He sent his people out to get them no matter what.  You can imagine his surprise when they located it for him in his very own warehouse!  We have an items in the warehouse of our minds that we may not realize we have but we need to find, see, and then with God turn look at clearly and personally so as to experience a truer life.

The item in our mind-warehouse, a thought, I suggest we examine is, “If I am spiritual, I won’t have problems.”  Or, “If I am more spiritual, I won’t have as many problems.”  In other words, if you have problems, it’s because you aren’t doing something right.

Let’s say two things quickly.  First, we very well can have problems from doing something right.  Stand up for honesty when there is corruption in your office and you are going to have problems.  Second, there is some truth to problems coming from not doing the right things.  Again, as with the corrupt office, get accustomed to lying and you will have problems.

But, slightly different than these, and what I have found sits in many a mind, is a grinding on and on of, “If I was more spiritual, more devoted, more loving, … gave more to church, attended more services, studied the Bible more, then I wouldn’t have these problems.”  And, “Since I have problems, it is because I am deficient, lacking, and have gotten on God’s bad side.”

Hear Jesus.  Against this he simply says, “In this life, you will have trouble.”  It just has to do with being in this life.  Knowing God doesn’t exempt you from the trouble, it just means he’s with you in it to help.

Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian of Sebastian, 1405 Louisiana Ave PO 781689, 32978

Welovefirst.org    and   facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian  772-589-5656