Good News (Wednesday April 13th, 2011)
Do you know exactly how today is going to go? Regardless of your answer I can assure you the answer is no. We, all too often, think we know exactly what is going to happen and how the day will unfold, but God is the ultimate authority on the events of our lives. He does not cause the hurtful events in our lives, but he is there acting to our best purposes in those things that occur. That said, lately I have been very busy doing work on the church. We’ve fixed a lot of things, and so much has been done.
But I have become tired. My enthusiasm is still there, but the constant labor on building materials instead of people is beginning to wear me down. Yesterday I gave a tour of the building to a friend of mine, and he was impressed with all he saw improved, but it only made me more tired. At the end of the day I felt I was worn out and had done very little. But that was yesterday. Today I walked into my church and took a fresh look around. The clutter is cleaned out, the tables are waiting for this weekend’s Easter dinner, and a good friend and church member helped me move many heavy objects to get them where they needed to be.
Our youth center had close to record attendance last night, and I’m going to really have to hustle to get the place fixed up and use our back room so we can have enough space for games and people. I’m already planning a day to devote to it, to get it all ready for the crowd we already have. We are planning a VBS in July, set around our refurbished and newly decorated youth center.
But this is not a bragging column, nor is it an announcement so you know what is going on. Read all those things. Certainly many people worked to accomplish this! It’s true, they did. So what changed between yesterday and today? What made the difference between tired failure one day and a growing, thriving ministry that is gaining people and momentum? Nothing but rest and time. You may not be in charge of a large organization, and perhaps you are simply an employee in a structure over which you seemingly have no control. But you have control over the way you conduct yourself, and the way you rest, and the way that you approach the world. Sometimes, as simplistic as it may seem, you just need to go to bed and get back after it tomorrow morning.
Whether you own a salon, work at the Post Office, or are pastor of a church, YOUR perspective is largely up to you! God has given us all the tools with which we can manufacture a good day or bad day, but he leaves the construction up to us. Joy is a matter of perspective. Are there things going on right now that we’d rather not happen? Sure. Do we ignore those things? Certainly not. But part of being human is taking the good with the bad, and allowing the one to season the other.
If you can do anything today, take the opportunity not to be needlessly negative. Your own life will suffer and those around you will be brought down. Ultimately, if you are having a bad day and you really, REALLY want to irritate people to make them feel bad, try being the most optimistic person around you. Not only will this sunny disposition annoy those in a bad mood, it will uplift those in a good mood, and make those who are grumpy wonder what you are up to.
Remember that each and every day, God made this day for you. The sun rose in the sky, the earth was a pleasant temperature and you had what you needed to be clothed and to eat. Worry or concern past these things is vanity which leads to suffering. Make today the best day in your week!
NOTE: Please join us for Easter service at 10:30 April 24th. We will have a simple service to answer the question “How are we saved?” All too often we hear the story of Jesus, how he lived and died on a cross, but what is essential is: how are we saved by this? We’ll answer that question Easter Sunday and have testimony about how our lives have been changed.
- J. Cole Weston is Lead Pastor at Okmulgee First Church of the Nazarene at 711 N. Okmulgee. You can contact him via email at okmulgeenazarene@gmail.com or 918-213-0359. Services are held Sunday at 10:30, with Sunday School at 9:30, with our bible study on Romans concluding this week at 6 pm.
