February 2019
Message from Pastor Tom:
While we are still trying
to hang onto our New Year's Resolutions, Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Many
are starting to feel the pressure of living up to the high expectations this
single holiday brings. While many of the men out there are trying to
conjure up a romantic evening, many of the ladies are trying to figure out just
what will please them so it does not turn to disappointment. Valentine's Day
can bring out many of our insecurities, all the while setting high standards
for our spouses and loved ones. When they fail to meet our high expectations,
we become dissatisfied and are often disappointed with them. So how about this
Valentine's Day we give our spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend the true gift of a
relationship centered in God's love? One that acknowledges the Lord as our
personal source of significance, security and satisfaction. When we do this,
there will be no disappointment, or a dissatisfied loved one.
I know this sounds easy as
we are trying to fill our lives with the spiritual information and activities
which are all good and so needed. However, I believe where we fall short is in
completely developing that close relationship with the Lord. To start making
this happen, let's take a quick inventory of our life to see if this might be
true. Do you attend church only out of a sense of duty? Do you pray with lofty
or repetitive words instead of speaking to God from the heart? Do you serve
solely out of obligation? These are only a few questions, and I’m sure you have
thought of others. In ourselves, there is no way we can
muster contentment in every situation. But once we understand God works through
our trials to make us more like His Son, and our union with Christ strengthens
us to endure and even rejoice, we have a strong foundation for contentment no
matter what is going on around us. When we place our focus on Christ, our own
insecurities and problems become small and even disappear.
Think of it like this. God won’t provide us an
open door to His Love and Grace unless He intends for us to go through it. Stopping
on the threshold is defiance in God's eyes. I know sometimes what little we can
see on the other side may look frightening, but if the Lord is calling, we need
to do whatever He asks. Instead of hesitating in the doorway, we need to trust
God and just walk through it. God assumes full responsibility for properly
equipping and guiding all of us to complete our life’s tasks. We do this by letting
God fill that place in our life instead of expecting our “Valentine” to fill it.
It can truly be a gift to both of you!
This Valentine's Day,
rather than ramping up expectations for love and romance from your Valentine, you
could instead celebrate the love God has lavished on you. For it is when we are
plugged into God's love, His love flows freely into our marriages and
relationships. Always remember Jesus’ promises. We have our Lord’s
assurance we will spend eternity with Him. He promised we can never be
separated from Him, and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). He has
gone ahead to prepare a place for us and will return to bring us there (John
14:2-3). As God's love spills over, it sparks the fireworks we all hope for in
a great Valentine's Day.
Heidi and I pray you have a very joyous Valentine's Day filled with God’s love, finding it spiritually
enriching. There is no way we can muster contentment in every
situation. But once we understand God works through our trials to make us more
like His Son, and our union with Christ strengthens us so we can endure and
even rejoice, we will have a strong foundation for contentment no matter what
is going on around us.
Blessings from a pastor and his wife.
Blessings from a pastor and his wife.
