Pastor's Weekly Musing
Hey everyone!
Last week, Portia and I found out we were long overdue for a free upgrade to our cell phones. We went to the phone store, talked to the lady there, and began the process of getting all of our information, contacts, apps, and more transferred over to the new phone. It was really fast and easy. My new phone was made virtually identical to my old one, just with newer and fancier bells and whistles.
When you think about what our mobile phones can do, it can be mind-blowing. Our phones handle calls, texts, and email, give us the weather, play music, schedule our calendar, store photos and videos, give us maps, reminders, calculators, flashlights, podcasts, news, social media, and even Starbucks pick-up orders. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what we use our phones for and what they're capable of. You might be reading this musing from your phone right now!
If I'm honest, as amazing as they are, the overwhelming majority of the time that I'm talking about my phone is to complain about it somehow: how it's too slow, or not satisfactory, or that the auto-correct isn't understanding me, or how the apps are glitching. It's a modern miracle of micro-technology, and I almost never say a good thing about it.
There seems to be a natural proclivity in humanity to follow a similar pattern in our attitudes toward things in our lives: we love it, then we get used to it, we take it for granted, we focus on its faults, and then finally, we don't love it.
Doesn't this sound familiar to our personal relationships too?
Here's the problem: The longer you know someone, the more likely you take that person for granted. With the passage of time, it becomes easier to focus on that person's faults and the bad times instead of the happy times. We all naturally gravitate toward the negative, just like me and my phone!
Paul shows us how he deals with this tendency in his own life, when he says in Philippians 1:3, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."
This simple truth is the foundation of good relationships. If you want to have healthy relationships, start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life.
When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? Or are you more likely to ask, "What do they need to do for me? What are our problems? What do we have to get done?" Your first thought may not be gratitude. But Paul trained himself in this discipline. His first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model we should follow if we want our relationships to last.
It's not easy, because again, it's not natural: I will literally yell at my cell phone as I rely on it to remember and store 98% of my life! It might be a difficult discipline, but we experience an eternal impact on our relationships when we develop the habit of giving thanks to God when we think of our spouses, children, parents, siblings, neighbors, coworkers, even our country.
Try it today: start the habit of giving thanks to God for people in your life every time you think of them. It's worth it!
Last week, Portia and I found out we were long overdue for a free upgrade to our cell phones. We went to the phone store, talked to the lady there, and began the process of getting all of our information, contacts, apps, and more transferred over to the new phone. It was really fast and easy. My new phone was made virtually identical to my old one, just with newer and fancier bells and whistles.
When you think about what our mobile phones can do, it can be mind-blowing. Our phones handle calls, texts, and email, give us the weather, play music, schedule our calendar, store photos and videos, give us maps, reminders, calculators, flashlights, podcasts, news, social media, and even Starbucks pick-up orders. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what we use our phones for and what they're capable of. You might be reading this musing from your phone right now!
If I'm honest, as amazing as they are, the overwhelming majority of the time that I'm talking about my phone is to complain about it somehow: how it's too slow, or not satisfactory, or that the auto-correct isn't understanding me, or how the apps are glitching. It's a modern miracle of micro-technology, and I almost never say a good thing about it.
There seems to be a natural proclivity in humanity to follow a similar pattern in our attitudes toward things in our lives: we love it, then we get used to it, we take it for granted, we focus on its faults, and then finally, we don't love it.
Doesn't this sound familiar to our personal relationships too?
Here's the problem: The longer you know someone, the more likely you take that person for granted. With the passage of time, it becomes easier to focus on that person's faults and the bad times instead of the happy times. We all naturally gravitate toward the negative, just like me and my phone!
Paul shows us how he deals with this tendency in his own life, when he says in Philippians 1:3, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God."
This simple truth is the foundation of good relationships. If you want to have healthy relationships, start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life.
When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? Or are you more likely to ask, "What do they need to do for me? What are our problems? What do we have to get done?" Your first thought may not be gratitude. But Paul trained himself in this discipline. His first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model we should follow if we want our relationships to last.
It's not easy, because again, it's not natural: I will literally yell at my cell phone as I rely on it to remember and store 98% of my life! It might be a difficult discipline, but we experience an eternal impact on our relationships when we develop the habit of giving thanks to God when we think of our spouses, children, parents, siblings, neighbors, coworkers, even our country.
Try it today: start the habit of giving thanks to God for people in your life every time you think of them. It's worth it!
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- MYG meets this Wednesday night at 7 PM.
- Prayer Gathering meets on Monday at 10 AM.
- Wednesday Night Connect (adult Bible study) starts back up this coming Wednesday, February 3. Starts at 7 PM.
- Prayer Gathering meets on Monday at 10 AM.
- Wednesday Night Connect (adult Bible study) starts back up this coming Wednesday, February 3. Starts at 7 PM.
_______________________________________________
This Sunday is the fifth Sunday of the month, so you know what that means: YOUTH SUNDAY!
MYG, our legendary youth group, will take over the Sunday service: the youth band will lead us in worship, the youth will handle ushering and greeting, and Pastor Nate Offermann will bring the conclusion of our series, RESET.
In this series, we've talked about how God walks us through hitting the reset button in our lives, learning from past mistakes and moving forward in confidence.
Last week, Pastor Robyn showed us an inside look at what "renewing our minds" looks like. This week, Pastor Nate will talk about how God helps us let go of past failures and hurts. And by the way: we're giving away free mini pies after each service. You're welcome. It's shaping up to be a great Sunday!
Join us this Sunday for Part 4: Rethink and Release.
Click HERE to register for this Sunday, and you can click HERE to get connected to our Sunday service online.
Looking forward to seeing many of you on the walkway and the rest of you in the YouTube comments!
Pastor Ronnie
MYG, our legendary youth group, will take over the Sunday service: the youth band will lead us in worship, the youth will handle ushering and greeting, and Pastor Nate Offermann will bring the conclusion of our series, RESET.
In this series, we've talked about how God walks us through hitting the reset button in our lives, learning from past mistakes and moving forward in confidence.
Last week, Pastor Robyn showed us an inside look at what "renewing our minds" looks like. This week, Pastor Nate will talk about how God helps us let go of past failures and hurts. And by the way: we're giving away free mini pies after each service. You're welcome. It's shaping up to be a great Sunday!
Join us this Sunday for Part 4: Rethink and Release.
Click HERE to register for this Sunday, and you can click HERE to get connected to our Sunday service online.
Looking forward to seeing many of you on the walkway and the rest of you in the YouTube comments!
Pastor Ronnie
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