Today’s Readings: Psalm 10; Genesis 7:11-24; Matthew 20:29-34; Romans 2:27-3:18; Psalm 14
We live in a time when it’s easy to experience a general feeling of malaise. That’s because we have so many pressures crushing up against us. As a result, it’s nearly impossible to discern what the true source of our problems is; hence, our malaise. Is it the adjustable rate on our home mortgage that will be adjusting soon that’s stressing us out? Is it the astronomic gas prices that are literally taking food off our tables that’s causing us to lose focus? Is it the economic crisis that’s making it impossible to find a job that is truly fulfilling? Our sense of malaise could be driven by any one (or all) of a thousand things! So how do we even begin to know what to ask for to help us get out of it? Well, having a sense of clarity about our situation is a good place to start. In today’s passage from Matthew, for instance, Jesus encountered two individuals along the side of the road who themselves were in a difficult situation. As Jesus approached, the individuals cried out for help. They didn’t beat around the bush; they ask for exactly what they needed: their eyesight. And guess what? They got it. Of course in their case it was easy to discern what they needed, for their blindness represented an obvious starting point. For those of us suffering from a general feeling of malaise, our experience is different. Here’s my suggestion about where to begin in your case. Instead of starting by asking God for the so-called stuff (i.e. more money, a new fuel-efficient car, or a new job), think about the core issue(s) that perhaps tie all of those concerns together: things like a lack of peace, a lack of purpose, or a lack of hope in your life. Then begin by asking God for one (or all) of those things. Once you gain a sense of peace, purpose, and hope in your life, you just might be surprised how some of the other things begin to fall into place. Til next time…
We live in a time when it’s easy to experience a general feeling of malaise. That’s because we have so many pressures crushing up against us. As a result, it’s nearly impossible to discern what the true source of our problems is; hence, our malaise. Is it the adjustable rate on our home mortgage that will be adjusting soon that’s stressing us out? Is it the astronomic gas prices that are literally taking food off our tables that’s causing us to lose focus? Is it the economic crisis that’s making it impossible to find a job that is truly fulfilling? Our sense of malaise could be driven by any one (or all) of a thousand things! So how do we even begin to know what to ask for to help us get out of it? Well, having a sense of clarity about our situation is a good place to start. In today’s passage from Matthew, for instance, Jesus encountered two individuals along the side of the road who themselves were in a difficult situation. As Jesus approached, the individuals cried out for help. They didn’t beat around the bush; they ask for exactly what they needed: their eyesight. And guess what? They got it. Of course in their case it was easy to discern what they needed, for their blindness represented an obvious starting point. For those of us suffering from a general feeling of malaise, our experience is different. Here’s my suggestion about where to begin in your case. Instead of starting by asking God for the so-called stuff (i.e. more money, a new fuel-efficient car, or a new job), think about the core issue(s) that perhaps tie all of those concerns together: things like a lack of peace, a lack of purpose, or a lack of hope in your life. Then begin by asking God for one (or all) of those things. Once you gain a sense of peace, purpose, and hope in your life, you just might be surprised how some of the other things begin to fall into place. Til next time…
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