May 22, 2020
Let us start
today by asking you a question how do you feel right now about your future? With
the current events that we are experiencing and the daily changes, what is your
plan for the future? How do you feel about your future? Are you contemplating
what your job will look like next month, next year? How will your relationships
be impacted? How will your family adjust to our new normal? What is your vision
to gather strength and lead yourself, and how are you going to do that?
I think
these questions are on a lot of our minds today, and we know that we will get
through this uncomfortable event we just don't know how we're going to get
through this event and what it will look like tomorrow. I think about these
questions, I pause a moment and look around our current reality and how things
have changed in my short lifetime. A general observation is one of we have the
most choices available to us, the most information available to us in our modern
society to help us live a fulfilled life but, it seems like the opposite is
happening. It looks like more people are uncomfortable and more people are
searching for answers that the future has not revealed to us yet.
I thought
about a time when I was a young boy, and I remembered then every morning at the
start of a school day we all stood up and recited the Lord's prayer and sang
our national anthem. Our society was founded and based on Christian values and
living the importance of the teachings of Christ. One of the ways that we
ensured we all remembered the gift that we have been giving to live in such a
beautiful place was by reciting a simple prayer. Not only did it provide us
value on remembering where we came from and remembering all those that went
before us to allow us the gift of today. It also provided comfort and strength even
during uncomfortable times and what the future may or may not bring to us. I
realize now that I'm older that is granting the gift of faith, and through the gift
of teaching allows our choices to be ones that are based on a spiritual
reference of stability vs. one that isn't.
As I
reflected on the power of choices and our environment, I realized something as
simple as a Lord's prayer getting taken out of our school system, maybe affecting
our current reality. What was once known to live a life based on faith and
relationship with Christ has been replaced with placing our faith in information
and not need an everlasting gift. In a short time, society has erased reference
to Christianity in our school systems and many areas with our culture. When I
was a kid, I did not think a time would come so quickly for the erasing of
Christian values within our communities. As change has accelerated on turning away
from God, there seems to be a correlation between the general unease of people.
People seem to be lost, people seem to be unsure, and people are using social
media for comfort that is filled with misinformation.
Another
thing that I have noticed in my observation of others and interactions. The
folks that have embraced Christ have a calmness about them that others lack
that haven't embraced Christ. The theme of the people that have embraced Christ
is one of concern of the future but not one of fear. The idea I noticed is a
general feeling of mistrust of current world leaders spreading information and
growing distrust of organizations. However, in the face of uncertainty, there
still is faith, there is calmness, and there is hope for a better day tomorrow.
I wonder as this new generation is moving into the workforce, and as they are
making adult decisions, the lack of Christian exposure is having an impact on their
mental state? It would be interesting to see some scientific data and correlations
between removing Christian values within our communities and the increasing community
unrest. I have no way of how we would achieve such an analysis but it would
seem that the further we push our way from the gifts of God in our society, the
more discontent we have in our community. The harder we struggle to try to
solve our misery with science and facts and data, the harder and the more
complex the problems seem to become.
My goal
today, as I share these thoughts, is that one person that turned away from the
teachings of God, or one person that is searching for something more than what
the world is offering right now will be able to read this and integrate these
concepts into their life. Perhaps if somebody reads these words for the first
time, they might think about reading the Bible or downloading the Bible onto
their phone. I would start with reading in the New Testament to learn Jesus's
teachings and how to apply this information to provide a sense of vision and
personal strength. As they read these passages, will it feel like living in the
void that they're feeling now? Like when Jesus is at the well and offered the
woman the choice to drink of this well, or you have the option to drink of me. One
choice will have you never fulfilled and always having to return, and the other
choice will leave you satisfied and continually be able to grow and evolve. By embracing
his love and teachings, this will provide the strength you need to transition from
now into your tomorrow.
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