Recently several churches in my area have been dropping their sponsorship of Boy Scout troops. My own church home has made headlines because of their decision to follow suit. At issue is the recent decision by the Boy Scouts of America to allow homosexual boys to join their ranks, something that has previously been forbidden. The churches that are pulling their support from the scouts are doing so ostensibly so they are not financially supporting or associated with a group that allows homosexuals to benefit from their funding. Upon learning of my home church’s decision, I took an afternoon to think and pray about this stance. I’d like to share my thoughts with you.
Matthew
Stop Wasting Your Life
What would it be like to live life fully expressing every passion and talent God has placed inside of you? Do you think you are living this way today? What’s keeping you from becoming the person He created you to be? We have a simple two-fold mission in life: to tell everyone about the amazing love of Jesus and to serve others in His name. It is for this we were created. Nothing else we endeavor to do will ever bring satisfaction. Do you want your life to matter? Serve God. Do you want to be happy? Serve God. Do you want to be loved? Serve God. Life is very simple but we’ve made it so complex.
Fulfill Your Calling
I recently read a blog post by Chris Brown, a pastor at North Coast Church. In it he said something that rocked the way I have programmed myself to think. Pastor Brown said we should, “Seek to fulfill your calling, not your potential.” For years I have read and taught that each of us should be doing everything we could in order to maximize our potential. I always thought that was what Emerson meant when he said, “Don’t die with your music still inside you.” Now I see that piece of wisdom a little differently. Think about Emerson’s quote in regards to calling, not potential. How might that change the way you live?
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
Mornings have become my favorite times. For a lifelong night owl, this has been quite the transformation over the past several years. Ever since I moved to Indiana, I have fallen in love with the early part of the day. The temperature is mild and the humidity level is comfortable in the hours before the sun comes up fully. The sounds of birds and insects provide an amazing symphonic backdrop to the exquisite colors bursting forth on the new day. It is peaceful, quiet, and calm. The stillness of the morning engenders stillness in my heart. I am awed by the beauty that surrounds me and bask in the exquisiteness of God’s creation.
Serving Others
What are your plans for the weekend? How about the next vacation, have you started thinking about where you’d like to go and what you’d like to do? How about the work that needs to be done around your house, are you planning what you need to buy at the home center? So much of our lives are spent thinking about the things we need and would like to do. We put great thought and effort into mapping out the ideal vacation or the perfect landscaping project. Did you ever pause to consider how much time we spend designing our lives compared to how little we think about sharing the gospel of Jesus with our friends and neighbors?