“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation; if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:21-23
I heard three questions in a sermon recently that prompted me to take an honest look at my life’s journey thus far. The questions; where were you once in your life? Where are you now? Who do you say that Jesus Christ is?
Back in the day when I was a single parent, working in an office with a few bangers, the Monday morning weekend review centered on how drunk they got the past weekend and how they couldn’t remember getting home. My weekend was spent cleaning our house, doing our laundry and taking my young daughters to the park, church on Sunday and then the Children’s Zoo. There were moments at one point in my life before being married, that I’m not proud of and don’t intend to share my lapse in wisdom with anyone. That was back in my day. When the Apostle Paul was known as Saul, there were times that he too, was not proud of his back in the day behavior. We know about those times because he and others wrote about them. We all are sinful humans in need of Jesus. Were there times in your past when you cupped your hands in the stream below the herd and took a drink? We are thankful for Jesus because He saves.
Next question; where are you today? If you are regular in your attendance at a church preaching the Holy Gospel, Christ crucified and receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, you are probably in a better place than back in the day. Still sinning but repenting and sins forgiven. Hopefully, the words, thoughts and actions coming from your being today are, like the Apostle Paul, reaching the lost who desperately need Jesus in their lives.
The last question; who do you say Jesus is? Jesus Christ is the risen Son of God…my Savior. I’m hopeful that I am able to thank Him while drawing my final breath. It’s really tragic that many people die long before they draw their last breath. Their lives may still be stuck in the Monday morning weekend review. They no longer seek all the joy and purpose and pleasure that a life with Christ has for them. We should do everything we can to help bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Those lost souls are in the U.S.A., in Haiti and around this planet. Like the Apostle Paul, become a servant for Christ. Seek and save the lost.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay