'An Unexamined Life'

 

This was the title of the sermon our pastor gave on Sunday. God really spoke to me through this message, I felt it was directed right at me. For the last few years, one of my yearly goals has been to serve God in my community. I've been telling myself I'm waiting on God to direct me to where He wants me to serve. The reality is, He has shown me several opportunities and it just hasn't been a priority. I make excuses. Period.




The pastor gave 4 areas of our lives that should be examined:


1. Money - Luke 16:1-15 is a parable Jesus shared about money. Now I've read this passage several times over the years but always thought it was about loving money more than Him. On Sunday, God opened my ears to another message in that passage. Money has no value in itself, but is to be used in this world to make preparation for the next. The Bible views wealth like other special gifts, as a resource to be used in serving God & others. Jesus reminds us that nothing we possess is truly ours, but loaned to us by God to be used His service.

2. Time - Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us how to use our time, not like those who do not know Him (fools) but 'making the most of your time, because the days are evil' (verse 16 NASB). There are many things that consume our days, many of them necessary and good, many of them serve no purpose in furthering God's Kingdom.


3. Gifts & Abilities - 1 Peter 4: 7-11 Peter describes a lifestyle which reflects the will of God for His people: self control, prayer, mutual love, hospitality, serving wholeheartedly, using the gifts God has given us for the benefit of others. '.....so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesusu Christ.....' (from verse 11)


4. The Message of Salvation - 2 Cor 5:12-19 Christ died for all humanity. It is God's desire that every single person be given the opportunity to have eternal life with Him. It is our privilege & responsibility to convey that message to others. There are many times in our daily lives that others can see the grace of God, if we let them. We probably have more opportunities than we realize to share the gospel with others.




This sums up the message God conveyed to me: we are called to live our lives in service to God, ministering & witnessing to others so they will see the love of God through us & be brought into His Kingdom.