Tag: lessons

Do Not Stop

Read Acts 5:27-32

One of the challenging lessons for parents to teach their children is not to succumb to peer pressure. This is a lesson which must be learned because throughout our entire life we will encounter people who try to pressure us into a variety of actions and situations. There are also times when we pressure ourselves to conform to the desires and priorities of others. A person needs to learn to stand for their own convictions and beliefs while being open to learning from the perceptions of others and possibly adjusting when appropriate.

The followers of Jesus are trying to understand what it means to continue to follow even though Jesus is no longer physically present. Meanwhile, The Jewish leadership is trying to eliminate any further following of Jesus. The leaders in Jerusalem had instructed the apostles to cease doing acts in Jesus’s name or share his teachings with others. Yet the apostles continued to do as Jesus had told them to do. In today’s passage the apostles are brought before the leadership to answer for their disobedience. The apostles tell the leaders that they cannot and will not succumb to the pressure of the leadership. They declare that they must do what Jesus, who spoke God’s instructions, told them. The Holy Spirit has affirmed this to them.

We are to be like the apostles in what we read here. There are people who tell us to not speak of Jesus. We are told to no longer share the stories of Jesus and how Jesus has worked in our lives. Some mock us when we attribute the works of compassion, mercy and grace which we perform in the name of the Lord. Our faith, beliefs, and understandings of the Lord should be kept private so we make no one uncomfortable is what we are told. The apostles tell us in this passage not to let peer pressure stop us from doing as God instructs. We are to have the courage to stand by our convictions and beliefs. Let us pray that we will follow the example of the apostles. 

Treasures

Read Matthew 6:19-24

After the stock market crash beginning in October of 1929 and the ensuing collapse of many banks, the United States population changed its whole perception of money and savings. Adding to this was the onset of the dust storms wiping out the crops of the midwestern plains due to severe drought conditions. Unemployment rose at a devastating rate. Those who survived all these economic disasters began to store whatever they could obtain in their homes as an attempt to safeguard against future losses. The birth of a hoarders mindset developed out of these experiences. A person’s earthly treasures, as meager at they might be, were hidden away and guarded at all costs.

The writer of Matthew’s gospel shared a series of lessons Jesus taught. We find this series in chapter six of the gospel and have come to refer to them as the beatitudes. One of these lessons speaks of treasures and how we handle them. Jesus teaches us to store our treasures in heaven. He says that where our treasures are, that is where our hearts will be. What we let into ourselves creates either light or darkness in our lives. Jesus warns that we cannot have two masters in our lives. 

The mention of what we let into our lives may seem out of place at first but actually fits when given a further inspection. Jesus is speaking about what is most important in our lives, what we treasure. These are the items to which we give priority. As part of his warning, Jesus says that the influences we allow in our lives can work to enlighten us regarding our priorities or can blind us to the right priorities. This lesson is about what are our priorities, especially our top priority.

Looking at what we protect and strive for in life makes it clear what we prioritize. These are the treasures of our lives. Things of this earth have a limited lifespan whether it be materialistic, people, or even relationships. Those aspects of our spiritual life are eternal, as is our relationship with God. Jesus is teaching us that our priority should be on God and the spiritual matters of life because these are the aspects that last forever.

Positive Outcomes

Read Isaiah 48:17-19

As a parent, a person desires the absolute best for all her/his children. Much of the time a child lives in the home, the parent is using opportunities to teach and guide the young person. The hope is that as the child matures, the lessons taught will prepare them to make choices which will benefit them throughout their future. This does not always happen. When a child makes a choice  which results in a lasting negative outcome, the parent is disappointed. This disappointment is not in the child but in the missed opportunities for a more positive outcome. No parent wishes for a child to experience negative outcomes because the love a parent feels is great.

In the reading from Isaiah, we see God as a parent to the Israelites. God has a great love for all of God’s children, greater than even a human parent. Because of this love, God desires only positive outcomes for the Israelites. God has taught and guided them in ways which can bring about positive results. Yet the Israelites have chosen to ignore the teaching and take paths different from those to which God has guided them. In making these choices, the Israelites have experienced a lot of negative outcomes. God’s disappointment in these results is evident in the words recorded here.

This trend continues throughout human history. We have received the ongoing teaching from God through Scripture, trusted Christian leaders and teachers, and from within our own families. God has utilized these individuals in our lives to guide us and give us the tools which will help us achieve positive life outcomes. But like the Israelites to whom Isaiah speaks, we have at times ignored the teachings or rejected the guidance. Making this choice leads us to not receive the full measure of positive life experience. We may have times when we do not suffer greatly from these choices but we still fall short of what could be. Other times we experience great suffering because of the choices. When this happens, God feels disappointment because of what could have been for us.

From this passage we learn to follow the teachings and guidance of God so we can fully experience the greatness God has planned for us.