It’s a gorgeous fall day in Charlotte and I’ve just come back from a 2 mile run. I had my ipod on and was listening to inspirational Christian music. Prior to that run, I had spent several hours reading the Bible and a book about Christian living(Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper) and had a phone conversation with a leader of a ministry. I had also had a discussion with the head of our church wellness ministry about what the future holds for that ministry in the church.
Later today I will be visiting a mens homeless ministry and will be teaching the Bible study tonight. I am in great anticipation about how God will be present during my time with the men and about what He will do amidst us.
All these circumstances have my heart racing and my mind filled with the great things that God wants to do in the world around me. Earlier today my girlfriend shared with me that USA Today had another article on it’s front page about the impact that the financial crisis is having on the stress of people and the subsequent impact it has on people’s lives. It was another reminder about the need people have for God in their life.
It’s at times like this that my mind races and I want to do so many things and tell so many people about the love of God and of the impact that a personal relationship with the one true God can have on their life. I have spent the better part of the last month preparing a presentation that I will give to a group of financial advisers at the end of this month on the impact of stress on our health and the role that our faith can play amidst this stress. After working for this length of time on a presentation, it all comes together very clearly in my mind about the relevance of faith and God in our life during times of stress like this… and I just want to share it with everybody.
If you don’t currently experience a very personal relationship with God and you haven’t yet experienced the love of Jesus Christ this is certainly a time to begin to do that. The Bible is very clear that God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can experience a full and abundant life here on this earth and for eternity. The main reason that he wants us to live a very full life is so that we can be a reflection of God’s glory to other people who don’t know Him. Ultimately that is our purpose for living — to live life in such a way that brings glory to God.
For those of us that have experienced the love of Christ in a very real way, it’s at times like this that we can make an impact on His kingdom. We need to remember to stay very closely connected to God in ways that are meaningful to us so that we receive wisdom and peace and hope and strength. It is from being very well grounded in these ways that we can then be a light for others that we are in community with, especially those that do not know Christ. It’s in times like we are in that we should stand on the mountain tops lighting the world around us. And it’s at times like this that we need to look for opportunities to share with others what Christ has done in our life. We need to be prepared and look for opportunities to tell other people why we are able to have a calmness about us when so many people are stressed out and seemingly out of control because of the financial crisis that our country is in. The only way we’re going to be able to do this is if we stay closely connected to God day in and day out.
It’s only because I spent quite a bit of time abiding with God this morning that I have received an overwhelming desire … in fact, a passion, to share this encouraging word with you today. It’s a blessing for me to spend the time I did with God today and to be able to take the time to write to you on matters such as this. I hope that you find it encouraging.
Go shine your light brightly!
