Can you believe this weather? When was the last time you remember walking around outside in short sleeves in January? The scientists blame this on El Niño, which may be the cause, but I wonder what causes El Niño? Well, one thing is for sure, it will help us save a little on our heating bills this winter.
If you were to ask those who live most of their life out-of-doors, the warmer weather is likely seen as a real blessing. For others, however, the lack of snow and ice is a hardship. Perspective is a wonderfully intricate phenomenon. But personal perspective can be very limiting. I believe that is why scripture teaches us to take an honest look inward before we choose to poke our noses into the lives of others.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book “Life Together”, writing on the ministry of meekness, makes the following observation. “If my sinfulness appears to be in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I am still not recognizing my sinfulness at all. My sin is of necessity the worst, the most grievous, the most reprehensible. Brotherly love will find any number of extenuations for the sins of others; only for my sin is there no apology whatsoever. Therefore my sin is the worst…. How can I possibly serve another person in unfeigned humility if I seriously regard his sinfulness as worse than my own?”
When you think about this, it makes so much sense! Who better understands the lack of excuse in
our own sins but ourselves? Who better
can serve others in true humility except for the one who honestly sees their
own shortcomings as greater than that of others? Who has the fewest excuses for their sin, the
individual who does wrong do to a lack of understanding or the one who sins in
full knowledge of their transgressions? Even
Paul, while espousing his own service to the
So, as we consider our ceaseless and persistent service to one another, I’d like to share with you the following areas of ministry (service) from Bonhoeffer’s book and ask you to take a few minutes this month to consider the importance of each and how they may be applied to your spiritual walk.
God bless,
Pastor Thom
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