Acts 20:17 But he did send from Miletus to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Messianic community. 18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how, from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with much humility and with tears, in spite of the tests I had to undergo because of the plots of the unbelieving Jews. 20 You know that I held back nothing that could be helpful to you, and that I taught you both in public and from house to house, 21 declaring with utmost seriousness the same message to Jews and Greeks alike: turn from sin to God; and put your trust in our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Yerushalayim. I don’t know what will happen to me there, 23 other than that in every city the Ruach HaKodesh keeps warning me that imprisonment and persecution await me. 24 But I consider my own life of no importance to me whatsoever, as long as I can finish the course ahead of me, the task I received from the Lord Yeshua — to declare in depth the Good News of God’s love and kindness.
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Does living a “good life” mean avoiding danger? Not always. Paul and his colleagues were traveling to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile Christians of Greece to help their suffering companions in the faith there. He told the elders of the church in Ephesus that he was sure arrest and prison awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet he concluded his witness about how he lived with a sense of well-being and “success” by saying, “Nothing, not even my life, is more
important than completing my mission.”
• Think of a time when you gave up something you valued to help someone else (e.g. money,
your time, your caring attention to someone who was hurting, etc.). Then recall a time when you pursued an item that you prized solely for yourself. Reflect on how the two experiences affected you. How lasting was the joy and well-being, the sense of a good life, in each case?
• Do you have a life mission? If you’re like many people, your first thought may be, “No—I
really don’t.” But Paul’s words can help nearly all of us begin to locate that “mission” (even if we haven’t consciously chosen it). Of what would you say “Nothing is more important than ____________”? As the answer to that comes into focus, prayerfully consider whether it better fits God’s definition of a good life, or that of the society around us. Ask God to help you make any needed course corrections.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I do not want to miss out on the mission you call me to, the most
important reason that you’ve given me life. Give me a clear sense of what that mission is, and the strength to live into it. Amen.
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Insights from Ginger Rothhaas
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Yerushalayim. I don’t know what will happen to me there, 23 other than that in every city the Ruach HaKodesh keeps warning me that imprisonment and persecution await me. 24 But I consider my own life of no importance to me whatsoever, as long as I can finish the course ahead of me, the task I received from the Lord Yeshua — to declare in depth the Good News of God’s love and kindness.
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Does living a “good life” mean avoiding danger? Not always. Paul and his colleagues were traveling to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile Christians of Greece to help their suffering companions in the faith there. He told the elders of the church in Ephesus that he was sure arrest and prison awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet he concluded his witness about how he lived with a sense of well-being and “success” by saying, “Nothing, not even my life, is more
important than completing my mission.”
• Think of a time when you gave up something you valued to help someone else (e.g. money,
your time, your caring attention to someone who was hurting, etc.). Then recall a time when you pursued an item that you prized solely for yourself. Reflect on how the two experiences affected you. How lasting was the joy and well-being, the sense of a good life, in each case?
• Do you have a life mission? If you’re like many people, your first thought may be, “No—I
really don’t.” But Paul’s words can help nearly all of us begin to locate that “mission” (even if we haven’t consciously chosen it). Of what would you say “Nothing is more important than ____________”? As the answer to that comes into focus, prayerfully consider whether it better fits God’s definition of a good life, or that of the society around us. Ask God to help you make any needed course corrections.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I do not want to miss out on the mission you call me to, the most
important reason that you’ve given me life. Give me a clear sense of what that mission is, and the strength to live into it. Amen.
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Insights from Ginger Rothhaas
Ginger Rothhaas is a seminary student at Saint Paul School of Theology and is serving in Congregational Care at The Church of the Resurrection.As Paul is preparing to go to Jerusalem, he realizes that it is risky work to teach people about Jesus, “but nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission.”
Paul knows he is doing the work he was made to do. Paul is living a meaningful, purposeful, fulfilled life, recognizing that nothing is more important than serving God.
I commonly get these questions from people as we talk about callings: Do we really have a mission? Is God really calling us to do something specific? How do we know what we were made for? I feel like God has something for me to do, but how do I figure out what that is?
I have found that my calling is to help people find their calling. In this work, I have come to believe that we are all searching for a life with a sense of meaning, work that serves God with a purpose in helping others. We hope that God will somehow package our experiences, education, talents, and gifts into a clear mission that serves a larger purpose.
Maybe this resonates with you as well, but sometimes we overthink this calling stuff. We want a billboard with neon flashing words to spell out our mission. But you already know what you need to know: God created you. God has purpose for your life. That purpose is to love others. You are here to make a daily contribution of love and peace. So, what’s it going to be today?
Ask God to use you every day and your mission will become very clear. It may be smiling at someone, teaching what you know, or initiating large-scale change. When you are in your mission, it won’t feel like work. You will know deeply that nothing is more important than serving God in this way. And life will be good…for you and those you serve.-------
"An Rx for the good life"
Saturday, 15 October 2016
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice! 5 Let everyone see how reasonable and gentle you are. The Lord is near! 6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. 9 Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.
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Do you want a good life? From a Roman prison cell (cf. Philippians 1:13-14), the apostle Paul bore radiant witness to the quality of life God offers us. As we hand over our anxieties to God in prayer, he said God’s peace, purity and contentment flow in and through us, no matter what our situation. If we have any question about whether the apostle believed he had had a good life, we can read what he wrote to his young friend Timothy, again from a prison cell: “I have
fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. At last the champion’s wreath that is awarded for righteousness is waiting for me” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
• Paul connected our ability to live a good life, filled with God’s peace and joy, with the mental “diet” we choose. Like a spiritual nutritionist, he advised, “If anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise” (verse 8).
With reality TV, tabloids reporting who was seen with someone they weren’t supposed to be with, negative political ads and celebrity tweets seemingly everywhere, does that strike
you as naïve, idealistic and impossible to follow? Or might it hold a key to helping you live with more peace and a stronger connection with God?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, remind me to bring my anxieties to you, not to my well-worn escape
mechanisms. Focus my thoughts on all that is true, holy, just, pure, lovely and worthy of
praise. Amen.
Family Activity: Gather or create the following: play money, pictures of items a child might want to buy (toys, vacation, junk food) and pictures of ways to give (missionary, charity, church). Assign a pretend purchase price to each of the items. Pass out play money, giving each family member different amounts. Show your family members their choices of items to buy and ways to give. Invite your family to spend their play money however they would like by
purchasing the items on pictures or giving to the places/people in need. After each person has spent their money, discuss the choices people made. Discuss the importance of a God-given life mission for each person, and for you as a family. Ask God to help you each pursue a truly good life.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Eileen Markley and family on the death of her brother Gerry Cromwell, 10/1
• Jerry Lesjack and family on the death of his brother-in-law Bill Koresky, 10/1
• Van Torian and family on the death of his mother Joan Torian, 9/27
• Libby Hawkins and family on the death of her father Gene Bowling, 9/26
• Joy Wheeler and family on the death of her mother Beebs Downing Wheeler, 9/25
• Page Campbell and family on the death of her sister D’Arlene Aldrich, 9/24
• Charlene Perry and family on the death of her mother Marcella Karel, 9/17
• Carolyn Barnette and family on the death of her brother-in-law Martain “Keith” Croft, 8/24
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