God has been so good to us over the years. It is amazing to me how as humans we easily remember the negatives in our lives and forget the positives. I dare say it is part of our bent. Just watch the evening news. I wonder sometimes if we don't derive some perverse enjoyment from bad news. As this year comes to a close, I want to encourage you to look for the good.
I am reminded of the blessing it is to serve God, and to be a bi-vocational minister. God has made me priest of a great parish, with a bright future. It is my business that enables me to serve these wonderful people. It is God's gifting, that has made me good at what I do. In spite of the difficulties, the rewards far exceed the cost. Underlying it all is the assurance that God has had his hand in my life at every turn. He knows what is best, and the work he does in our lives will far exceed our best ideas and dreams. Sure, there are times when we have misstepped and found ourselves in a dilemma of our own making. But even these, when we humbly repent and bring our fiasco to him, He is able to mend and renew, and bring good into our lives. More often as followers of Jesus, we find ourselves just "kicking against the goads." The Apostle Paul learned the secret of contentment. We can too. Contentment does not come with trying harder to be content, but in surrender to God, and letting him be sovereign over our lives. He doesn't make mistakes. We do. He is able to change anything in our lives that he wants. We are not able. He loves us, and wants for us what is best. Often, we don't even know what is best for ourselves, let alone how to achieve it. What better King could we have? I want to encourage you in this coming year to find joy and be content in the work that God has given you to do. Let it be an offering, given to God for his glory and honor. Trust that He will be at work in all things for the good of those who love him. Relax. Let God handle it. Its gonna be alright.
