Pastor's Corner

Galatians 6:2 says that we are to...

"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."

However, in order to accomplish that we need to not only be good burden-bearers (which most of the people I know are) but also good burden-sharers (and this is where most of us need work). Burden-bearers can't do burden-bearing unless there are burden-sharers doing some burden-sharing.

So, be willing today to share your burdens so that others around you can bear your burdens with you!

I think that for most of us, it's very difficult to accept criticism.  And even more difficult than accepting criticism is heeding it, i.e. making corrections in our lives as a result of it.  The reason that's true, I think, is because criticism pricks our pride.  The criticism we receive may be entirely true, but it's offensive, and that's because it points out our lack of perfection.  And let's face it, we all want to be seen as perfect (well, at least more "perfect" than those around us).

We need to swallow our pride and to accept and respond to the criticism offered to us (even the "redeemable" parts of the nasty criticism that's hurled at us).  We'll grow in our faith if we do, not to mention in our humility (and that's good because "God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble"--James 4:6).

"Whoever heeds instruction is on the path of life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray." (Prov. 10:17)

What did Job learn through his experience, i.e. his incredible loss, his pain & suffering, his debate with his friends, and, most importantly, his encounter with God? We find the bottom line of Job’s story in Job 42:2-3…

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

From these verses, it seems to me that Job learned two very important and fundamental truths:

1. God is God
2. Job is not

And, although it may seem like a no-brainer, those are important and fundamental truths that all of us need to learn as well. The reason I say that is because we often live out our lives under the assumption that: 1). God is missing something about our situations, and 2). He needs us to tell Him what that something is.

The truth of the matter is that God is entirely omniscient (all-knowing) and completely sovereign! He is intimately aware of our situations, even more so than we are, and He is in total control over them. And He really doesn’t need us to tell Him how and when those situations should be resolved. He is God; we are not!