Pastor's Message

JANUARY 2011--- SPIRIT STEPS 

Making New Year’s resolutions is a popular thing to do this time of the year.  Health clubs are packed the first part of January.  Weight loss programs are well attended the first part of January.  But quickly life gets back to business-as-usual and the health clubs become less crowded and weigh loss meetings have many empty chairs.  There are some who do manage to lose weight and keep it off, at least for a few months, and certainly no time at the gym is wasted, but whether folks are successful in their efforts or not, what we find is that life has not really changed.  Who we are as people is who we were before we changed the wrapping.   If we were people who “overdid” whether that be over exercising, over eating, over spending, etc. we most likely will continue to be people who over do regardless of the outside wrapping.  If we are people who under achieve we most likely will continue in that vein regardless of the outside wrapping.  If we have a degree of satisfaction with our life, that is likely to continue, and if we find ourselves mostly depressed, the “wrapping” will probably do little to change that.

In December of 2010 the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis collapsed due to the weight of the snow from a heavy snow storm.  The collapse was captured on film and as I watched the dramatic footage, played over and over again on the TV, I was struck with the metaphor this was for our lives.   It is so easy to allow the pressures of life build up.  We all have families that make demands on us.  We all have friends that have expectations of us.  We all are bombarded by commercials that tell us that life without this product is not worth living.  We place expectations on ourselves about losing weight and becoming more physically fit.  Even our churches call to us to serve in various ways.  While none of these pressures or demands are bad, and in fact, many of them do make our life worth living, they can pile up and soon we find ourselves like the Metrodome collapsing under the weight of all that we feel has been piled upon us. 

If we are going to find true peace and happiness we need to make a radical adjustment in our thinking and recognize that piling anything more on the outside will only lead to more pressure.  We need to develop ourselves from within, and in order to do that we need to take the time on a regular basis to go inside ourselves and be completely honest with ourselves about what we are thinking and feeling.  We need to take time to be in contact with the source of all life, which is God.  If we do this on a regular basis we will then be able to make more intentional decisions about what we say “yes” and “no” to, leading us to a greater sense of balance in our lives.

Setting aside a “quiet time” on a regular basis, to develop our spirit, to meditate, to pray and to listen can assist us in shoring up the inside so that in the coming year we will be less likely to be like the Minneapolis Metradome.

 May you find peace and happiness in the New Year. 

 

Pastor Bob