Thursday, October 08, 2009

"Breath of God"

Today’s Reading: Acts 9: 1 – 2 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.


Have you ever been on a rampage to get something done on time? Or perhaps you have watched an episode of Bridezilla? Or you have received an ugly, hateful phone call from someone you don’t even know, yelling and threatening you.


People want control. People think their opinions are right and sometimes will barrel right through another person to get their point across wanting things their way. Have you sat at an athletic event when the fans don’t like the referee’s call on the final play? Choice words come firing out the mouths of parents, friends, community members, students with some of them breathing fire like dragons. (Remind you of Saul?)


Why is it that when we think we are ‘right’ some just keep pushing other people’s buttons? Control! Saul continued his murderous threats against the Jews who had become Christians, he sought the help of the high priest so he could arrest them and takes them as prisoners to be tried and killed. The determination and zeal of Saul in these two verses must be turned around, it simply isn’t right. We should be exclaiming the good news as profoundly as we do our complaints.


To put this scripture to work in our lives, let’s take a moment and think about the unchurched in our communities. We could ask a friend to mail an encouraging letter to someone; we could seek the support of the congregation to invite the unchurched to visit some Sunday morning. Instead of trying to be right all the time, we could pray Father; forgive me, for I have not introduced anyone to you this week.


As believers in Jesus Christ, we must tell about our relationship with God, remember our spiritual gift of kindness when talking to difficult people, draw on our relationship with Jesus to make right choices, think spiritually and converse encouragingly with those around us. We should breathe the breath of God in our everyday conversations as strongly as Saul did his threats.



Dorothy Drago Brucks

Aldersgate UMC

Nixa, MO.

www.aldersgatechurch.com

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