Ordinary Time

Pause

It is often necessary to step back and look at something from a different point of view. One of Jesus’ many gifts was the ability to make people see something seemingly ordinary from a completely new perspective.

As you go about your day, allow Jesus to help you keep things—good and bad—in perspective.

Listen

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:1-6

Think

No doubt, you are familiar with these first two commandments. How many times have you heard someone say fast cars, money, a great job, and pop culture are no substitute for God? Probably a lot. But what’s so wrong with making an image that only represents God?

Here’s one of the awesome things about God: no image of God will work because each of us has a different and unique personal relationship with God. No two are the same. To some, God is father, mother, creator, leader, liberator, shepherd, light, ruler, author, and more.

This is seen most clearly in Jesus, who, by all accounts, is a strange choice for a Messiah. Jesus, a homeless, Middle Eastern, Jewish man shifts our perspective of what a savior can be.

No image will work to represent God because God’s love and relationship with us is unique.

Chris Cherry

 

Pray

Personal God, thank you for taking the time to get to know me. Our relationship is real, unique, and full of great love. Thank you for working through the unexpected, including me. Amen.

Go

It’s easy to only think about things from our one, limited perspective. Jesus pushes us to see differently.

Allow yourself to be challenged. Allow your eyes to be opened. Allow your life to be changed.

Go now, and let the value of knowing Jesus change the lens through which you see the world.