Wednesday Reflection, June 17, 2020

Instructions for Worship

Greetings friends. Have you ever thought about how much our current situations affect our worship? Do you realize that if in this moment something happens to make you unhappy then that sort of worship is what you are likely to offer to God?

The Lord will not refuse or despise a heart that is broken and contrite but those are repentant hearts. Brothers and sisters, how often do we repent or see the need to do so?

It matters not what our experiences are. Whether we are happy, sad or in between emotions. Nothing should detract from our praise. Nothing is to distract us from worshipping God freely and from a pure heart.

It is unwise for man to attempt to hold out on God or better yet to attempt to hold hard end. It is only by His mercies that we haven’t been cut off, therefore who are we to think that in laying out our terms and conditions that God will honor them.

Psalm 100 is a favorite of many. It is a call to thanksgiving. To give unreserved worship to the Almighty. Today’s watchword from Psalm 100:2 reminds us as believers to, “worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.”

As believers, we oft experience days of doom and gloom, we cannot ignore what is happening in the world around us but we can choose not to let these things affect our worship and how we express gratitude to God.

Colossians 1:12 reminds us also to, “give thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

William Arthur Ward said, “gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

Until next week, begin and or continue to worship the Lord with gladness.

Amen

Kerone Lamoth

Tuesday Reflection – June 16, 2020
Responsibility Vs Blame

We live in a society that finds it much more comfortable to cast blame than to take responsibility. When we blame, we move the focus from self to the other and in this way create a false sense of virtuousness. Here’s the thing, we make liars of ourselves, and to ourselves, if we cannot see where we are to be blamed, if we fail to take responsibility for what is happening to us. Responsibility will fall heavier on some parties than on others, but when we pause and reexamine the situation we should see where we could have done things differently. I remember years ago I went through a traumatic experience. For many years afterwards I placed the blame on many of the parties involved and it wasn’t until I faced up to my own role and took responsibility for my action that I found peace. In Jeremiah 2 the Lord calls Israel to task for forsaking Him, their source, and for turning to unreliable sources they created for themselves. For their actions Israel would suffer and they needed to know that they were the cause of what they were enduring. Today’s Watchword is Jeremiah 2: 17. Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, while he led you in the way? It is a call to take responsibility rather than place blame.

In an article in Psychology Today, Dr. Susan Whitbourne gives five reasons why people play the blame game. They are:1. It’s an excellent defense mechanism. We very often see people blame others where they themselves have fallen short. It takes the focus off self and places it on others. 2. We use blame to attack our partners. Rather than seek to resolve conflicts we often use blame to hurt others. 3. We are not good at figuring out other people’s behavior or even our own. It’s much simpler to blame them. 4. Blaming someone is much easier than taking responsibility. 5. People lie. Looking at these points one realizes that the reason why we blame others is to keep focus off ourselves, for by taking responsibility the focus will be on us and the onus to make amends, to change our path, will fall squarely in our laps. This was the call that God placed upon Israel. They should not be blaming their enemies for what would befall them. They were to take responsibility for their actions and where those actions would bring them. God’s concern was not about their relationship with others or how they were treated by others, but about their relationship with and abandonment of God. Remember the crowd at the foot of the cross? They stood there blaming Jesus for being crucified but did not see their own part in the event. Think also of the crowds that stood to watch the many lynching that took place in America. The blame was placed on the persons killed, regardless of their guilt or innocence, and despite the fact that lynching broke the law. We see the same pattern repeating itself down the years to this very day. While responsibility personalizes, blame dehumanizes.

Today’s Watchword calls upon us to take responsibility for our actions and see the consequences of these actions as our doing. This is the only way that we will see a need to change or to become better persons. Paul says in 1 Cor 13: 11 ‘Now that I have become a man – an adult – I have put away childish things.’ Throughout the Bible we see a call to responsibility. ‘The soul that sins shall surely die’. ‘What a man sows, that shall he reap.’ ‘Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give everyone as they deserve’. When we face the Lord to answer to our deeds, we won’t be able to blame anyone. We are cautioned to act responsibly therefore, for in so doing we will be moved to repentance, to seek forgiveness and to become better examples for our Lord. Taking responsibility makes us all round better persons and allows the Gospel to be reflected in our daily living.

Bevon White