Put God in the center of all things
I love teaching- I especially love teaching Sunday School and Bible Study. There are days when I go in with a very structured plan and I feel completely prepared (not often). Most days, I read the intended topic the morning or day of the study, and I take time to reflect and pray about it and see where scripture leads us. I thought today was going to be one of those days-a fairly easy topic about Jesus coming into the temple and clearing the temple of those selling cattle and sheep and animals for sacrifice. It was going to be an easy chat and I thought I would be hard pressed to fill the entire time…and then that plan crumbled before my eyes-and not in a bad way.
Here is what I have learned, when people come together to talk about God, God will uncover what needs to be discussed whether it is in the plan or not. Today, we discussed the need to put God in the center of things, when we come to worship, we worship. It is not the time to be distracted by the multitude of thoughts that run through our head (trust me-you would be in shock of the non stop thoughts running through my head!) But what do you do when you are not moved? What if a message does not resonate with you or that you find yourself not connecting in a service or study? Do you walk away? Do you focus on those distractions and call it a day?
These questions led to robust discussion and in that discussion, I realized this was the lesson God had for ME today. Maybe it spoke to those in class as well, but the message is one I needed to hear. I have continued to struggle in finding my space, my church home, not just for me, but for our family. Maybe you have felt the same-I have teenage daughters that are in one place in their faith journey, my husband in another, and me in a different space. How do you find a church home that meets all those needs? I don’t know that you can-but what I do know, is that there is not one answer. I shared that we, this community of Christians, this is our church. When I am not moved by a message, or not receptive in that moment, that doesn’t mean I stop there. I find that there are times when I want to dig deep in the study of the Word (now) and I also find there are times when I sit in church and I feel like I am the only one there because I sense the message was meant for just me in that moment. I find, that when we put God in the center of all things, He doesn’t leave us. He is there in that service that may not have resonated, He is there in that contentious Bible study, He is there when you are reading in the Book of Numbers and wondering when will this Book ever end? God is always there-and maybe the words don’t resonate in that moment, but if we are prayerful and silent, maybe, just maybe, we can hear the message He has for us individually.
Today, on this Sabbath Day, I am thankful for my faith community. I am so thankful for the opportunity to teach our Sunday School, I am thankful for our church, I am thankful for this forum to speak to each of you. Maybe one of you has dealt with some of these same frustrations and doubts, and what feels like silence. Today, I pray that you pause, you pray, and that you see that God has always been there in the center of all things- even when it feels silent.
“So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
