So Sunday I talked about Joseph and the phrase “after he considered this…” He was considering his own life and what to do with the news that Mary was pregnant and the child was not his. When he was finished considering how this would affect his future, he was afraid to take her home. There is more than one sort of considering. There is, of course, the sort Joseph undertook, considering how circumstances will affect your future. That really gets people almost nowhere important. It ended up making Joseph afraid. Then there is the sort of considering that takes into account other people and how your life intersects and influences others. Now that is a higher form of considering and often takes divine intervention to practice. And then there is a third sort of considering concerning your relationship to your maker and how He created the lilies of the field. Only when you link the two higher forms of considering will you find fulfillment in life.
As Christmas nears, we consider what gifts to give to one another. It would be wise to consider our giving on a higher plane. What of me can I give to make others feel valued? How can I help my loved ones sense the awe of an immeasurably wonderful God?
~Grace & Peace~
Pastor Ernie