Cares of the World

Matthew 13: 22 "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing."

Lately, the cares of the world have demanded a great deal of attention making life very complicated. Not only that, they literally are thorns in my side that cause pain and distract me from my prayer life of peace and assurance. Without a doubt, the world is a demanding, self important place. As a matter of fact, it is like a disobedient two-year old having a temper tantrum screaming, "Mine. Mine. No. No. Now. Now."

Shush little world. It's time to go for a walk and talk with God for a bit. Now that will be fruitful! The bills will wait. This beautiful day that the Lord has made will not wait.

Helping Hurting People

Simple Presence: With so much pain in the world one might feel helpless in trying to relieve the suffering. It's true that there is only so much one person can do, but I am one person and my simple presence does make a difference.

Last week, while walking to a Fargo Starbucks, I prayed that God use me for whatever came up there. Since I was serious in this request and God was serious in hearing me, I was prepared for a worst case scenario such as a robbery or a lunatic gunman. But, all was quiet at the coffee shop while I prayed and read the Bible.

After getting my second cup of coffee, a gentleman made eye contact and said, "Hello." That was all it took to begin a serious discussion about faith. This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

In summary, we are able to help others by simply talking with God, saying that we are ready for direction and know that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. After that, it becomes God's doing.