The Lord is glorious in all His Saints. The Lord be with you!
If ever there was good advice it is this:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:12-17. NIV)
Herein St Paul shows us how to live together and how Jesus intends to bring the Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. And so, I implore you that as you “offer yourselves as living sacrifices, that these be the measures that you use.
Our decision making should be based on these questions:
Is it compassionate?
Is it kind?
Is it being offered in humility?
Is it Gentle and does it show patience?
This world could do with some peace. And we are the ones to bring it. To bring peace requires an attention to the immediate and the present. World peace will not come through States agreeing not to be at war, this we know. World peace will come when people are compassionate, and kind, and gentle, and humble. “Am I bringing peace into the world, or not,” is the real question we should be asking ourselves. We can have peace in our lives if we live in gratitude for the peace that we have received from God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Whatever challenge you are facing today, the key to enduring it lies in being filled with the Holy Spirit, who when at work in your life, bears the fruit because as Scripture says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22,23).
My prayer for you is that in these troubled times you will Seek first the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33) the kingdom of compassion and kindness, lived in love for God and for one another.
Have a blessed Women’s day weekend.
From one who serves among you.
Rector.
