Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Finding the Courage to Say "No!"

A friend was sharing his frustration the other day. He confessed that he might not be making the best use of his time. A lot of his work is done on the computer, and he uses the internet to access some of its resources. His concern was that there seemed to be more and more times when something would distract him and take him to another site where he would find something else that seemed interesting; and much too quickly, thirty minutes—or an hour—had passed and he still had not completed his original search. He asked me to pray for him.
When Jesus left his disciples for the last time, he gave them pretty clear and concise instructions: “Make disciples.” They had been following Jesus down a very particular path for a few years. They had heard Jesus teach others about God’s love and God’s intention that people love one another. They had heard Jesus invite others to follow him. They had witnessed Jesus sacrifice everything to demonstrate God’s love. From its first days, the church has embraced the mission to make disciples—people who faithfully follow the way of Christ.
Like my friend there have been times when the church has been distracted from its primary purpose. It has become fascinated with different media and methods, with a variety of liturgy and architecture, with nuances of theology and doctrine.
Individuals who make the commitment to follow Christ also find themselves wandering off the path from time to time—chasing after other pursuits that seem to promise profit, prestige, or power.
Sometimes the best way to get back on the path is to recall the commitments you made when you began. During Lent, the church has focused on teaching persons how to follow the path of Jesus. The keys to avoiding distraction and staying focused are central to the baptismal covenant. That’s why focusing on living out those vows in our everyday life can be a meaningful practice during the season of Lent.
I pray this will be a season for you to reflect on the path you are following. Are there things that are distracting you from keeping the commitments that are most important to you? May you find the courage to renounce and reject those things, so you may walk in the way that leads to life. 

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