Tuesdy Faith Connection – Purpose and Character

Small Group – Gardening

We
are now starting a Gardening Group.  If you are interested in learning
more about gardening and sharing your gardening ideas with others, please
consider joining this group.  All meetings will be socially responsible
(either online or social distancing outside).  Please contact Dani Jacoby
at either jac_dani@hotmail.com or
937-287-4077.

Scripture for Reflection – Psalm 18:2-3

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

    my God, my rock in whom I take
refuge,

    my shield, and the horn of my
salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

    so I shall be saved from my enemies.

Reflection – Purpose – Part I of III – Character

On Sunday, we reflected on the spiritual yearning of
‘purpose’. One important dimension of our purpose is to develop character.
Character can be a powerful witness to the world around us.

Sometimes I think of character as avoiding shortcuts.
Cheating on a test instead of studying is a shortcut. Confronting a difficult
situation with truth instead of avoiding the situation with a lie is a
shortcut. ‘Wishing’ you do well in your endeavors instead of making the effort
of practice and preparedness is a shortcut. Hoping a person forgets your unkind
word or action instead of asking forgiveness is a shortcut. These types of
shortcuts reflect poorly on our character and diminish our witness.

When the Psalmist spoke of God as a rock they were speaking
of God’s character. In a world where events and people shift and move, he
proclaimed a God who could be counted on.

I am thankful for the people, the ‘rocks’ God sent into my
life whom I count on. They have made all the difference. It is my hope and my
mission to be a ‘rock’ for others as they have been for me; as a pastor for my
congregation and for my denomination; as a mentor for other pastors or
Christian leaders; as a husband for my wife; as a friend for my friends; as a
family member for my family. I have a ‘yearning’ to be a rock. That is an
important part of my purpose in life. So I value the work of developing
character. For me, that character must be rooted in God’s love and guidance.
And God does not take shortcuts when he labors to build our character.

Prayer

God in heaven, we give you thanks for your strength of
character, for your steady love, for your unyielding protection. We give you
thanks Jesus took no shortcuts, but rather journeyed through suffering and
death to show his love for us. Give me one opportunity this week to demonstrate
character, to be there for someone, to issue a long overdue apology, or to
simply let someone know they can count on me. Through these acts, may you
strengthen my character, and in doing so, strengthen my witness to You. Amen.