Believing in the good

Have you ever felt successful?

Have you taken time to reflect on the work you have done?

Perhaps you built or fixed something. Maybe you climbed to the top of a mountain or achieved a goal at work. I hope you are taking time to celebrate your accomplishments. I think it's important to strive to do our best and set goals for our own growth and improvement. 

Right now I am making lists for the fall. I am looking at camping retreats, youth and family nights, Trunk or Treat, and even Christmas events. In our sermon series, we are looking at the prophet Nehemiah. This Old Testament prophet worked hard to achieve his goals. He was a governor of Jerusalem and his city was in ruins. He needed to create a plan for change. He utilized prayer and determination to achieve all the goals he had for his city. However, it didn't take long for others to criticize him. He was doing everything he could, but people were always pointing out the problems. 

When you are reflecting on your day, do you spend more time looking at the good, or do you see the difficulties?

Personally, I feel like it is easy to look at all the imperfections. There are always people who want to drag us down. Many times these people don't know how to deal with their own feelings of defeat, so they push it onto others. 

The book of Nehemiah tells us to focus on the good that we can create in the world. Instead of dwelling what other people think, we can share God's love. Instead of being a community that pushes others down, we can be a church that celebrates the accomplishments of others. 

Today I hope you can all reflect on God's Love. God does not see you as a failure. God sees you as full of potential. Instead of worrying about how other people may see you, let's take time to live in the hope that God provides.

Blessings!

Brian Ward