Last Sunday while in the prayer room prior to service, there
was a prayer to the effect of, ”Lord we pray for a change of our atmosphere”.
This was not a reference to the air above us, yet it was a plea for us to
change ourselves. I thought of this in a parallel to our Earth. We exist in
relative safety because of the protective layers of atmosphere between us and
the expanse of space. Without our ozone we would perish, period. Our earth has
been place by God in the most precise distance and perfect orbit of the sun.
How fragile a species are we that if we were even fifty miles closer we would
burn up, and fifty miles further away from our sun we would freeze. This food
for thought detail should cause all of us to realize that position and
protection play vital roles in our well being and existence.
Our relationships with each other and our relationship with
God can be looked at in a similar way. We humans are a social species, and how
we connect, interact, and relate with one another will directly affect our well
being. We see frequent posts on social media by so called “experts” telling us
to remove toxic people from our lives. Those same experts will then advise us
to avoid toxic people altogether. This is good advice, to a point. Many
families and people are afflicted with mental and emotional illnesses. Are we
to ignore or avoid all of these? I think not. What we must do is try and ensure
that we associate with people that will be healthy for all areas of our
being. If you are in a relationship, whether by friends or employment, and feel
a toxic environment, then remove yourself from that. Change your atmosphere,
lifestyle, habits and surroundings. The process of change may be uncomfortable
yet the change will be good.
Likewise is with our relationship with God. If you don’t
have one, then, now is the time to start one. Spending time with Him, and other
like minded people will strengthen more than your body. He will invigorate your
mind, heart, and soul. Your feelings of despair, loneliness, rejection, and
anxiety will be replaced with hope, fellowship, acceptance, and peace. If it
sounds easy, well it is. I am reminded of wise words my mother has gifted me
with all my life. She said “show me your friends, and I’ll show you your
future”. Today, show someone that God is your friend.
Mike Shindruk,
www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com
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