P.K.’s Corner
John 12:25 “those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life”.
This morning during my prayer time, I face the back of the church. In the middle window of the back chapel wall is a window that was installed in 1906. In the center are these words…”ALL FOR CHRIST”.
Jesus tells us that if we love this life, we lose everything, but if we life for Christ, we gain everything. This verse is a call to follow Christ, not just in thought, but also in action and in life. We must be willing to give up our very lives for the cause of Christ, to give all for Christ.
Which do your prefer, your life, or Christ? That is the simplicity of the question; we are called to choose what we wish to do with our lives. How do we give up our lives? How do we live in Christ? In the Methodist tradition it is by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. It is in essence the willingness to give up ourselves and give all to Christ.
The church needs ministers, not just in the pulpits, but also in the congregation. We need to be more than pew setters; we need to be doers and givers and prayers, and sharers and livers of the word. We need to think first of Christ and live the life he offers us. The world needs the hope we have and the mercy Christ gives. We need to hate this life so much that we are willing to give it up to Christ. We need to love Christ so much that we can give everything we have and are.
We have challenges in plenty, and only through Christ can we face these challenges, but only if we are willing to “hate our life in this world”.
God Bless
Pastor Kent
