Christian Reflection and Prayer

Who Do You Want To Please

Scripture:

"Do you think I am trying to make people
accept me? No, God is the one I am
trying to please. Am I trying to please
people? If I still wanted to please people,
I would not be a servant of Christ.
(Galatians 1:10) NCV

Reflection:

Everybody wants to be loved, everybody wants
to be accepted, everybody cares what other
people think of them. I have a hard time
accepting statements like "I don't care what
anybody thinks", or "I don't try to please
anybody". As I have experienced life, i've
discovered these statements are just not true.
I have never met anybody, in my 60 years on
this earth, that absolutely did not want to be
accepted, or did not have someone they wanted
to please in their life. I think the question
that begs to be answered is "who". Who are you
trying to please? Who do you want to accept you?
As for me it is God. I already know that my God
accepts me, His Son's death and resurrection proves
that. Therefore if I believe God accepts me, then I
certainly want to please Him. I want to please Him
in every way. I do this through my faith in God and
His Son, through my study of His Word, through
living my life as His child, and loving my neighbors
and loving my enemies as He love's me. Boy to
tell the truth my life is so much happier, and much
better, when I try to please God. How about you?
Be honest with yourself. Who are you trying to
please?

Prayer:

Oh mighty God, Thank You for Your grace and love.
Thank You that You have accepted me. I want to
please You God and only You. You are the meaning
of my life, You are my savior, and the giver of eternal
life. THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING GOD
In Jesus Name Amen

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, You wanted all who
are weary to come to You for support. Lord,
I am worn out by my inability to find
wage-earning work. Day after day, my worry
and fear grows as the rejections of my
applications mount. I am able and willing
to work---but I cannot find a worthwhile job.
Please help me to obtain one soon so that
I can support myself and my family
in a decent way.

However, if it is your will that I wait longer,
enable me to worry less and to be able
to take advantage of the time available
to get closer to You. Let me realize that
there are other ways to bring about your
kingdom on earth besides salaried work.
Help me to make use of them for the time
being so that I may continue to grow
as a person for your greater glory. Amen.
(From New Saint Joseph People's Prayer
Book, Catholic Book Publishing.)

Scripture:

(Read Ruth 2:14-20)

"Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not
forsaken His kindness to the living and the
dead!" Ruth 2:20

Reflection:
,
This reflection is not a story found in the
Holy Scriptures, or even a "Christian"
story. But yet is really defines the meaning
of Christianity.

The Story:

"At one end of the truck terminal where H. H. Lee
worked years ago was a coal company.
Nearby was a railroad, and each day several
freight trains passed by. Lee often noticed that
the owner of the company, who was a Christian,
threw chunks of coal over the fence at various places
along the track. One day Lee asked the man why
he did this.
The man replied, An elderly woman lives across the
street, and I know that her pension is inadequate to
buy enough coal. After the trains go by, she walks
along and picks up the pieces she thinks have fallen
from the coal car behind the engine. She doesn't
realize that diesels have replaced steam locomotives.
I don't want to disappoint her so I just throw some
pieces over the fence."

Now that's Christianity Defined: GIVING TOTAL
UNCONDITIONAL GIVING, its Christianity in action.
In the book of Ruth we saw Ruth giving to her mother
in law, and Boaz giving to Ruth. In the Gospels, Jesus
Christ gave everything, even His life, all unconditionally.
In the same way, the people whose lives we touch need to
experience God's love through our compassion and
generosity. Remember, CHRISTIANITY MEANS GIVING!

Prayer:

Thank You oh Jesus for giving me Your life.

Quote:

Albert Schweitzer
Physician, Missionary, Author, Activist, Ethical Vegetarian
(1875-1965)

"The power of ideals is incalculable. We see no power in a
drop of water. But let it get into a crack in the rock and
be turned into ice ... it splits the rock."