The Daily Light – September 13, 2007

The Daily Light – September 13, 2007
Thursday Hymn Meditation:  "How Clear is our Vocation, Lord" (LSB 853)
A weekday email devotion from Pastor Christopher Jackson
Saint John's Lutheran Church, Lexington, KY
Bread of Life Lutheran Church, Georgetown, KY

Verse 1:
How clear is our vocation, Lord,
When once we heed your call:
To live according to Your Word
And daily learn, refreshed, restored,
That you are Lord of all
And will not let us fall.

Recently, a parishioner of mine commented that we humans have a way of making simple things more complex than they need to be, and this becomes plain when we set out to live the Christian life.

Not to say that living the Christian life is easy.  It is very often complex.  Yet, I have met many Christians who try to make it more complex than perhaps it should be.  I have known Christians who struggle with the question, "Am I really living the life that I should be living?  Am I in the right career, or does God want me to be doing something else?"  Often, such Christians will look for signs, even miraculous signs to reveal to them God's desire.  I have even heard of High School students struggling because they were not sure if their college choice pleased God, and they looked for some sort of assuring sign.

It is beneficial to examine our lives and to seek out what God desires for us.  Yet, we should remember that God affirms all legitimate vocations.  While it may at times be unclear whether we should change careers, we can be confident that God is pleased when His children live out their vocations, any vocation, in a way consistent with His Word, in other words, in a way of loving service to others, guided by the Commandments.

This we are empowered to do by the selfless confidence that comes with the Gospel.  For, our eternities are taken care of by the death of Christ.  Therefore, we are freed of care for ourselves so that we may care for others.

Let us pray:  Holy Father, when the soldiers and tax collectors came to John the Baptist, he instructed them to do their jobs honestly and justly.  So also lead us to live out our vocations according to your Commandments , in loving service to others.  Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.  Amen.

_________

The Daily Light is distributed every weekday.  If you would like to be excluded from the distribution of The Daily Light, please reply to the sender and put "unsubscribe" both in the subject and body.

--
Pastor Christopher Jackson
Saint John's Lutheran Church

516 Pasadena Drive, Lexington, KY 40503.  Phone and fax:  859-277-6391  Cell: 502-316-2255  Email: revcjackson@gmail.com

http://www.stjohnslex.org    http://bluegrasslutheran.blogspot.com