Tuesday, 29 September 2020

A Moment Aside for 29 September 2020

 

A Moment Aside ---- 29 September 2020

 


O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully a
nd wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;               (Psalm 139:1, 13-14)

     Let’s work under the idea that God made us, created us is a most wonderful way. It might even be a “mysterious” way. That being the case, then God made us to be who we are.

     The quote above is from Francis De Sales, the Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva, Switzerland back in the early 1600’s. He is considered a saint by many. Whatever that might mean, the quote seen above is his and it reflect the verses of Psalm 139 that I place below it.

     The best way to reflect the goodness of God and the grace of God is to continually become what God has created us to be. I know this will be a struggle; it is for me each and every day. If we are God’s creation, made in the image and likeness of God… which could mean a lot of things (Genesis 1:27), we should know that our “best self” reflects that image and likeness. Often we concentrate on our sins to the exclusion of grace and what God wishes us to be. God wishes us to be what we are created to be and the redemption found in Jesus Christ permits us to be and continually become what we are created to be.

     Here are a few more quotes from Christian history about what we are meant to be and how to be our “best self” (if I may use that over-ripe phrase.) These are from what are called the Fathers of the Church whose teachings on the nature of Christ, our faith, and the Christian life in general have stood the test of time.

     Read and ponder.

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”              (Augustine of Hippo, ca. 430 AD, Confessions)

 

For the glory of God is the living (person) and the life of (a human) is the vision of God.                               (Irenaeus of Lyon – ca. 202 AD)

 

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