Today’s scripture: John 4:31-38 (NRSV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Kay Olry):
Where are you in your faith journey? Are you in the same place you were last year at this time? Five years ago? Twenty?
None of us are the people we once were. Time marches on, and our thoughts, circumstances, and beliefs have all changed as we’ve grown (and hopefully matured). As we live and learn, we grow into new people with new ideas about who we are and our place in the world.
Our faith and our beliefs are one of the areas where growth and change are most obvious. Like 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put childish ways behind me.”
Figuring out what our faith means to us as adults can be one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding, journeys that we can ever take. When we begin to question the faith of our parents, and ask ourselves what all of the “God stuff” means to us, it can be a very scary road.
The amazing part of all of it is how God manages to meet us where we are. The person who has never been exposed to the teachings of Christ is met by the Holy Spirit, and their journey begins. The person who hasn’t ever known a day without God and faith at the center of their lives can pray and study and grow in their faith for the rest of their lives, and yet will still be able to continue growing. There are layers and layers of understanding that keep their journey fresh and new day after day.
We are all building on what we have learned from others. A seed gets planted in our mind and with the help, love, and prodding of the Spirit we become new creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Thought for the day: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to begin, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.