"Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength." - August Wilson

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Lesson 2 - The Real Me

Sept 28, 2010 meeting:

"I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."  -John 17:14-17

Have you ever felt out of place, always the oddball, never fitting in anywhere in this world?  I never felt like I fit in at any age, but that's because we don't.  We are not of this world.  According to Philippians 3:20 we are citizens of Heaven.  So you don't fit in here in this world at all.

Nevertheless we have to live in this world of pain and suffering.  I still find it difficult to watch the evening news.  Human beings do such horrible things to one another on a daily basis.  But while we walk and live amongst it for a time we must recognize that we are not a part of it.

While our 'alien' nature does not make us immune to the ravages of this world, nor does it relieve us of our responsibilities within the world, it is a huge comfort to know that we are citizens of Heaven, and our God is with us now and always.

Have you ever felt oppressed by the horrors of this world?  How has it effected you?  What does it mean to live in an evil world?

What can we practically do to rise above the pain and suffering that goes on in this world?

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