Connection Between Relationship with God and Others

Reflections from Bro. Rudy –

CONNECTION BETWEEN RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD AND OTHERS

Our staff has been studying the letter of First John. One thing is very apparent in the
letter: “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8; NRSV) In many different ways, John teaches us that love for God and love for others are connected.

This morning’s “Daily Hope” (March 21, 2012) devotion by Rick Warren, came at this same truth from a different way. His scripture was Isaiah 26:3; “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3; NLT) He opened his devotional with this statement; “I have made an amazing discovery: The more time I spend alone with God, the better I get along with other people. I can count on it!”

Dr. Warren went on to make this application of the scripture from Isaiah: “When you spend time with the Lord, you turn your thoughts to him. Then, you get along better with others, because he keeps perfect peace in your heart, andyou’re not as irritable.”

I have witnessed this recently in my own home. Gina and I will be tense and frustrated and let those feeling come out in the way we talk to one another. Then, we go back and read our
devotional and pray and our attitude changes.

Dr. Warren went on to say; “The more you spend time with God, the more you will enjoy the rest of your time. It will be more productive and more beneficial. You’ll get along better with
others and have fewer arguments because you’re drawing closer to God.”

This raises a question; What am I doing to draw closer to God on a daily bases? Sometimes we think we are too busy to prayer and read the Bible. Those who seemed to have drawn closer to God, like John Wesley and Martin Luther, would say, “We are too busy not to pray.” Bill Hybels has written a very helpful book on prayer by that title: TooBusy Not To Pray. I commend it to
you.

Speaking of prayer, we have a new Sunday School class that is beginning this week using the Prayer Guide for General Conference. General Conference, the major policy making body for United Methodist around the world will begin in about a month (April 24 – May 4). Upper Room Ministries has developed this prayer guide. Here is the link to download
a copy of this prayer guide: http://50daysofprayer.upperroom.org/

Don’t forget the Easter Egg Hunts that are coming up March 31 and April 1. Clyde and Brenda Cork are leading the Easter Egg Hunt for the children of our United Methodist Children’s Homes. You can help support this mission by marking your check for, Children’s Home Egg Hunt.



Then on April 1, we will have our Community Easter Egg Hunt at Blackcreek Park. It will begin at 4:00 PM. Amy Sizemore, our Children’s Director, share that a person donated 1000. The
Children’s Team will fill these plus one’s they already had with candy and other prizes. There are bins around thechurch where you can place candy for this Easter Egg Hunt.

This Saturday, March 24th, there are two outreach opportunities: A Team will be painting at the Women’s Center, beginning at 8:00 AM. You can contact Danny Dunson if you would like to volunteer to help. ddunson@pinnacleptg.com

Also this Saturday, The Hispanic Team will pass out flyers in 100 Oaks Trailer Park. The flyers will announce the Easter Egg Hunt on April 1 and a new Hispanic Bible Study that will begin on April 4. If you would like to help with this outreach, meet here at the church at 8:30 AM.

As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.