Posted on

First Steps – November 11, 2019

Lately I’ve been thinking a great deal about Self-Awareness.  I’ve come to the conclusion that many things can be out of sorts in a life or someone can have multiple struggles but if he/she is self-aware then it is manageable.  It is when one is not aware of who he is, or what motivates her, or why he or she acts the way they do that causes problems. 

Thomas Merton, a Christian spiritual guru of the last century said this about self-awareness:

“The first step towards finding God, who is truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error.  We stumble and fall constantly even when we are the most enlightened.  But when we are in spiritual darkness, we do not even know that we have fallen.  We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.”

I hope that you will ponder this quote over this week to come.  Discover and own the truth about ourselves.  You can be a person of faith and yet stumble.  You can be a person of faith and have life-long struggles.  The key is to know them.  Bring those to God.  I’m convinced that you will find a loving God who graciously receives you—all of you—and walks with you all the days to come.

This week’s reading:

  • Monday –  1 Corinthians 7
  • Tuesday – 1 Corinthians 8
  • Wednesday – 1 Corinthians 9
  • Thursday – 1 Corinthians 10
  • Friday – 1 Corinthians 11
Please Pray for:
  • Administrative Staff settling in the newly renovated office spaces.
  • The St. Paul Church family. 
  • Those who are unwillingly absent.
  • Those who are grieving and depressed.
  • The United Methodist Church.
  • Our nation and our leaders.
  • The World.