WE WERE MADE TO THRIVE



Isaiah 52:7-10
Romans 8:31-37

Each year, United Methodists ministers are appointed to a one year term from July 1st to June 30th each year. Each year I share with my congregation what I believe is God's vision for our community of faith that I believe God has laid upon my heart.  I hope this is is meaningful for all Christians.


You know, we were made for so much more than ordinary lives. We were made to be glorious, to shine with Christ's love like stars in the night sky.

We were made to have beautiful feet, to dance upon mountains declaring peace, salvation and God's presence with us. We were made to sing out the good news, the redemption of God, to all the world, To speak the Word of God that is life forming and life transforming.

Our destiny as the children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ is to experience joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable and love that is unstoppable.

We were made to be in relationship with God through Christ that results in lives that have a positive impact on the lives of others. To be fruitful, to flourish – we were made to thrive!

However, here in this worn and weary land where dreams are often left to die along the road of life, we often settle for getting by. For many in this world, the most they can expect is to live from pay check to pay check. We eke our lives thriving to just make it through each day. Our goal is not to progress or improve but rather it is not losing any more ground.

The problem with just getting by financially, emotionally and even spiritually, is there's very little room for hopes and dreams, for growth and exploration, and definitely no taking risks that changes and moving forward brings. Maintaining is not gaining – it's just not making any forward progress. If we're so focused on surviving, we don't see the opportunities for living abundantly and fruitfully.

Just getting by is not the same as thriving.

For a Christian, thriving is not concerned with accumulating wealth and power or even something as transient as happiness as the world offers us. Thriving doesn't mean our lives will be all peaches and cream – we will losses, tragedy, problems and setbacks. Romans 8:36 reminds us of that:

“We are being put to death all day long for your sake. We are treated like sheep for slaughter.” (CEB)

Thriving is, I believe, experiencing that abundant life Christ promises all who follow him. It comes from a life of faith that is so widely and so deeply rooted in God that we can do more than just survive the storms, tornadoes and hurricanes of this world. With such a faith, we are able to reach out to others, giving of ourselves without expectation and loving past our fear of risk and loss.

We can confidently be the people God created us to be because, after all, if God is for us for us, who can be against us. Who is able to rob us of God's love and grace? No one can, but we can convince let it be taken from us by our fears, by our feelings of unworthiness and by accepting that just getting by is good enough. The God who took on humanity and sacrificed Himself for us loves us too much to settle for “good enough” for us. He created us to be be glorious, to shine with Christ's love like stars in the night sky.

Through Christ's love, we are more than survivors. We are even more than conquerors. Created in the image of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, we are called to live so much more than ordinary lives. We were made for more than getting by, more than merely surviving.  It's time, with the help of God, to strive to thrive.




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