One of my aunts has struggled with her mental health for most of her life. With the current regiment of meds and care, she is better than she has been in years. Recently, my family had lunch with her and her family at a restaurant. When the food was being served, my aunt remarked, “How come my serving is so small compared to everyone else?”

I thought that comment was quite odd since they gave her, what I thought was, a huge portion. And, if it was not a “huge” it certainly was not any smaller than any of the other dishes that the kitchen had prepared. But, I am telling you, her serving was HUGE!!!

Here’s the thing: because she was convinced that her portion was smaller than everyone else’s portion, that was her reality. As far as she was concerned, she had been cheated. This is part of the mental health thing I mentioned earlier. Because this is the lens she sees her world, every interaction is viewed suspiciously.

A couple of things to note:

• A misunderstanding believed to be true is true for my aunt. It doesn’t matter if it is not objectively true. Her perception is her reality and her truth.
• The lens we use to view the world impacts how we see and understand the world.

The million dollar question for us is: what lens are we using to see the world?

God commands Christians, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

• Give thanks – this is written in the imperative. This is not a suggestion. This is a command. God commands all Christians to give thank in all circumstances.
• Second, God tells Christians that this is God’s will for every single Christ-follower. This is God’s will. You don’t have to think about, guess, wonder about what God’s will for you is. God tells us straight out – this is my will for every single Christ-follower
• Third, God tells Christians that we are to give thanks in “all” circumstances. That’ a pretty all-encompassing word. Not in the good situations. Not when the Mariners win. All. All circumstances.

The lens Christ-follower are to put on is the lens of thanksgiving.

Now here’s the best part: when we put on the lens of thanksgiving, we begin seeing everything around us through the lens of gratitude. And there really is so much for every one of us to be grateful for. Putting on the lens of gratitude will change your life.

Don’t take my word for it. God says so! So, put it on. Put on the lens of gratitude.

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the jacket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.

The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is hell. 

C. S. Lewis – The Four Loves

“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

The local church is the hope of the world. The local church who understands that Jesus is the Savior of the world is the hope for the world.

The way the church lives into her vision is not so much by trying to change the world around her as much as she presents herself as the proof that the world has already been changed by Jesus. How can the church do that? The only way the church can do that is by living as a people who are already living in the changed world. We are supposed to be different.

The world is supposed to look at the church, and even when they don’t understand nor can believe the things about Jesus, still desire that the message of Jesus to be true…because of the way the church lives.

Thy will be done.

Yes, Jesus. May your will be done. Here on earth as it is in heaven. How does that happen? As the church stakes everything – its traditions, its preferences, its norms, its very life – for the sake of accomplishing the mission to proclaim the saving faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

The church – the way we worship, the times we worship, the songs, the prayers, the liturgy or the lack of it – it has all changed over the years. These are tools to help the church accomplish her mission. When there are better ways, if there are more effective ways to accomplish the mission of Jesus Christ for the world – the church must change, adapt.

The message cannot ever change – Jesus will always be the only Savior of the world.

Methods must change over time. If they didn’t, we’d all be wearing monk’s robes, singing chants.

Yes, Jesus. May your will be done, here at the Little Church as it is in heaven.