Wednesday, July 23, 2008

How Sure Are You?

How sure are you of what is going to happen tomorrow? Do you know what is going to happen from minute to minute? How much do you have planned? How much of that do you think you will actually get done?

As I get older and wiser, some might argue the second one, I realize more and more how unpredictable life really is. For instance, not in a million years would I have predicted how, when, or where I would meet my wife. I never imagined that I would have two wonderful kids that brighten each and every day like they do. I would have never thought that I would be a pastor in Warrenton, MO, because I didn't even know such a town existed till I moved here.

I am amazed by the unpredictability of life. Yet, in the midst of all this, I oftentimes still fool myself into thinking that I have it all under control. What a fool I am! What fools we all are!

What do you think? Are you fooling yourself into thinking you have it all under control? Are you planning everything out from day today to the point where time doesn't move without you moving it? When your schedule gets messed up or when things like, oh I don't know, church and faith, get in the way, are you able to handle it?

I am about to go on vacation for two weeks. The plan is to go to the Black Hills, to Yellowstone National Park, and to Estes Park, Colorado with my family. I don't know if it is going to happen like I have it planned. I don't even know if I am going to make it past tomorrow.

It is this uncertainty that causes us to turn to God. It is this absence of knowledge that makes us fall to our knees and at the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The good thing to know is the God knows everything. He knows how my vacation is going to go. He knows how long I am going to live. He knows how many grandkids I am going to have. He knows what my kids are going to be when they grow up. He knows how many hairs are on top of my head.

It is this same God that, in His foreknowledge, sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to this sinful uncertain earth to suffer and die in our place. It is this same God who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. It is this same God who gives us everything we need and so much more.

The whole world is full of uncertainty. You don't need me to tell you that. Are you going to put your trust in the things of this world, the economy, the government, your job, or your abilities? Or are you going to put your trust in Almighty God, who rules over all of these things, knows what is going on with all of it, what will happen in the end, and still loves you anyway?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeir

To God All Praise and Glory!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Learn The Secret Of Being Content.

There is so much uncertainty these days. What is going to happen to gas prices if things stay the way they are? What if I lose my job? What is the future of the world going to be like for my kids? How am I ever going to be able to afford to retire?

People with no insurance are deathly afraid of getting sick because of soaring medical costs. At the same time businesses with employees are wondering how they are going to be able to continue to afford the insurance they provide. A dollar isn't going nearly as far as it did even six months ago.

Isn't it odd how all of this seems to center around one thing, money? One of the biggest reason for divorce is money. One of the biggest reasons for depression is money. The economy is front and center in the news and in newspapers. There are wars going on all around the world because of money. People are killed by the hundreds every day because people are going into houses and businesses to steal money. I could go on and on.

In 1 Timothy 6:10 it says very plainly "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with many grief's.

Have you ever noticed that when our lives, our hearts, and our minds are focused on money we never seem to have enough of it? We can have money in the bank to spare, but if our trust is in that money, we are never happy or satisfied.

Have you also noticed that some of the most satisfied people are the people with the least amount of money? They scrape to get by, and often wish they had more money, but the money isn't getting in the way of their happiness nor is it controlling their happiness.

I was reading a Reader's Digest article the other day that had the five top reasons for happiness. One of those reasons was money. It wasn't the gathering and accumulating of wealth though, instead it was the giving of it away. It said that the more people were involved in donating to charities and helping other people, the happier and more content they were.

Notice that it is not money in and of itself that makes us happy but how we use it. If we use it in selfish ways and for selfish reason we will be miserable people. If we use it to help others and to give glory to God and His kingdom we will be satisfied and happy people. We will be content because we will be using our wealth to help others.

Paul said it best when he said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything who gives me strength."

In these hard financial times it is best to be like Paul. He went from being a rich Pharisee to being a lowly tentmaker and evangelist. He went from everyone adoring him and giving him honor, to being beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. Then, after all was said and done, the times that he was most content were when he relied on God alone to give him strength.

Don't let your whole life revolve around getting more for yourself. Instead, learn the secret of being content. Learn to rely on God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gives you strength.

Start using what God gave you to further His kingdom by supporting missionaries, donating to Agape, helping fellow church members who need financial help, starting a mission project of your own, donating to your church's building project, starting a scholarship fund for kids in need, going to places like Cedar Rapids, New Orleans, or Winfield and helping people out. The opportunities to serve and to give are endless. Go in peace, and serve the Lord!

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeir

To God All Praise and Glory!