4 Epiphany 07 c
Jeremiah was a young boy who had a heart for God. He wanted to serve God, but did not know what God wanted him to do. He also saw the disintegration of his nation morally and militarily.
It was in this context that Jeremiah heard the voice of God. Listen to what the word of the Lord said to Jeremiah-''Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.''
This tells us two things: if God formed Jeremiah from the womb, then it is safe to say that God forms all humans in the womb. This gives a sacredness, a sanctity to human life even from the time of conception. If God knows us from the womb then he cares about all life from the womb to the tomb.
Secondly, we see that God had a plan for Jeremiah from the very beginning of his life.If God had a plan for Jeremiah’s life from the beginning, then wouldn't he also have a plan for you and me? ‘‘Before you were born I set you apart.’’ It is interesting that God set Jeremiah apart from the womb, but he wasn't to hear God calling him until he was a youth. His ministry didn't begin until God called him. When Jesus was born, we see the express purpose of God, but Jesus was not called to his ministry until he was nearly 30 years old.
This tells us that God has a plan for our lives even from the womb. We may discover what that plan is at a time that is different for each one of us.
Jeremiah was appointed a prophet to Israel. Last week our second lesson from l Corinthians reminded us that some are called to be prophets, apostles, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. These are just a few of the ministries to which God calls people. God either has called you or will call you to some sort of ministry.
Many people I talk to don't feel like they could do some sort of ministry for God.
Some of those used by God in a mighty way felt just the same. Moses said, ''I can't lead this people. Who am I to do such a thing? I’m not eloquent. I stutter when I speak.
The temptation for us is to always think in the negative. I’m convinced that positive minds produce positive lives. Negative minds produce negative lives. Negative thoughts are always full of doubt and fear.
Some people are afraid to hope because they have been hurt so much in life. They have had so many disappointments; they don’t think they can face the pain of another one. Therefore, they refuse to hope so they won’t be disappointed.
This avoidance of hope is a type of protection against being hurt. Disappointment hurts! So rather than be hurt again, many people simply refuse to hope or to believe that anything good will ever happen to them. This type of behavior sets up a negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because the thoughts are negative.
Many years ago, I was much more negative than I am today. If I thought two positive thoughts in a row my mind would get in a cramp. My whole philosophy was this: “If you don’t expect anything good to happen, then you won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.”
I began to realize that God does not want me to live like this. He wants me to live in faith. One scripture that has helped me to understand that I need to get rid of my negative attitudes and thoughts is found in Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
I remember one of the many times I have been lost while trying to find a location. I began to rant, “I always get lost! I can never find where I am going.” Then I start berating myself, “You can never do anything right. You are such an idiot. Why can’t you ever get some place without getting lost?”
What I should have said was, “I should have been better prepared with directions, but somehow God has a plan in my being lost. I don’t know what that plan is but I know that all things will work together for my good because I love God and am called according to his purpose.” Little did I know that all of this would culminate with my getting a Global Positioning Satellite system, greatly relieving my stress.
A negative person is no fun to be with. He brings a gloomy overcast to every project. There is a heaviness about him. He is a complainer, a murmurer and a faultfinder. No matter how many good things are going on, he always seems to spot the one thing that could be a potential problem.
He or she could go into a newly decorated room and pick out the one wrinkle in the wall paper or the smudge on the window sill, instead of seeing the beauty of the room.