Devotional
Holy Monday
Sometimes we look to Holy Week as something special, and it is. However, every week, every day, every hour, every minute and every second should be holy.
We say that’s impossible, but is it? The question should be why it is not possible.
We as humans get caught up in everyday life, and we lose sight of the fact that God has put us here for a purpose. It is so easy to forget our purpose. Our hearts and minds become clouded with rhetoric and anxiety, even in disagreements over simple decisions, like the color of the church’s carpet or the way the furniture should be arranged.
Jesus said very simply in Matthew 22:39 to love your neighbor. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart and your soul and mind. If you cannot love your neighbor, you cannot love God. So as we enter this time of year, let us practice these two verses. People are constantly searching for the truth. I believe these verses in Matthew sum up our purpose. By following these concepts, we can understand what Jesus said as He ascended to Heaven: for us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
Study of the Bible is essential to grasp these concepts of His teachings. I think it is interesting that at the local Barnes & Noble, there are numerous shelves of books on self-help, team building, and how to live a successful life. Most of the principles of these books are from the Bible. If this is the case, we should make reading the Bible a priority.
So be of good cheer; there is hope in Christ. We must put his teachings into practice in all that we do and say.
By Rev. Richard Payne, Sports Chaplain
