A sermon I heard recently made the point that at times we all feel weary. Trials, suffering, temptations beset us, and we have trouble feeling the joy that is ours in Christ. What are the things that help us persevere in the faith, when life seems overwhelming? Here are three BIG ONES!
- Remembering our baptism. In our baptism, we became a child of God. Along we our faith, we know that through baptism our sins are forgiven, and we are no longer condemned. As Luther puts it, "The only way to drive away the Devil is through faith in Christ, by saying: 'I have been baptized, I am a Christian." What a comfort this is when times of trouble come.
- Partaking in Holy Communion. As our pastor put it, this is our comfort food. Like all food, it strengthens and nourishes us. This sacrament should never be neglected, because we need it to stay strong and healthy in our faith.
- The Word of God. There are so many verses in Scripture which build us up and console us. What are your favorites? Write them down, memorize them, call them up when you feel yourself faltering.
The best part is, all of these aids in persevering are readily available to you. All you need to do is attend a weekly worship service. You will see the baptismal font, taste of the goodness of the Lord in the sacrament of Communion and hear readings from the Bible. You will also feel the friendship of fellow believers. Yes, it's true -- the church service engages all of our senses in a way that helps us to keep going, even when the going seems tough. I've said this before, and I can't repeat it enough ....
"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25
For more about the worship service see these posts:
Worship Essentials – Book Review
The Ways We Worship
The Service of Tenebrae
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