Saint Mark United Methodist Church Lenten Devotional Sunday, March 30th, 2014 by Kim Sorrells Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 This passage is a familiar one. I remember hearing it taught when I was a teenager, and typically the emphasis was on the fact that so often God calls and uses those people who might seem the least likely to succeed by our standards. Certainly this is true and an important part of what this passage teaches us. However, I wonder if during Lent it might not also have something to say to each us about this time of self-examination that we undergo. The passage reminds us that God does not look at the outward appearance, but that God looks at the heart to see who we truly are. Lent is a time when we intentionally look at the heart, and examine what is good, what could grow, what needs to be left behind. On Ash Wednesday we were reminded once again of our mortality-you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Whatever we have to show for ourselves, our outward appearances will some day disappear; all that we can show for our lives is how we have lived, how we have loved and served. Of all the funerals Ive been to, I cant remember one where they talked about how well dressed the person was, or what a nice car they drove. But I have been to many where I was amazed by the life of service that the person lived, or by how they loved other people. Lent, then, is a time to examine the heart, to look at that which ultimately defines who we are. This Lent, perhaps it is time to take an examination of our own hearts and ask ourselves if we are living in a way that matters, or just relying on outward things to get by.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 12:17:37 +0000
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