Jump Start # 1466

Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you”

  Sundays are amazing. Things are so different on Sundays. Our schedule is different. We gather to worship. We see our church family which we love so dearly. We learn. We are reminded. We are challenged. We praise. We are given hope and understanding. We can come to worship dragging, but we leave with our eyes upon the Lord. Sundays are great. It’s my favorite day of the week. I wish every day was a Sunday. But Sunday comes to an end, and Monday morning rolls around. Time to get the kids out the door for school. Time to get to work. Traffic. Attitudes. Deadlines. Work. Then there is getting home to make dinner, run the kids to practice, hopefully get a little daylight to rake a few leaves, catch a little TV and then it’s bedtime before all of this starts all over again. It doesn’t take very long, and the uniqueness of Sunday is gone. So busy. So much to do. So many demands. And on top of this it’s now November and the holidays are racing toward us.

Does this sound familiar to you? Is this you? Do you ever wonder how can I get off this merry-go-round? Is the only hope just to hang on until the kids are out of the house or you retire?

I thought of our verse today. It’s not deep. It’s not stuffed with great Biblical principles. Ten simple words. One sentence. Three people are found in this one sentence. “Me,” “you,” and “God.” Two simple thoughts. I remember and I pray.

Paul remembered the Philippians. He wasn’t with them when he wrote this. His writing to them brought up fond memories. “My remembrance of you,” was something that meant a lot to the apostle. Because of that precious thought and memory, it led Paul to pray to God. He thanked “his” God. If it wasn’t for God, Paul would not be a Christian. If it wasn’t for God, Paul probably would have never traveled to Philippi. If it wasn’t for God, Paul would have never known those amazing people. Paul remembered and Paul thanked.

Those two simple things can help you on a day like today. Grab a great thought from Sunday worship. Maybe it was seeing the building full of people. Maybe it was talking and sitting with a friend. Maybe it was seeing someone obey the Lord and turn their life around. Maybe it was a passage read. Maybe it was something said in a prayer. Maybe it was just the wonderful escape that worship is from our crazy world. Remember. Then from that, pray to God. Thank God for Sundays. Thank God that you were there. Thank God for what you remember.

Now this won’t slow down your busy pace. The dog has to go to the vet. The bills have to be paid. There are appointments to be made. However, in your mind, you have an oasis from Sunday. A hope that hasn’t escaped. A lesson learned. A memory that helps you keep God before you. A reminder of who you are and what is important. A simple way to keep your order in order. Ballgames, practices, doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, oil changes, pulling weeds, vacuuming, these all have a place, but not at the top of the list. Somehow the world is always wanting to push these things to the top. Remembering Sunday helps you see what is really important. God. Fellowship. Truth. Salvation. Kingdom. Character. Hope. Our Jesus. Now that’s a list! Those things will get you through any mess you encounter today.

Paul remembered and Paul prayed. We can do that.

Give it a try. See if it makes you day a bit better.

Roger