Matters of Faith
By Bascom Ratliff, pastor
Parker/Beagle/Fontana United Methodist Churches
Scripture: Luke 18: 1-8. Jesus told a parable about the need to pray always and not to lose heart. In the parable a widow kept bothering a judge, asking that he grant her justice against her opponent. At first the judge refused, but because the widow kept bothering him he granted her justice so that she would not wear him out by continually begging. Jesus said, “listen to what the unjust judge said. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who plead with him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice of them.”
In a previous message I talked about the transforming gifts that we receive from God. These spiritual gifts, such as love, hope, and faith, renew our hearts and strengthen our relationship with Christ and with each other. The difficulty with spiritual gifts is that they often require asking and diligence and are not easily recognized.
For example, loving someone who treats us unfairly is difficult. Maintaining or strengthen our faith in the face of diversity is difficult. Being patient and tolerant of those who are disrespectful often requires more of us than we are able and willing to give. However, God calls us to love our enemies and to be merciful toward those who would do us harm. In the face of these difficulties and hardships we encounter on a daily basis, it becomes far too easy to simply “settle."
When I was a child living with my grandparents, I remember having several discussions with my grandmother about the harm of settling. She defined settling as being in a relationship or situation where we were being taken advantage of or disrespected. She also cautioned me about the hazard of complaining about things and problems rather than fixing them. She was dead set against settling for second best or accepting excuses for poor performance. She believed that our work for God and our devotion to the family deserved and demanded our very best.
Our Scripture lesson reminds us that as transformed Christians we have access to a loving and just God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe it also tells us that we should continue to pray, or “bother,” God on a regular basis. It is important not to give up on our prayers or requests simply because we think God is slow in responding. It’s important that we do our part in seeking Godly answers to our problems. Approaching God in daily prayer with our joys and concerns is absolutely important for our spiritual growth, our spiritual being, and our transforming faith.
It is important to note from the Scripture lesson that Jesus is telling us that God will grant us justice and will answer our prayers. There may be times when we believe that God is not answering our prayers or listening to us. We may stop praying and give up hope. And, unfortunately, there are times when we want to simply settle and stop bothering God. Jesus is telling us that talking with God and listening to God are important and that we should not settle for unanswered prayers or watered-down beliefs.
The challenge for us is to continue to pray and read. We should continue to pester God; but we also must thank God for those transforming gifts of his Holy Spirit. Having an ample dose of God’s love and tolerance are important. A gift of God’s discipline, hope, and perseverance will help us in our journey with Jesus as we seek an authentic and caring relationship with him. And being grateful and appreciative of the wonderful gifts of God’s love will help us to avoid the temptation to settle for halfhearted or fruitless relationships.
God has transformed us with his tremendous love. God will continue to fill us with his Holy Spirit and strengthen us. Our ongoing challenge is to diligently seek God’s love and God’s will. Jesus tells us to persevere and to continue seeking God. As we enter 2025, let it be a time of celebration. Stop settlin’. Give and expect the very best that God has to offer.
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Do you find yourself longing for genuine love and companionship? If you’re ready to seek God’s love, I invite you to come and worship with us. We are fueled by God’s wonderful promise of unfailing love. Please accept our invitation to a morning of wonderful music and great fellowship. And, of course, hot drinks and cookies.
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We will worship at the Fontana United Methodist Church during January 2025.
We will worship at the Parker UMC during February 2025.
We will worship at the Beagle UMC during March 2025.
All Sunday services are at 10 a.m
.
We serve communion on the first Sunday of the month.
All are welcome in God’s House.
Dr. Bascom Ratliff (913-710-5748)
Pastor: Parker/Beagle/Fontana
United Methodist Churches
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