Craig LaFollette

Colossians 1:13-14  

For He has rescued us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

 

Psalm 103:10-14  

He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for His mercy toward those who fear and honor Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

 

Reflection: 

As a professing Christian, faith is central to my life and underpins everything that I believe.  Knowing that God gave his only son for the forgiveness of my sins sometimes causes me to tremble, and, at the same time, brings indescribable joy. The emotions brought about by these thoughts are so strong that I become overwhelmed. To comprehend what all this means is oftentimes hard for my little human brain. How can I ever be thankful enough for what God did for me? My sins have been forgiven. This is, well, bigger than a WOW! 

 

Sin is in my DNA. I see it in some form or another every day. I don’t like it, but without faith in God, I am unable to do anything about it. Sin is always there ready to creep further into many aspects of my life. So how does living a Christian life help bring these awesome concepts of faith and forgiveness down to a level that I can better comprehend on a daily basis?

 

I believe the key word is daily. Since God forgives our sins and protects us from evil, I want to stay as close as possible to God’s power every day. I am so proud of St. Luke’s for the opportunities they put in front of us. The Sunday worship service is always uplifting and allows us to honor and thank God in a public way. Our small group bible study has brought new learning, wonderful fellowship and opportunities to pray together and thank God for all our blessings. Praying and reading scripture daily is the best way to stay close to God. I am sorry it took me so long to discover these life giving habits. Sin will continue to be in my life. However, having faith in God’s forgiveness and knowing Jesus died on the cross for my sins brings a feeling of peace that is sooooo wonderful.

 

Prayer:

Father God, Lord Jesus, dear Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence in my life, every day.  Please increase my faith and help me be always mindful of your forgiveness and the need to forgive others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.