Dearly beloved,
I want to challenge you to be open. What do I mean by that?
What does it mean when something is closed?
- When a business is closed the employees are unavailable to meet with you and help you or offer you anything
- When a flower is closed its beauty is hidden away,
- When a mind is closed it is resistant to learning new things or thinking about things in new ways.
- When a heart is closed, it is hard, sometimes cold and often bitter because of past pain and offense.
- When eyes are closed, people are unwilling or unable to see what is right before them.
- When a spirit is closed, the Holy Spirit of God is grieved and unable to come and do His saving and sanctifying work within a person.
I want you to be open to God. Wide open to Him. May you be open to:
- Receive His offer of help and reciprocate to Him that you are open to help Him and serve Him
- See His beauty and discover the beauty that He places within each of His children
- Learn from Him that which is right and true
- Have God heal your broken heart and soften your heart that you may receive His love even as you give and receive love to and from others
- See new things, new paths, new attitudes and behaviors that can be yours
- Have His Holy Spirit live within you, calling the shots, guiding and directing your life and providing all that you need along the way.
Will you live your life wide open? Will you allow yourself to be fully open and available to God?
Pastor Michael Johnson 