August 1st

August 1st -- Luke 10:25-42 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-42&version=NLT)

Please go and read the passage!

The Good Samaritan. I love this story. It's simple and easy to understand and gets the point across - we are all neighbours to everyone, meaning when we are told to "love your neighbour as yourself" that means love EVERYONE. (Not a romantic love, obviously, just show them love or love them like you love a friend or even family) We need to make sure we're the ones like the good Samaritan - not caring about who the person is, or what helping them may cost us, but just helping them anyways because we know it is the right thing to do, and we are called by God to treat them with love.

Also, this story about Martha and Mary used to confuse me. This is probably because I'm the eldest which means I tend to end up with most of the additional household chores and such while my sisters will watch TV or just relax. I used to understand Martha's point of view a bit, because it can really suck to feel like you're missing out and someone else should be helping but they're not and they're getting/doing what you wish you were getting/doing. As I got older, though, I started to understand it. Life gets busy. There's so much to do all the time. Often, one of the first things we tend to neglect and push aside is our faith life - our relationship with God. This should, obviously, be the last, but it is, sadly, the first. We become like Martha - "But why should I miss out because I have to do other more important things?" We need to be more like Mary. Mary sat and listened. She was not worrying about anything but focusing on Jesus and his teaching. We need to sometimes take a step back and remember God needs to be the center. Everything besides Him is not as important - it's all trivial. It can be easy to be caught up in trivial matters, but God needs to stay at the center. When it all comes do to it in the end, what will count is your relationship with God - that's why it should always be priority.

That will be all for today! God bless! Shalom!

P.S. It's late because of my camping trip.