This mindset is what the Apostle Paul was telling the believers in Phillipians that they needed to have in the situations they were facing. All through the book of Phillipians he is exhorting them to always try to see the best in every circumstance and trial they encountered. In spite of the difficulties they faced, Paul encouraged them to meditate on the positive and not dwell on negative thoughts. This same mindset is significant for us as Christians today as well. There is so much around us that can cause us to lose heart, to become anxious or critical. We are God’s avenue to bring hope to this world and it won’t happen if we, as believers in Christ, cannot articulate that hope in a winsome fashion. Albert Brumley was born in 1905 and he grew up in Oklahoma and helped pick cotton as a youngster. He never complained but realized he wanted more than the life of a cotton picker. So he started writing music. He wrote a song in 1919 called “This World Is Not My Home”. This song tells of his desire to look past the cares of this world and look to the promises we have in Christ. Albert had grown up in poverty, and would witness 2 world wars and the Great Depression. Life would never be “easy”, but Albert would learn life is easier when you allow Jesus to walk beside you. 2 themes seem to pop up in Albert’s songs over and over again; Heaven and Jesus. Having a personal relationship with Jesus brings a little bit of Heaven here to earth. This is the first verse in the song he wrote.
This world is not my home I'm just a-passing through
My treasures are laid up Somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me From heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home In this world anymore.
Paul is attempting to convey this same type of mindset to the Christians in Phillipi. It is my longing to see the body of Christ perpetuate that perspective in our daily walk as well. Setbacks and suffering have a debilitating effect on us when we are in a vulnerable state. This can cause us to look to various vices to help alleviate the pain or stress. Reliance on these vices can lead to addictive behavior and loss of control. To help people dealing with any type of addictions, Hauge Lutheran Church has welcomed the Life Recovery Ministry. This is what Dave L. would like people to know about this endeavor. He sends out these words. “I have jotted some notes about the program ‘Steps to Freedom’, which Hauge Lutheran so graciously supports, both in facility and in prayer. Hauge people as a whole are non-judgmental and have a genuine compassion for those who suffer. This is an open meeting and seeks to help people recover from addiction. It is a design for living that is based on attraction rather than promotion. We feel that each person's religious views, if any, are their own affair. There are no dues or fees. The only requirement to attend is a HONEST desire to stop living in addiction. We use the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to guide us and we study the AA Big Book, keeping in mind that the words alcohol and alcoholic can be changed to any addiction obsession. There is a vast amount of fun and laughs in our group. Some people might be shocked at our seemingly worldliness, but underneath it all lies a deadly earnestness and a full realization that the most important thing is our addiction problem, no matter what that addiction may be. We seek physical, mental, and spiritual recovery. Love and tolerance is our code. We meet on Monday evenings from 7 to 8 pm in the church basement. 302 Bullis Street. Kenyon. If anyone is wrestling with addiction of any kind, please come and find support and freedom with the group at Hauge. Feel free to contact Dave L., a trusted servant of the group with any questions you might have at 612-968-3314. We all need to be at the top of our game in the days that we are in. By having a positive attitude and always being willing to look for things that can build people up instead of tearing them down, it will go a long way in our attempts to win as many as possible to Christ. May God show us favor as we desire this mindset for His glory. Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
