no! no! no!
"Provide yourselves with neither gold nor silver nor copper in your belts; no traveling bag, no change of shirt, no sandals, no walking staff." —Matthew 10:9-10
When we serve the Lord, we often feel inadequate. We think we're making mistakes and feel the Lord is just shaking His head, saying: "No, not that. No, not now. No, not here. No! No! No!" As a matter of fact, the Lord is saying "No! No! No!" as we minister in His name, but He's not saying: "No, you're doing it wrong." Rather, He's saying: "No gold, no silver, no copper, 'no traveling bag, no change of shirt, no sandals, no walking staff,' no accommodations, and no security other than in Me." The Lord wants to unburden us for ministry. He wants to simplify and streamline our lives. To minister in His name, we don't need more but less — less possessions, less control, and less bright ideas.
The Lord is sending us out to minister, and He is saying: "No sin; repent! No divisions; forgive! No doubts; believe! No fears; trust! No self-deception; speak the truth! No compromise; love Me with all your hearts!" (see Mt 22:37)
The Lord is sending us out to minister, and He is saying: "Yes, I love you perfectly, infinitely, unconditionally, and eternally. Yes, I will always be with you (Mt 28:20). Yes, I will always forgive you. Yes, I will come back to take you with Me to be perfectly happy forever in heaven." Because we believe the "Yes" of Jesus, we believe His "No."
Prayer: Father, may You be my only security.
Promise: "I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks." —Hos 11:4
Praise: After losing his pension and being burglarized, Richard was challenged to trust completely in the Lord. He abandoned himself into God's hands, and the Lord has provided for his needs.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Job Performance for Jesus or on audio AV 43-3 or video V-43.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 4, 2008
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