Do you have enough room in your home? Seems like most everyone would like more space. When we lived in the Arizona desert, space was at a premium because there are very few basements. Now, during the time of Covid-19, many are expressing the desire and need for more space at home.
A couple of statistics to share: In 2013, the average new home in the U.S. was 2679 square feet. Forty years ago, it was 1660 square feet. That is, wait for it, 1000 more square feet. Meanwhile, the average family size has been shrinking: 3.01 persons per household on average in 1973 to a new record low of 2.54 persons per household in 2013. Houses are getting bigger, families are getting smaller. Add these facts together, here’s the bottom line: the average amount of living space per person in a new home has almost doubled in the last forty years.
So…Do you have enough room? Would you have room for one more person in your home? The Person I have in mind doesn’t take up a lot of space, but he does take considerable commitment. I’m taking about Jesus, of course. Is there room for Jesus in your home and family? More importantly, is there room for him in your heart?
Grab a glass jar and fill it with rocks. One jar represents one life. Yours. Mine. Life is full, isn’t it? Full to the brim, full to overflowing for many. The rocks in the jar represent some of the things that make for a full life: Family, Work, Schedules, Sports, Recreation, Hobbies, Relationships, Facebook/Social Media time, Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime/HBOMax/DisneyPlus binging, Shopping. All the spaces get filled in with so many other minor tasks and events. What’s in the jar of your life? Chances are, it’s quite full.
Anything missing? Quick check: is the Word of God there? The Word and presence of Jesus as an afterthought doesn’t work very well. We try to put it/Him in there, but there’s no room.
Isn’t that how it is for so many, how it can be for us? Life gets so full that there’s no room left for Jesus to fill us with his Word and love and mercy and grace and power. How can we make sure that there’s room for Jesus, that he and his Word are filling us? Make it a priority. First things, the most important thing, the one thing needful (as Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10) must come first!
Do you have enough room? Do you have room in your home and in your heart for the One who not only fills the universe, but who fills our hearts completely? Make room. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Life offers up all kinds of rabbit trails, countless “squirrel” moments, all sorts of things to worry about, all kinds of things to distract.
But you, fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Gaze upon Jesus with such intensity that nothing distracts. Like a sailor setting course in the storm, or a runner pushing toward the finish line, fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes and heart on his cross, his resurrection, his life, his Baptism, his body and blood. That’s where life is. That’s where forgiveness is. That’s where he is…for you.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Make room for the One who made room for you.
God keep you safe in his care,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
Announcement: Trinity family and friends, please enjoy this video from MLC President Rich Gurgel
regarding the Fall semester at our worker training college, Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. And, please, keep the work of MLC and its staff and students in your prayers. We do hope to have an “MLC Sunday” at the end of August (the 30th), rescheduled from Covid-19 shutdown (March 23).
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpXsWp0fRo&feature=youtu.be
Click the following link to fill out the form on the MLC website:
https://mlc-wels.edu/fall-planning-considerations/
A couple of statistics to share: In 2013, the average new home in the U.S. was 2679 square feet. Forty years ago, it was 1660 square feet. That is, wait for it, 1000 more square feet. Meanwhile, the average family size has been shrinking: 3.01 persons per household on average in 1973 to a new record low of 2.54 persons per household in 2013. Houses are getting bigger, families are getting smaller. Add these facts together, here’s the bottom line: the average amount of living space per person in a new home has almost doubled in the last forty years.
So…Do you have enough room? Would you have room for one more person in your home? The Person I have in mind doesn’t take up a lot of space, but he does take considerable commitment. I’m taking about Jesus, of course. Is there room for Jesus in your home and family? More importantly, is there room for him in your heart?
Grab a glass jar and fill it with rocks. One jar represents one life. Yours. Mine. Life is full, isn’t it? Full to the brim, full to overflowing for many. The rocks in the jar represent some of the things that make for a full life: Family, Work, Schedules, Sports, Recreation, Hobbies, Relationships, Facebook/Social Media time, Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime/HBOMax/DisneyPlus binging, Shopping. All the spaces get filled in with so many other minor tasks and events. What’s in the jar of your life? Chances are, it’s quite full.
Anything missing? Quick check: is the Word of God there? The Word and presence of Jesus as an afterthought doesn’t work very well. We try to put it/Him in there, but there’s no room.
Isn’t that how it is for so many, how it can be for us? Life gets so full that there’s no room left for Jesus to fill us with his Word and love and mercy and grace and power. How can we make sure that there’s room for Jesus, that he and his Word are filling us? Make it a priority. First things, the most important thing, the one thing needful (as Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10) must come first!
Do you have enough room? Do you have room in your home and in your heart for the One who not only fills the universe, but who fills our hearts completely? Make room. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Life offers up all kinds of rabbit trails, countless “squirrel” moments, all sorts of things to worry about, all kinds of things to distract.
But you, fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Gaze upon Jesus with such intensity that nothing distracts. Like a sailor setting course in the storm, or a runner pushing toward the finish line, fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes and heart on his cross, his resurrection, his life, his Baptism, his body and blood. That’s where life is. That’s where forgiveness is. That’s where he is…for you.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Make room for the One who made room for you.
God keep you safe in his care,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
Announcement: Trinity family and friends, please enjoy this video from MLC President Rich Gurgel
regarding the Fall semester at our worker training college, Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. And, please, keep the work of MLC and its staff and students in your prayers. We do hope to have an “MLC Sunday” at the end of August (the 30th), rescheduled from Covid-19 shutdown (March 23).
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpXsWp0fRo&feature=youtu.be
Click the following link to fill out the form on the MLC website:
https://mlc-wels.edu/fall-planning-considerations/
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