Friday, January 15, 2016

Take Nothing for Granted

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Mk 2:17

Wellness, so often lauded even in religious circles, is not always a gospel virtue. If being well means one ignores or denies one's need for God and the church than it is not of God. To be grateful for one's health is good. To take it for granted and forget to praise God for the gift of life, gets us in trouble.

It is clear in Mark's gospel that Jesus continually challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees because of their arrogance. Condemning Jesus because he eats with tax collectors and sinners exposed the Jewish leaders as men more concerned with undermining Jesus' growing power than with calling sinners to conversion. More important, they refused to acknowledge their own need of help, making it impossible for them to benefit from the healing power of Jesus' word and touch.

Although we often act as if we are in charge of our own lives, nothing could be further from the truth. The great privilege of being alive demands that we live in gratitude for all that is. Life is a gift to be shared,  not a right to be taken for granted.

Today, praise God for life in its simplest form.

What daily gratitude practices do you have?


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