"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasure in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21
By Rev. Phyllis BowersThe definition of a container is “an object that can be used to hold or transport something.” There are so many containers in this world. Cups, bowls, buckets. Cars, planes, trains.
If you made a list, you would start to see almost anything can be considered a container. A musical instrument is a container for music to be played. A piece of paper is a container for ideas. An event is a container that holds people together in one time and place. Even we are containers, containers of God’s blessings.
Do we, as containers of the grace and love of God, share what we have? How do we follow 2 Timothy 2:21b to “Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” (MSG)?
Ironically, another version of this same verse offers us the answer: “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” (NLT)
My prayer for this upcoming Annual Conference is that all that we bring to fill this event will be made pure and holy by God. Praise God that we will come together soon in Hershey. We’ll celebrate by presenting our best selves to each other in our fellowship and collaborative ministry for we are blessed to be blessings.
Yet God’s love and purpose for us cannot be contained there at Annual Conference. Although we will gather to encourage and strengthen each other, in the end we are the containers of Good News that God chooses to pour out into the world. It is all about God’s purpose, not what we can do or say. To God be the glory that his loving light is a treasure we hold and transport. Let us give thanks and give in thanks for this honor.
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