Justin March leads the Bethany Lutheran Church Men’s Ministry and sends a weekly email message to the Men’s group every week.  Justin has generously permitted us to post his weekly reflections here. 

 As we tuned in to
watch the live stream at Bethany Lutheran Church, all we could hear was static.
In a moment when we needed the peace, love, and comfort that comes from
receiving the message, it was the static that overwhelmed our senses. We tried
and tried to fix the situation, but eventually the static won and kept us from
enjoying the message we wanted to hear.

How many times do we
let the static in our lives keep us from hearing the words we desperately need?
Do we allow our phones, televisions, workloads, and indulgences the right to
suffocate our time and keep us from God? Do we spend our time listening to the
media, the politicians, the advertisements, and the noise the world bombards us
with instead of spending time in prayer, worship, and meditation? And does this
static make itself easily accessible, promote every word to be true, and make
promises that sound real for our lives?

When I read the
questions above, I realize the static in our lives can be dominant. It can keep
us from accomplishing the mission God has set out for us. And when I sit back
and try to answer these questions, I begin to understand the effect all this
static has on our relationships with each other and God.

What if I changed the
questions above and incorporated a few different words? What if these questions
read like this, instead of the way they read above? How different would our
perspectives be, and how much static could we erase when we really need to hear
the messages that bring us peace?

How many times do we
let God speak the words we desperately need to hear? Do we allow our bibles,
devotions, prayers, and selfless acts suffocate our time and keep us from the
statics in our world? Do we spend time listening to other people’s stories,
lending a helping hand, and understanding the whispers and nudges instead of
spending time watching television, playing on our phones, and working our lives
away? And do we realize that God is easily accessible, always speaks the truth,
and makes promises that will enrich our lives and bless those around us?

We can either let the
statics of this world engulf our time, or we can push them aside and
concentrate on the mission God has for us. We can choose to get wrapped up in
the media, the latest trends, and all that bombards us, or we can take some
time to pray, meditate, and help each other out. If you allow it to happen, the
static will take over and consume every precious moment. But if you turn it
off, listen to God, and focus on what he wants for you and your life, the
journey will be joyful, and others will follow.

As you begin a new
week and start to get bombarded with all this world has to offer, remember it
is all just static. Some of it is important, but much of it is not. I pray that
you find the time to see God’s beauty, breathe in the Holy Spirit, and walk
with Jesus. I pray that you find the time to reach out to friends, cherish your
loved ones, and find peace in what God has to offer. And I pray that when the
static overwhelms your day, you find the courage to turn it off, re-focus, and
remember what is truly important. If we can do this, we will be open to the
blessings God offers, and we will be open to spreading the good news he
desperately wants His people to hear.