In today’s first reading, we hear about God’s covenant with Abraham. In this passage, Abram, or Abraham as God re-names him, allows himself to be changed by the power of God’s love. Through this, we are reminded that God loves us and wants what is best for us. Just as God took care of Abraham, God will take care of us. But, like Abraham, we must remain faithful to God and keep our part of the covenant.

In today’s Gospel, we are asked to allow God to work within ourselves to change us. We are asked not to pursue Earthly things, but to pursue Heavenly things! We must not glorify ourselves, but allow God to glorify us, as Jesus says. We must remain faithful to God, and we “shall not taste death.”

How do we do that? How do we strive to remain faithful to God and be all that God wants us to be in this era? How do we live up to that potential that God wants us to? I don’t have any answers for these questions. These are all things which I struggle with constantly. We all have times that we have fallen short of what God wants from us. Sometimes I get so busy that I don’t take time for others. Sometimes, it’s easier and more convenient for me to make my own plans instead of discerning what it is that God wants from me. Coming up on Graduation, I struggle with where it is that I can best use my talents and gifts to glorify God, instead of using them purely for personal gain.

We must remember that we have a forgiving God. When we don’t do everything we can to follow God, we have been blessed with the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness. Whether that is through personal prayer or a formal reconciliation service, we have the opportunity to receive forgiveness and continue to keep God at the front of our lives.

"If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;? but it is my Father who glorifies me." John 8:54