Unless we work on it by the sweat of our face...

“...God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, 

for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, CEB)

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

It has been quite a week last week with our energetic youth at Wildfire Mission in Superior, WI - rising early, worshiping fully, working hard, hydrating often, and playing late. Where does their energy come from? It is a Mystery! So when I got back home, my body was so exhausted. However, for some reason, I was full of energy even though my whole body was aching. Another mystery! But you will understand if you join our next mission trip with youth!

2019 Wildfire, Superior, WI

Anyway, one of the places where we walked at Wildfire was the Harbor House Crisis Shelter. In the morning, after we completed the mission of demolition of the wall to build a new one in the basement, we went out and joined with the other groups to fix the swing set in the playground and pull out weeds. 

Joyously pulling out weeds in the playground, one kid of the Harbor House came to me and asked, “Why do you pull out these little white flowers? I love those.” He was right because those little white flowers were beautiful. So I wondered, “What am I doing here? Why am I trying to get rid of these beautiful flowers?” However, in a moment, it came to my mind, “Yes, Kiddo! Those flowers are beautiful in the open field. However, it is not safe to leave them growing in the playground.” 

Then I found quite a few young maple trees in the middle of the playground. So I pulled them out. But because he saw me pulling them out again, he looked down and asked me again, “I love those plants. Why do you pull them out?” I wondered again, “What am I doing here? Why am I trying to get rid of those beautiful little baby maple trees?” However, again, in a moment, it came to my mind, “You are right Kiddo! It will grow beautifully and will give us good shade and maple syrup someday. However, if it grows in the playground, the slide and swing cannot stay here. Do you want the swings and slide and monkey bars or those trees?” It seemed like he understood me.

Reckless Love by Cory Asbury

Everything has its own place to grow and prosper. Even though dandelions and creeping Charlies are God’s creation, they are not for my flower garden, but for the open field. Thorns and thistles are neither for my lawn nor for my vegetable garden. If they come inside of my garden, I have to pull them out and get rid of them to protect my beautiful and fruitful flowers and vegetables.      

“...Weeds and thistles will grow for you, even as you eat the field’s plants; 

by the sweat of your face you will eat bread.” (Genesis 3:18)

Actually, the creation story, after Adam and Eve’s fall from the Garden of Eden, tells us that we have to work hard to keep our garden fruitful and beautiful. How about our spiritual life? Because of our sinfulness, our bad behaviors can grow, our wrong attitude can be strengthened, our dirty language can be multiplied, our countless worries and fears can choke our lives UNLESS we work on it by the sweat of our face, I mean by the good fight.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now how can we work on it by the sweat of our face? And how can we fight the good fight to make our spiritual garden much beautiful and fruitful?

We will continually take small steps with Christ Jesus who loves, forgives, and serves as we choose to stand between right and left with a well-balanced life even under the hot summer sun! 

Join me…

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kyochul