Prayer for August 25, 2021

Prayer for August 25, 2021: Please pray with me. God who brings order out of chaos, over and over again you set things right in creation. In the creation you not only brought about the world in which we inhabit and steward, you created society and community. You brought people together for a common good. In your Scripture you tell us over and over again about your love for peoples and nations. You are a God of community. Community is based on trust. And that means that it is costly. Trust is vulnerable. Trust comes with responsibilities. Trust means we see the image of God in others. Trust means we care about others because we trust them. When trust is absent, creation breaks down, your shalom is set aside and we reach for the apple in the garden — all with the purpose to impose control over others. We think we’ll be like you, but in reality, we become tyrants who demand license to do what we want without consequence. And there is a great cost to all of creation when that happens. End this lust of control in us. Soften out hearts to trust each other and you. Amen.

Call to action: When you claim your rights, identify what responsibilities go with them. What are the costs that you are prepared to pay for the rights that you have? Are you prepared to care for others and the consequences of your actions and desires? If not, why not? Should you go forward anyway?

Originally published at https://pastormatthewbest.com on August 25, 2021.