Pastor Larson’s Corner: The things we love

During this Christmas season I touched base with a number of old friends. When I see someone I haven’t seen for a while, I often ask them, “What have you been doing for excitement lately?” I ask this question because it often leads people into talking about the things they love most. Perhaps they will share something about their travels, their latest hobby, or a good book they’ve read.

I also ask this question because I know how important keeping in touch with the things that we love in this life can be. Invariably, when I talk to someone who has lost their zest for living, I discover that they have quit doing the things that used to really interest them. This seems to happen more often as we grow older and our health does not allow us to do some of our favorite things. When this occurs, we need to find new interests and new things that we can enjoy.

Jesus said that He came to earth so that we might have life and have it abundantly. As we look forward to a new year we need to find things to do that give us life. Abundant living depends upon us spending time doing the things that we love. I used to ask my confirmation classes this question: When God looks down on us would God rather see happy faces or sad faces? Interestingly enough, children seem to instinctively know that God wants us to be happy.

A good new year’s resolution would be for each of us to take an inventory of the things we are doing that make us happy and which we love to do. Then, if there aren’t many, we can resolve to find new things that will give us life and lead us into that abundant life that God wants for everyone.

Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.

Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com

This article originally appeared in the Dec. 26, 2014, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.