All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day. Traditionally, this is a day the Church would dedicate to those who came before them. In that same tradition, I'd like to make a suggestion: that we remember those who have shown us the way to Christ, and those who have discipled us. We could spend the day remembering saints of old: the famous people who changed the church, or who were known for charity and piety. Certainly, we can thank God for their lasting influence!

But what about the people in your own life? People whose names will never be in the newspapers, or in a book about the church, but whose impact on you has been profound simply because they chose to serve God by ministering to you?

I thank God for the people in my life who have impacted my walk with God. My own Dad and Mom. My Father-in-law. A former pastor, Tom Blackford. All men (and woman) who God used to impact me and so many others. There are so many others too, some whose names I don't even remember, who God has brought into my life to help bring me closer to Him.

These individuals serve as a reminder, too, that we are also called to make disciples. Not to merely make converts, but to really train people and help them to develop their relationships with God. To teach them Scripture, and to have a lasting impact. This is our highest calling here on Earth, and you and I can thank God because people before us took it seriously.