THM Blog

Tag: sacrafice

  • God Owns Everything—We Are Stewarts

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    God’s Gifts Are Meant for Eternity

    “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
    — Matthew 6:19–20

    Every good thing we possess is a gift from God.

    Our health, our strength, our talents, our homes, our families, our friendships, and even the opportunities placed before us each day come from His loving hand. We often speak about what we have “earned,” but behind every accomplishment stands the God who gave us life, the ability to work, and the blessings that made success possible.

    The Book of James reminds us:

    “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”
    — James 1:17

    Because everything belongs to God, we are not owners—we are stewards.

    God entrusts us with His gifts for a time. He asks us to use them wisely, to care for our families, to strengthen our communities, to help those in need, and above all, to glorify Him.

    When success comes, thank Him.

    When prosperity comes, thank Him.

    When health is strong, thank Him.

    And if one day He chooses to take those blessings back, thank Him again for allowing you to enjoy them for however long He saw fit.

    Job understood this profound truth after losing nearly everything he possessed:

    “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
    — Job 1:21

    Those words are not easy to live, but they reveal a heart that trusted God more than possessions.

    Keep Your Eyes on Eternity

    Life moves quickly.

    The house we build will someday belong to someone else.

    The car we proudly drive will eventually wear out.

    Money comes and goes.

    Even our earthly bodies grow older.

    Everything around us is temporary.

    Only one thing lasts forever—our eternal soul.

    That is why Jesus continually reminded His followers to keep their hearts fixed on Heaven.

    Every decision we make should be measured against one simple question:

    Will this help bring me closer to God and prepare me for eternity?

    When we keep our eyes on Heaven, disappointments lose much of their sting, and successes become opportunities to praise God rather than ourselves.

    Living for the Eternal Reward

    It is interesting how faithfully we obey the rules of our employer.

    We arrive at work on time.

    We follow company policies.

    We complete assignments.

    We strive to do our best because, at the end of the week, we expect a paycheck.

    Yet that paycheck may be spent before the day is over. Bills are paid, groceries are bought, expenses arise, and the money is gone.

    How strange it is that many people work so diligently for rewards that disappear, while giving so little attention to the reward that never fades.

    God has already shown us the path to eternal life.

    He calls us to:

    • Keep His Commandments.
    • Love God with all our heart.
    • Love our neighbor as ourselves.
    • Practice humility, charity, patience, honesty, forgiveness, and purity.
    • Receive His grace through prayer and the sacraments.
    • Live lives that reflect Christ.

    Unlike an earthly employer, God does not ask us to earn His love. He freely offers it. But He does ask us to respond with faithful, obedient hearts.

    The Virtues Build the Road to Heaven

    The saints remind us that holiness is not usually found in dramatic moments but in ordinary faithfulness.

    Each act of kindness…

    Each quiet prayer…

    Each sacrifice made for another…

    Each temptation resisted…

    Each word of forgiveness…

    These become stepping stones leading toward Heaven.

    Virtue shapes our character until we begin to resemble Christ Himself.

    The more we practice love, humility, generosity, courage, patience, and faith, the more prepared our souls become for eternal life.

    Our Greatest Investment

    Wise investors look for what will produce lasting returns.

    Jesus tells us that the greatest investment we can ever make is not in the stock market, real estate, or a retirement account.

    Our greatest investment is in eternity.

    Every prayer offered with love…

    Every act of mercy…

    Every soul encouraged…

    Every sacrifice made for God…

    These are treasures that can never be lost.

    They accompany us beyond the grave.

    A Final Thought

    God has blessed each of us in different ways.

    Cherish those blessings.

    Use them for His glory.

    Love your family.

    Serve your community.

    Help those who cannot repay you.

    And if life changes tomorrow, remember to thank God for every blessing He allowed you to enjoy.

    Above all, keep your eyes, your mind, and your soul fixed on Heaven.

    Everything else will one day pass away.

    But eternal life with God will never end.

    “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
    — Mark 8:36

    May we spend our lives not merely earning a paycheck that lasts a day, but pursuing the Kingdom that lasts forever.

    Thank you for reading this blog. Please share with others.

    Rick Herring
    thmjmj@gmail.com

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  • The Gettysburg Address:

    A Spiritual Reflection on Freedom, Sacrifice, and Our Duty Under God

    “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” — Psalm 33:12

    As Americans, we have recently celebrated the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. For two and a half centuries, our Republic has remained an extraordinary experiment in self-government. Through wars, hardships, triumphs, and blessings, our nation has endured because millions of Americans have believed that liberty is a gift worth protecting.

    Few documents capture that truth more beautifully than President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

    Delivered on November 19, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln spoke only 272 words. Yet those few words have echoed across generations because they touched something much deeper than politics—they spoke to the human soul.

    Freedom Is a Gift from God

    Lincoln began:

    “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

    Those words remind us of a profound truth.

    Human dignity does not come from governments. It comes from God.

    The Founding Fathers declared in the Declaration of Independence that our rights are endowed by our Creator. Every human life possesses immeasurable worth because every person is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).

    This truth lies at the very heart of Christianity.

    Whether rich or poor, famous or forgotten, healthy or disabled, every human being is loved by God.

    That conviction gave birth to the American experiment and continues to guide our nation today.

    Sacrifice Reflects the Greatest Love

    The Battle of Gettysburg became one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on American soil. Thousands of soldiers willingly gave what Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion.”

    As Christians, we cannot help but hear echoes of our Lord’s own words:

    “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

    Every soldier who willingly sacrifices for others reminds us—however imperfectly—of Christ’s supreme sacrifice upon the Cross.

    Jesus freely laid down His life so that all humanity might live forever.

    Every act of genuine self-sacrifice reflects something of God’s own love.

    “We Cannot Consecrate This Ground”

    Lincoln declared:

    “We cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground.”

    The soldiers themselves had already done that through their sacrifice.

    There is a deeply spiritual lesson here.

    Sacrifice always sanctifies.

    Parents who sacrifice for their children.

    Priests who faithfully serve their people.

    Missionaries who give their lives to spread the Gospel.

    Doctors, nurses, first responders, caregivers, and countless ordinary people quietly giving themselves each day.

    These acts of love become holy because they imitate Christ.

    Holiness is rarely found in comfort.

    It is found in faithful self-giving.

    The Unfinished Work

    Lincoln challenged the living:

    “It is for us the living… to be dedicated here to the unfinished work…”

    Every generation receives an unfinished task.

    As Christians, our unfinished work is even greater.

    We are called to spread the Gospel.

    To forgive those who hurt us.

    To defend the dignity of every human life.

    To strengthen our families.

    To care for the poor.

    To love our neighbors.

    To build God’s Kingdom one soul at a time.

    Each generation must decide whether it will continue this sacred work or leave it unfinished.

    “Under God”

    Perhaps the most significant words in the Gettysburg Address are often overlooked.

    Lincoln spoke of

    “this nation, under God…”

    Those two words remind us that no nation ultimately governs itself.

    God remains Lord of history.

    Nations rise.

    Empires fall.

    Borders change.

    Cultures evolve.

    But God’s Kingdom endures forever.

    Our founders understood that freedom survives only when it is rooted in virtue, morality, and faith.

    When people forget God, freedom eventually weakens because liberty without virtue becomes selfishness.

    True freedom is not merely the ability to do whatever we wish.

    True freedom is the ability to choose what is good.

    A New Birth of Freedom

    Lincoln prayed that America might experience “a new birth of freedom.”

    Christ offers something even greater.

    He offers every one of us a new birth through grace.

    Jesus told Nicodemus:

    “Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

    Political freedom is precious.

    Spiritual freedom is eternal.

    The greatest liberty is freedom from sin.

    Only Christ can give that gift.

    The Greatest Citizenship

    As grateful as we are to live in the United States, Scripture reminds us that our highest citizenship is not earthly.

    Saint Paul writes:

    “Our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20)

    We honor our country.

    We pray for our leaders.

    We cherish the freedoms secured by generations of brave Americans.

    But we never lose sight of our eternal homeland.

    Every nation, including our own, is temporary.

    The Kingdom of God alone is everlasting.

    Our Resolution Today

    Lincoln asked Americans to resolve that those who died would not have died in vain.

    As Christians, may we make an even greater resolution.

    May we resolve to live lives worthy of the blessings God has given us.

    May we treasure religious liberty by using it to worship Him faithfully.

    May we defend the dignity of every person.

    May we become instruments of peace in a divided world.

    And may we always remember that the greatest freedom is not found in politics, wealth, or power—but in belonging completely to Jesus Christ.

    As we celebrate America’s 250 years, let us thank Almighty God for His countless blessings upon our nation.

    Then let us pray that America will always remain “one nation under God,” seeking His wisdom, His mercy, and His truth.

    For when a nation humbly walks with God, it finds not only freedom for today but hope for eternity.

    “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

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    Rick Herring
    thmjmj@gmail.com

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