Scripture: Romans 8:1-4                                       Key Verse: Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (KJV)

              Dr. Samuel Betances was born to racially mixed parents in Harlem in the midst of poverty, violence, welfare, and illiteracy. Despite the many negatives that surrounded his early life, including being a high-school dropout, he earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is honored today throughout the world. He gives God the credit for placing significant people in his of service.

Dr. Bethances spoke at the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in New Orleans in December 2007. Dr. Betances told a story that lifts up the text of Romans 8:1. Despite his humble beginning, God led him to people who saw the possibilities he had to make a contribution in life. One person told him to read all the memoirs of famous people that he could, especially those who turned tragic circumstances into positive opportunities for living meaningful lives. He read the works of Frederick Douglas, telling how he turned his life in slavery into an opportunity for service to others. He also read a book by Viktor Frankl about how a Nazi German death camp imprisonment was turned into a victory that revealed the human capacity for resilience. After this reading he realized he was not condemned by his past or by the circumstances of his life. Rather, by embracing the people that God put in his path, he could transform his own life into one that would benefit him benefit him and others.

Indeed we are not condemned by life. In Jesus Christ, race, birth circumstances, and cultural systems of discrimination do not have that last word. None of these forces can separate us from what God has in store for our lives and for those for whom God intends us to serve

Prayer:

Thank you, God, that through the power of the Holy Spirit we are not condemned to the past; and we can take full advantage of the opportunities to fulfill the lives you bring to us each day.