What Is Really Important?

            Our nation’s economic situation has many people wondering what will happen next and I admit I fall in that category.  It seems we are a downward spiral spinning out of control yet I also wonder about our hearts in all this.  People have thousands of dollars invested in the stock market and it’s so volatile, the pendulum swings high one day and low the next.  Some authorities in the know promise a crash and burn, or a fall off the cliff occurrence and others tell you not to worry about a thing, it’s all just a correction.

            There are those, who should the stock market crash, would lose a ridiculous amount of money; their entire retirement; or means of security, while still being overwhelmed with debt.  This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me and I guess it doesn’t have to.  But I can’t help being curious about their faith in God rather than in money.  Clearly the Bible says money is the root of all evil although I don’t believe it’s wrong to have money in itself.  What is wrong is when we let money control our lives rather than God and become so greedy that money is our only focus. 

            We need money to live, to buy groceries, gas, pay the mortgage, clothes, and more.   But do we lose focus on what is really important?  Money is a status symbol.  It projects where you fit in the community.  Jesus said “Blessed are the poor.”  Do you feel blessed?  Would you feel blessed if our economy created the situation where you had nothing but your family to cling to?  Some certainly wouldn’t.  In fact there are those, who in the past, have actually taken their life because they couldn’t deal with the loss.  What does that say about our society?

            And then there is Hurricane Sandy who looms just out to sea, even as I write this.  “She” has already created havoc for hundreds of miles and hasn’t even made landfall yet!  “She” has the means to devastate homes and lives in just hours.  States of Emergency has been issued for many states along the coast; while we each know the cost of this storm is going to be astronomical.  But it’s not really about money that is important, is it?  It’s about where we stand with God that counts. 

It is He who has the power to heal the damage done emotionally, physically, financially and especially spiritually.  We’re in the last days.  As more and more “freak” weather occurrences happen, we can be reminded that God is wiser than any of us and knows the “how” and “when” of all things.  It is He who calls us to Him to take an abiding peace that we can obtain nowhere else.  This isn’t to say, we won’t each have to deal with the disasters as they happen around us and most notably, currently, it is Hurricane Sandy.  But I ask you, as you deal with the material things around you, have you dealt with the spiritual?  Do you know where you will spend eternity?  If not, I pray that you give your life to Him now, before it is too late.

I pray each of you and your loved ones are safe as we all face the unknown this coming week.

For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  1 John 2:16

God of Creation

            Faith, like love, is one of those intangible words a person must identify with in order to understand.  There are those who believe our government is going to take care of them no matter what, and live their life on this premise.  Then others believe only in themselves as the keeper of their life and no one, except himself, has helped him reach the goals he has attained.

            The Christian faith is based on a strong belief in a God who created the universe and mankind; loved his creation so much that after the fall of man, sent his Son to die a cruel death on the cross for the sins of the world, rose again and thus provided the means of reconciliation. He provided also, another form of himself:  the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, guiding us into Truth. 

            I am amazed every morning as I look out my window at the beauty of creation.  I completely love to listen to the birds welcome the morning in song, watch the squirrels chase each other through the trees, feel the warm sunshine on my face as I gaze at the beautiful blue sky, and this time of year enjoy the amazing Fall colors.  To believe this beauty just “happened” is more than my mind can fathom.  This was a created by the Master Artist!  Thousands of years ago, He spoke and it was so!

            There is only one God, yet, he is a Triune God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  When God created man he said, “Let us create….”  (Gen 1:26).  God wants us to seek him.  He wants a relationship with us, just as he did Adam, before the fall. God the Father created us for his pleasure and service and provided the means for this relationship through his different attributes:  reconciliation through the Son: Jesus, and guidance through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.  

Knowing this makes my view of creation even more beautiful!  No, you can’t touch “faith” any more than you can touch “love.”  But the result is visible all around us.  I have a faith that believes God, The Master Artist, created this world we live in and the people, including me, that inhabit this amazing place.  It is changing daily as humans consistently ignore God, destroy and attempt to tear down the gift he has given us.  But still, I have hope because of my faith.  And because of my faith, I want to seek him.  I hope you do, as well!

 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

Becoming Who He Wants Me To Be

There are those of you who will laugh at me when I tell you my favorite show on TV is “The Walton’s.”  Aside from the fact that it is a wholesome, family show, I identify heartily with John Boy from a writer’s perspective.  He went for years before actually getting something published.  He would run to the post office only to return with a large manila envelope, which for a writer means another rejection. He was frustrated and emotionally deflated every time.  But he didn’t give up.  It was his dream to become a writer and as the writer of the show, Earl Hamner, can tell you, he did just that.

       Our society has become one of instant gratification.  From instant oatmeal to instant internet access for books or information to nearly instant travel when you consider it takes hours to cross the United States by airplane rather than days and days in a car!

       What does this teach our young people about patience and determination or perseverance?  How do we teach them, that first you must accept the fact that life wasn’t meant to be this way?  Frustration and disappointment are tools used for growth into becoming the person God wants us to be.

       We’ve all been give talents or gifts.  It takes courage and guts sometimes to break out of the mold we find ourselves, to even identify what our niche is.  Sometimes it even means falling on our face.  But mostly it means walking out in faith, after prayerful consideration into the place God is calling us. 

       As the Pastor said yesterday, each of us is expendable, but none is replaceable!  We each have a duty and responsibility to carry out the work that is singularly given to us.  God has placed each of us in a particular corner of the world to meet the needs of those around us as only we can, given our background, experiences and even personality.  He has designed each quality we possess to become the person he wants us to be.

       Our rewards may not be immediately recognized.  In fact it may take years and years, or perhaps not until we receive our eternal reward.  The other side of this equation, however, is the consequences we face when we give up and give in to frustration and disappointment.  Each step we take, whether it’s giant steps forward, or more likely, baby steps, in the direction God calls us, we are preparing to fulfill the responsibility before us, and becoming the person God wants us to be.

Galatians 6:9  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Pulling Your Weight

             It seems work has become a dirty word with many of our young people.  Our society has given rise to creatures that spend endless hours in front of the TV, playing video games or surfing on the computer, on their iPad, or other technological instrument.  Even when a young couple is seen at a table in a restaurant, (or at the dinner table in private homes) it isn’t uncommon to see one or the other on their phone communicating (via text or chatting) with someone other than whom they are with!  

Young people seem to have their “own lives” now at a very tender age, and therefore feel they have no need to be productive with everyday responsibilities. When told to “pull their weight” they seem to think that means some form of exercise program and has nothing to do with doing their share of picking up after themselves or otherwise helping out around the house in which they live, eat, and sleep!  

It makes me wonder what kind of person they will become as adults.  Where is the initiative to be a better person, to do their part?  The sad thing is, when they make the decision to not help when there’s an obvious need, it’s a reflection of their character. They choose to not be productive, assuming someone else will take care of “it” (the work) and them and then as adults they teach that thought process to their children because it is what they live.  The cycle continues on and on until we are where our country stands now, with many cases of people who expect the government to take care of them.  They have become lazy and dependent on someone else.

The same is true with sharing our faith.  The pastor said yesterday that proximity equals responsibility.  We are commanded as Christians to share the Good News with those around us.  If we wait on the next person to do what we have been called to, then we miss the blessing.  This too, is a reflection of our character, our Christian character.  Does it not project that we don’t care enough to share with friends and neighbors.  Is this where our heart really is?  Aren’t we projecting their eternity is “not our problem?”  We too, need to be productive.  When we share the reason for our joy and uncommon peace, then we choose to be productive in our faith.

Whatever work we do, we should do it with our whole heart, because this is a demonstration of godliness that other people notice.  Immediate rewards are often hard to see and when we share our faith with those within our proximity, we may not witness immediate results.  It may take a very long time for someone to respond to the message. But if we choose to not be productive, and then rely on someone else to complete our work, we have the potential pass that mentality on to the next generation, and sadly, also lose our reward.

I hope everyone has a good week of effective work and a full heart!  

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

A Test of Friendship

       I have a friend who shared the story about someone she knew (I’ll call Jesse) who chose to take a path in life that surprised many and caused a division in relationships that can only be mended by the hand of God.  Jesse remained in touch with some of her former friends but others chose to disassociate with her completely, hurting persons on both sides of the equation.

       To make matters worse, my friend wanted to stay connected with Jesse, but due to circumstances beyond her control, could not.  Jesse did not understand, and it caused even more hurt. 

       Friendships are fragile and should be handled with care but also, prayer.  This situation made me think more about the friendship between Jonathan and David which I wrote about last week.  They were fiercely loyal to one another and didn’t doubt the threads of their relationship.  My friend wanted to keep her threads of friendship intact, but couldn’t.  Does this mean she was not loyal?  Would her friend ever understand?  And if there’s no communication how can the knots ever become untangled?

       Sometimes friendships seem to need to be tested for loyalty.  It’s tough to know how far, depending on the circumstances, a person has to go to prove their honesty and integrity when it seems these values have been compromised; “seems” being the operative word.  Sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding.

       The Pastor yesterday was talking about building people up and how what comes out of our mouths should be truthful and said with love.  There are times when we say the truth, but what we say lacks in love and then there are those situations where expressions of love are given, but being honest about a situation isn’t happening because we’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings.   And then there’s the combined circumstance of truth being shared but with a heart of love.  It seems to me the best scenario for my friend is going to be  “truth covered in love.” This may be the only place healing can begin.

     I hope your week is filled with honest and loving doses of "building up" both as a receiver of such kindness and as a giver to "build someone else up!"

 Proverbs 17:17  A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.