Each Day Already is a Challenge

Sharing or boasting

Did you know...I get email comments about this blog? I wish everyone was comfortable just making public comments, rather than emailing me privately. I don't mind that some of those private comments are negative. Perhaps your comment will be a wonderful addition to the blog. Perhaps it will be what causes another to think or ponder or do a bit of research. Why should I be the only one to benefit that way? Seriously. It's okay to disagree with me in public. I can take it.

So. Yesterday I wrote some stuff in my blog about tithing. I also wrote a static item for my port about the same topic. If you're interested, just find the "What's New?" folder in my port. I actually wrote four new items in April and three so far in May. Not bad for this 'ol foggy self.

I commented yesterday about how sad it is that those who have tithed - or even been obedient in other ways - and kept quiet about it ('cause that just seems right) might sometimes need to share so that those who have never tithed or who ar not so obedient understand what a generous God we serve.

Oh, I know that folks might get the idea that you're boasting. Paul sometimes prefaced his remarks with, "I'm not boasting, but..."

I also know that some may get the idea that God is a cosmic vending machine. Put in prayers and petitions and tithes and get back gobs of blessings in return.

That's not how God wants us to think. It's certainly not how God wants us to present Him to the world. And I know that He is none too thrilled when we present Him in the wrong light.

As human beings, we're just so stupid sometimes. Me included. Taken as a whole, God's awesome instruction manual lays out exactly what we should do, and how, and when, and even why. It's in there.

And when we're wise enough to follow the manual, what results is PEACE. If we're smart enough to just lay down our hurts and pains, our fears at the feet of our Lord and walk away, knowing that He is in control, we will find that peace.

That's really the key, folks. Acknowledging that He is the Lord of our lives, living in obedience to Him even when the urgings we're getting don't make a lick of sense to us, but are a part of His larger plan for us. Allowing Him to control every part of our lives, not just one or two, but every single part of our lives.

That's when we truly discover that our lives are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The FRUIT (not fruits) of the Spirit. Every one of those glorious things are available to us as a whole, when we bow down to Him. When we submit to Him. We're not given just one or two of these, but all of these, when we follow His commands. When we "delight in His commands."

We're all human, of course. Or as Budroe always says, "the belly button crowd." And being human we think 1) that we can keep control of some of our lives and that we know best for parts of our lives. Right. And 2) that some things are just too small or petty to take to Him. Nothing is too small to take to God. He already knows everything anyway. Why not admit our failings? Why not admit that we just cannot do this on our own? That we are not able?

I think God must shake His head at us a bunch. He gave us free will, of course. But He must wonder why we keep trying things that just don't work, when His way will work each and every time. When doing things His way will give us such peace and joy, which we all claim to be chasing.

In case you've forgotten, here's what Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV) says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I urge you to read what comes before this passage. The part about our sinful natures. Verse 17, "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature."

Or the words of Verses 13-15: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

Everywhere you look, if you choose to look and seek, the Bible - especially the New Testament - speaks of love. There's a reason for that.

Are you really loving God? Are you showing love to your neighbors? To your spouse? Your children? To your fellow writers?

Am I? For, when I took my very first Lay Speaker class, the instructor reminded us that when anyone - lay person or clergy - preaches, he/she is speaking first to him/herself. And so it is.

Our pastor has been given a "new" idea for helping his flock. (Obviously, there's nothing new under the sun, right? ) His plan is for us to learn to love and serve one another so much and so well, that the light will shine brightly from us and from our church that others will be intrigued and want what we have.

The same thing could happen to each one of us. If we served and loved God the way we should, then our lights will shine brightly. Our love and joy and peace - plus patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (especially self-control!!!) will be so obvious to the world around us that they want what we're experiencing too.

Have you noticed how excited new Christians are? How they fairly glow like a new bride? How they want to devour God's word and learn everything there is to learn - NOW!? That's how we should become again and again and again each and every day. For each day brings us a new opportunity to be the person God created us to be.

Have a great day. One filled with sunshine and SONshine.