Psalm 101:1-2
I will sing to you, LORD! I will celebrate your kindness and your justice. Please help me learn to do the right thing, and I will be honest and fair in my own kingdom.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve been listening to all of the talk from Washington about our federal budget, and I’ve done my fair share of grumbling about waste, overspending, and more. As I handle my grandmother’s business affairs, I’ve seen several opportunities for individuals and agencies to “do the right thing.” Instead, it appears many chose to behave differently. This is not a political commentary, but rather a personal observation.
In recent days, I’ve actually had more than one encounter with a service or repair person who offered to “take a look” at my problem for no charge. This is impressive… such offers are becoming a rarity in our society. Even “looking,” seems to come at a cost. And more than once, I’ve seen charges for a “referral” to another person or agency, when nothing more than the click of a button or the tap of a computer key occurred. Did this really merit a hefty charge? Does flipping a switch to connect a service honestly deserve a “hookup fee?” Are we to the point where we truly never do anything for someone else without some sort of payment involved
More importantly, how often are we “charging” others in God’s name? If we do something kind for someone, do we expect favors in return? Do we make promises we can’t keep? Do we say we will call or show up, then fail to do so? Do we only do something for others when we think we will be rewarded? Do we give God lip service… tell Him we will serve Him with all we have in us… then go about the business of doing as we please?
Think about the people in your circle… those you know well in your community, school and business circles, and your church family. When you think of these people in terms of integrity, what names come to mind? Do you readily picture people who operate in honesty and fairness… both in their daily living and their Christian service? Do you see that these people have studied the kindness and justice of God… and carried it over into their own lives? Don’t you want to be more like these people? Isn’t this how we should all be operating?
I have no illusions of being able to change how others behave… or getting them to stop making unnecessary and exorbitant charges. These folks will have to answer to God for this at some point. But I can do my very best to operate fully in kindness, fairness, justice and integrity… to honor God with my most upright behavior in every arena of life. And so can you! It’s a start… and we might just be able to influence others by doing the right thing ourselves.
Thank God for being so just and fair toward us. Ask Him to show you how to live a life of kindness and justice. Do the right thing… always… as you serve to further God’s Kingdom – and in your own daily living, as well.
©2011 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment