Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can’t even move.”
“I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you that in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith! Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”
Right then his servant was healed.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Do you know at least one person who can be trusted to always do what he/she promises? Is this person someone of whom you can ask a favor or give a task, and you don’t even have to check to see if they did it… you just know that they did? Isn’t that a great feeling?! I know a few people like this, and I can’t begin to express how valuable they are to me. I know they will move heaven and earth to get things done. Barring an unforeseen circumstance, I won’t have to give this another thought.
On the other hand, don’t you know at least one person who has to be not only prodded to get things done… but he/she also has to be monitored to ensure that the task was completed? It’s not that these are necessarily bad people… but the level of steadfastness and reliability is simply lacking to non-existent! You check up on them because you must, if you want to be sure things get done!
I am so very grateful that we serve a God who is reliable, steady, loyal, accountable, and powerful! We don’t have to check up on God… we don’t have to worry that He will answer our prayers, meet our needs, or heal our “wounds” and “diseases.” Our Heavenly Father is honorable, deliberate, and able to do all things. When we ask anything of Him, it is safe to assume that He’s “on it,” and all will be handled according to His will.
Does this mean that God will always answer exactly as we expect? Absolutely not! When we learn to trust God not only to answer… but also for His perfect answer… we have reached a new level in our relationship with Him. It is human nature to check up on God… to somewhat pester Him for answers. We all go through a time where we remind Him often, “LORD, I still need such-and-such…” or “Father, I’m still hurting here,” or even, “God, WHEN will you hear me?”
When we get to a point that we no longer have to ask… when we don’t have to see God at work or have Him physically visit our home and touch us to heal us… when we just KNOW that He is working things out for us… we begin to fully operate in Christian faith. I pray that you are getting there. I hope you are making strides in your ability to trust the most trustworthy One of all. There will still be times when you will question… but I hope you will also feel a little foolish for doing so. I know I do!
The statement Jesus made about His observance of the army officer’s level of faith is incredibly profound… an amazing commendation any one of us would covet. When Jesus looks at your faith… is He equally astounded? Shouldn’t He be?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label being accountable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being accountable. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 1, 2012
Luke 16:10-12
Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own?
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When Timothy was staying with us, I tried to be very careful to always keep my promises. Some would argue that a two-year-old cannot remember that I said last week I would pick him up on Saturday… or that I told him I would take him to a birthday party, but someone else ended up taking him. But I believe that it’s more about us keeping our word – even to little children who might not remember – than whether what we promised is truly important. This scripture gets it so right… if we can’t be trusted in the little things, how can we ever be trusted with really important stuff?!
A story was recently shared with me about a pastor who had a church member who was hospitalized in another town – but the pastor had been told she was not seriously ill. He had made several trips already that week to the hospital to visit other patients, so he told himself, “I’m tired…she’s not seriously ill, and it’s such a long trip… I’ll catch her next time.” In truth, the woman was very ill. When the pastor finally visited her, he asked forgiveness and apologized. The woman told him, “I will forgive you… but I’ll never forget.” And subsequently, she and her family stopped coming to that particular church.
Now this is a drastic illustration… and you might argue that the woman was at fault for being too sensitive. But this does clearly indicate that little things matter… a visit, hug, or handshake… a kind word (written or spoken)… a kept promise… personal attention to small details… respect for others and their property… acting responsibly and being accountable. If we cannot be faithful in the little things, why on earth should God or anybody else ever trust us with more?
In my notes, I have written that “Judgment day will be a day to judge how well you did your assignment. The only thing that matters is, ‘Am I doing the thing that God called me to do?’” What is God calling you to do today… large and small? What little things has He asked of you? Have you been faithful in these? Are you ready to accept larger assignments? Are you worthy of the responsibility that these carry? Do you keep your promises?
The key to getting closer to God lies in faithfulness - in accomplishing the bigger things…and more importantly, the littlest matters. How close are you to God these days? Can He trust you with any assignment… regardless of the size?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own?
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When Timothy was staying with us, I tried to be very careful to always keep my promises. Some would argue that a two-year-old cannot remember that I said last week I would pick him up on Saturday… or that I told him I would take him to a birthday party, but someone else ended up taking him. But I believe that it’s more about us keeping our word – even to little children who might not remember – than whether what we promised is truly important. This scripture gets it so right… if we can’t be trusted in the little things, how can we ever be trusted with really important stuff?!
A story was recently shared with me about a pastor who had a church member who was hospitalized in another town – but the pastor had been told she was not seriously ill. He had made several trips already that week to the hospital to visit other patients, so he told himself, “I’m tired…she’s not seriously ill, and it’s such a long trip… I’ll catch her next time.” In truth, the woman was very ill. When the pastor finally visited her, he asked forgiveness and apologized. The woman told him, “I will forgive you… but I’ll never forget.” And subsequently, she and her family stopped coming to that particular church.
Now this is a drastic illustration… and you might argue that the woman was at fault for being too sensitive. But this does clearly indicate that little things matter… a visit, hug, or handshake… a kind word (written or spoken)… a kept promise… personal attention to small details… respect for others and their property… acting responsibly and being accountable. If we cannot be faithful in the little things, why on earth should God or anybody else ever trust us with more?
In my notes, I have written that “Judgment day will be a day to judge how well you did your assignment. The only thing that matters is, ‘Am I doing the thing that God called me to do?’” What is God calling you to do today… large and small? What little things has He asked of you? Have you been faithful in these? Are you ready to accept larger assignments? Are you worthy of the responsibility that these carry? Do you keep your promises?
The key to getting closer to God lies in faithfulness - in accomplishing the bigger things…and more importantly, the littlest matters. How close are you to God these days? Can He trust you with any assignment… regardless of the size?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 14, 2011
2 Kings 20:1-11
About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. Isaiah the prophet went in and told him, "The LORD says you won't ever get well. You are going to die, so you had better start doing what needs to be done."
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed, "Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, LORD. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right." After this, he cried hard.
Before Isaiah got to the middle court of the palace, the LORD sent him back to Hezekiah with this message: Hezekiah, you are the ruler of my people, and I am the LORD God, who was worshiped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will heal you, so that three days from now you will be able to worship in my temple. I will let you live fifteen years more, while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city as an honor to me and to my servant David.
Then Isaiah said to the king's servants, "Bring some mashed figs and place them on the king's open sore. He will then get well." Hezekiah asked Isaiah, "Can you prove that the LORD will heal me, so that I can worship in his temple in three days?"
Isaiah replied, "The LORD will prove to you that he will keep his promise. Will the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway go forward ten steps or back ten steps?" "It's normal for the sun to go forward," Hezekiah answered. "But how can it go back?" Isaiah prayed, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway built for King Ahaz.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Four years ago, my husband and I moved into a new house that had been constructed for us by a local builder, his son, and other members of the his crew. Over the years, we have used this builder more than once, and he has become our trusted friend. We know that he will always do what he promises. So when we moved into our present house, we were not surprised to see his son drive up one afternoon, bucket and rags in hand. “I have come to wash your windows,” he said. “I told you I would not present your final bill until those outside windows were clean.” He washed all of the windows, as promised.
Truthfully, we had not even thought about the windows. We trusted that everything the builder and his son promised to do would get done. And they proved us right. Yes, we gave them “punch lists” of things to complete, but we didn’t have to have a written contract. They didn’t have to knock on the door and say, “I did XYZ.” They listened to our requests and answered us.
I can understand Hezekiah’s desire for proof that God was going to heal him and give him 15 more years of life. And frankly, there are a lot of people who make a lot of promises in this world that leave me saying, “Prove it!” But when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of our Heavenly Father, we have no need to worry. We’ve already had all the proof we need in the blood of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. He was willing to lay down His own life for our sins… so why would He ever default on a promise?!
As much as this passage is a reminder to trust the promises of God and rest assured that He will deliver, according to His perfect will… it is also a message to us to be faithful in our own promises. If you tell a friend you will call, pick up the phone and follow through. If you promise to do something for someone else, do it. Don’t tell Grandma you will come to see her, and then skip the visit. Don’t promise your little brother you will read to him before bedtime, then make up excuses and do something else. Don’t commit your heart to a significant other, and then look around for someone better. And don’t promise to love God and serve Him with all your heart, then wander off to do whatever you please and serve your own desires… or worse yet – those of the devil.
God will never make a promise He can’t keep… and neither should we. There’s one more thing you should notice. Hezekiah cried and poured out his heart to God… and God listened. I’m not saying that all we have to do is cry and whine, and God will change His mind and do what we please. But God wants us to be honest with Him. When our desires line up with His and we call out to Him, He hears us and answers accordingly. Communicate with God… trust Him… and honor His faithfulness to fulfill promises by exercising integrity in your own relationships.
©2011 Debbie Robus
About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. Isaiah the prophet went in and told him, "The LORD says you won't ever get well. You are going to die, so you had better start doing what needs to be done."
Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed, "Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, LORD. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right." After this, he cried hard.
Before Isaiah got to the middle court of the palace, the LORD sent him back to Hezekiah with this message: Hezekiah, you are the ruler of my people, and I am the LORD God, who was worshiped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will heal you, so that three days from now you will be able to worship in my temple. I will let you live fifteen years more, while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city as an honor to me and to my servant David.
Then Isaiah said to the king's servants, "Bring some mashed figs and place them on the king's open sore. He will then get well." Hezekiah asked Isaiah, "Can you prove that the LORD will heal me, so that I can worship in his temple in three days?"
Isaiah replied, "The LORD will prove to you that he will keep his promise. Will the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway go forward ten steps or back ten steps?" "It's normal for the sun to go forward," Hezekiah answered. "But how can it go back?" Isaiah prayed, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway built for King Ahaz.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Four years ago, my husband and I moved into a new house that had been constructed for us by a local builder, his son, and other members of the his crew. Over the years, we have used this builder more than once, and he has become our trusted friend. We know that he will always do what he promises. So when we moved into our present house, we were not surprised to see his son drive up one afternoon, bucket and rags in hand. “I have come to wash your windows,” he said. “I told you I would not present your final bill until those outside windows were clean.” He washed all of the windows, as promised.
Truthfully, we had not even thought about the windows. We trusted that everything the builder and his son promised to do would get done. And they proved us right. Yes, we gave them “punch lists” of things to complete, but we didn’t have to have a written contract. They didn’t have to knock on the door and say, “I did XYZ.” They listened to our requests and answered us.
I can understand Hezekiah’s desire for proof that God was going to heal him and give him 15 more years of life. And frankly, there are a lot of people who make a lot of promises in this world that leave me saying, “Prove it!” But when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of our Heavenly Father, we have no need to worry. We’ve already had all the proof we need in the blood of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. He was willing to lay down His own life for our sins… so why would He ever default on a promise?!
As much as this passage is a reminder to trust the promises of God and rest assured that He will deliver, according to His perfect will… it is also a message to us to be faithful in our own promises. If you tell a friend you will call, pick up the phone and follow through. If you promise to do something for someone else, do it. Don’t tell Grandma you will come to see her, and then skip the visit. Don’t promise your little brother you will read to him before bedtime, then make up excuses and do something else. Don’t commit your heart to a significant other, and then look around for someone better. And don’t promise to love God and serve Him with all your heart, then wander off to do whatever you please and serve your own desires… or worse yet – those of the devil.
God will never make a promise He can’t keep… and neither should we. There’s one more thing you should notice. Hezekiah cried and poured out his heart to God… and God listened. I’m not saying that all we have to do is cry and whine, and God will change His mind and do what we please. But God wants us to be honest with Him. When our desires line up with His and we call out to Him, He hears us and answers accordingly. Communicate with God… trust Him… and honor His faithfulness to fulfill promises by exercising integrity in your own relationships.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 16, 2011
Proverbs 21:20
Be sensible and store up precious treasures-- don't waste them like a fool.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We all know people whose money “burns a hole in their pocket.” If they have a dollar, they will find something to buy with it. Early on, I became a tightwad. Some probably consider me “cheap”… I prefer to think I am conscientious and thrifty. Or maybe I have gone to one too many estate sales and seen a lifetime of “treasures” be sold in a matter of hours for pennies on the dollar. But I truly believe that God expects us to be good stewards of our money and possessions.
God wants us to be smart and honest… to work hard for a fair wage, and then pay our bills with our earnings. God doesn’t want us to live beyond our means… to max out credit cards and live on borrowed money – or the kindness and sympathy of others. To do this makes us a slave to money and possessions – and potentially to other people. And it takes our focus in the wrong direction.
God wants us to be realistic and responsible. He wants us to “save for a rainy day,” and to pay our own way. We can’t do this if we are wasteful and mis-manage our assets. A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet these days. And through no fault of their own, some are finding that there isn’t enough “month in the money.” Still others seem to be “fiddling while Rome burns”… continuing to live and spend like they once did, even though their job is in jeopardy and they can’t pay the mortgage.
Regardless of your age or your income, I encourage you to spend some time in prayer and ask God to help you prepare a budget. With His guidance, determine exactly how much you need to save… and what you can afford to spend. Do this with the intangible things, too… like your time, your talents, and your abilities – and even your relationships. Ask God where you need to spend your resources… and where to conserve them.
At the end of the day, remember that everything belongs to God. He has placed us in charge of certain things, but we need to be very careful how we handle them. Are you being a good steward of what God has placed in your care? Or are you foolishly spending everything you have… and wasting precious treasures in the process?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Be sensible and store up precious treasures-- don't waste them like a fool.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We all know people whose money “burns a hole in their pocket.” If they have a dollar, they will find something to buy with it. Early on, I became a tightwad. Some probably consider me “cheap”… I prefer to think I am conscientious and thrifty. Or maybe I have gone to one too many estate sales and seen a lifetime of “treasures” be sold in a matter of hours for pennies on the dollar. But I truly believe that God expects us to be good stewards of our money and possessions.
God wants us to be smart and honest… to work hard for a fair wage, and then pay our bills with our earnings. God doesn’t want us to live beyond our means… to max out credit cards and live on borrowed money – or the kindness and sympathy of others. To do this makes us a slave to money and possessions – and potentially to other people. And it takes our focus in the wrong direction.
God wants us to be realistic and responsible. He wants us to “save for a rainy day,” and to pay our own way. We can’t do this if we are wasteful and mis-manage our assets. A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet these days. And through no fault of their own, some are finding that there isn’t enough “month in the money.” Still others seem to be “fiddling while Rome burns”… continuing to live and spend like they once did, even though their job is in jeopardy and they can’t pay the mortgage.
Regardless of your age or your income, I encourage you to spend some time in prayer and ask God to help you prepare a budget. With His guidance, determine exactly how much you need to save… and what you can afford to spend. Do this with the intangible things, too… like your time, your talents, and your abilities – and even your relationships. Ask God where you need to spend your resources… and where to conserve them.
At the end of the day, remember that everything belongs to God. He has placed us in charge of certain things, but we need to be very careful how we handle them. Are you being a good steward of what God has placed in your care? Or are you foolishly spending everything you have… and wasting precious treasures in the process?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 25, 2011
Proverbs 20:4
If you are too lazy to plow, don't expect a harvest.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The other day I caught part of a commercial for yet another fat-burning solution that comes in a little capsule. No exercise is necessary… no dietary changes are needed. All we have to do is take these little capsules, and they will miraculously attach to our belly fat and burn it into oblivion for us! Yippee!!! As my “personal trainer” Jillian Michaels says, this is a message of lethargy and laziness… and it won’t work. She also says that so many people truly do not show up their own lives. In other words, they don’t take responsibility for their actions… or the outcomes. And she is right! We want the harvest, but we don’t want to plow!
We see this in every arena of life. Some students never study and barely get by then wonder why their GPA is so poor and they can’t get into good graduate schools - or potential employers are less than impressed. People apply for job after job and wonder why nobody will hire them... yet they fail to realize they present a lazy, “I-could-care-less” attitude and a sloppy appearance. We all know someone who has been on one diet after another, joined every gym in town and has a cabinet full of workout videos – right next to the treadmill/clothes rack. Every Monday is going to be the first day of a diet… until Monday actually arrives.
We also see this in the lives of many Christians. We make excuses with comments like, “I have nothing to offer. I’m not smart/capable/talented/outgoing… and more. I don’t have time. I don’t want to be a pest.” Sometimes, these are code for “I’m too lazy to get involved.” We often hear God nudging us into service and witness, but we either tune Him out or turn away. Some of us are so out of step with God that we really, truly don’t recognize His voice when He speaks and gives us an assignment!
The time has come for us to show up… to be truly present in our own lives… and as Christians and Disciples of Christ. We need to get up and get going… to clean up our act, polish our appearance, and get in line to accept whatever challenges we are presented… with all of the enthusiasm and energy we can muster. If you are really ready for a harvest, are you ready to plow?
©2011 Debbie Robus
If you are too lazy to plow, don't expect a harvest.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The other day I caught part of a commercial for yet another fat-burning solution that comes in a little capsule. No exercise is necessary… no dietary changes are needed. All we have to do is take these little capsules, and they will miraculously attach to our belly fat and burn it into oblivion for us! Yippee!!! As my “personal trainer” Jillian Michaels says, this is a message of lethargy and laziness… and it won’t work. She also says that so many people truly do not show up their own lives. In other words, they don’t take responsibility for their actions… or the outcomes. And she is right! We want the harvest, but we don’t want to plow!
We see this in every arena of life. Some students never study and barely get by then wonder why their GPA is so poor and they can’t get into good graduate schools - or potential employers are less than impressed. People apply for job after job and wonder why nobody will hire them... yet they fail to realize they present a lazy, “I-could-care-less” attitude and a sloppy appearance. We all know someone who has been on one diet after another, joined every gym in town and has a cabinet full of workout videos – right next to the treadmill/clothes rack. Every Monday is going to be the first day of a diet… until Monday actually arrives.
We also see this in the lives of many Christians. We make excuses with comments like, “I have nothing to offer. I’m not smart/capable/talented/outgoing… and more. I don’t have time. I don’t want to be a pest.” Sometimes, these are code for “I’m too lazy to get involved.” We often hear God nudging us into service and witness, but we either tune Him out or turn away. Some of us are so out of step with God that we really, truly don’t recognize His voice when He speaks and gives us an assignment!
The time has come for us to show up… to be truly present in our own lives… and as Christians and Disciples of Christ. We need to get up and get going… to clean up our act, polish our appearance, and get in line to accept whatever challenges we are presented… with all of the enthusiasm and energy we can muster. If you are really ready for a harvest, are you ready to plow?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 15, 2011
Luke 16:10-15
Jesus went on to make these comments:
If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things;
If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things.
If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank.
When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: "You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Selling online is fun… but it can be challenging, too. Once in awhile, you will get a customer who cannot be satisfied. Even though you try to make your photos and written description as clear and inclusive as possible, there will be that person who says, “This is not what I ordered,” or “You didn’t tell me such-and-such.” Whether they are correct is pretty irrelevant. I’ve learned that the smartest thing to do is say, “Send it back,” eat any shipping expense, and move forward.
In online selling, reputation is everything. You are known by how promptly and carefully you ship… whether products are as you described… and how fair your charges are. So when a repeat customer recently paid nearly $2 more for shipping than it actually cost, I immediately issued a refund. I could have kept that overage… it would have covered my PayPal fees. And the customer had known the shipping cost when she purchased. In my defense, I had to estimate shipping cost based on a more distant destination. Since the customer lived in a nearby state, shipping costs were not as high as estimated. So I issued the refund.
In the long run, being fair and honest will get me more customers and repeat business – and this customer has left wonderful feedback for other potential buyers to read. Two dollars is not a big amount, but as this passage illustrates, small things lead to bigger things. And conversely, small gestures… like issuing this refund… will lead to bigger things, such as more sales down the road.
You may know someone of whom it is said, “If his/her lips are moving, he/she is lying.” Sadly, we probably all know someone we wouldn’t trust past the front door. But for every person who is this dishonest or untrustworthy, there are many others who walk among us who are more subtle and deceptive. I hope you are not one of these people. I hope you don’t operate in the “Who will know?” realm of sweeping little things under the rug, “putting lipstick on the pig” and making yourself look like someone you are not… basically being a phony. You may fool the people around you – at least for awhile – but God will never be fooled!
Ask yourself where and when you may have temptations to color the truth in your favor – even a little. Examine every area of your life to see if there are any corners where you are less than honest with others – and yourself! Ask God to help you be the real deal… the person He created you to be… and to focus on being genuine and serving Him well. Just like my positive feedback online, doing the right thing will bring you exponential blessings that you can’t even imagine. God knows your heart… and He will honor your best efforts. Is this what you are giving Him?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus went on to make these comments:
If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things;
If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things.
If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank.
When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: "You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Selling online is fun… but it can be challenging, too. Once in awhile, you will get a customer who cannot be satisfied. Even though you try to make your photos and written description as clear and inclusive as possible, there will be that person who says, “This is not what I ordered,” or “You didn’t tell me such-and-such.” Whether they are correct is pretty irrelevant. I’ve learned that the smartest thing to do is say, “Send it back,” eat any shipping expense, and move forward.
In online selling, reputation is everything. You are known by how promptly and carefully you ship… whether products are as you described… and how fair your charges are. So when a repeat customer recently paid nearly $2 more for shipping than it actually cost, I immediately issued a refund. I could have kept that overage… it would have covered my PayPal fees. And the customer had known the shipping cost when she purchased. In my defense, I had to estimate shipping cost based on a more distant destination. Since the customer lived in a nearby state, shipping costs were not as high as estimated. So I issued the refund.
In the long run, being fair and honest will get me more customers and repeat business – and this customer has left wonderful feedback for other potential buyers to read. Two dollars is not a big amount, but as this passage illustrates, small things lead to bigger things. And conversely, small gestures… like issuing this refund… will lead to bigger things, such as more sales down the road.
You may know someone of whom it is said, “If his/her lips are moving, he/she is lying.” Sadly, we probably all know someone we wouldn’t trust past the front door. But for every person who is this dishonest or untrustworthy, there are many others who walk among us who are more subtle and deceptive. I hope you are not one of these people. I hope you don’t operate in the “Who will know?” realm of sweeping little things under the rug, “putting lipstick on the pig” and making yourself look like someone you are not… basically being a phony. You may fool the people around you – at least for awhile – but God will never be fooled!
Ask yourself where and when you may have temptations to color the truth in your favor – even a little. Examine every area of your life to see if there are any corners where you are less than honest with others – and yourself! Ask God to help you be the real deal… the person He created you to be… and to focus on being genuine and serving Him well. Just like my positive feedback online, doing the right thing will bring you exponential blessings that you can’t even imagine. God knows your heart… and He will honor your best efforts. Is this what you are giving Him?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 20, 2011
Luke 9:62
Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!"
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My grandmother has the staff at her assisted living facility jumping through hoops to help her “make a garden.” For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has had a garden of some sort every year. When I was a child, she and my grandfather grew nearly everything they ate. Each late winter/early spring, they would get out the little wheel plow and make the rows in their garden for the various vegetables. For the deeper furrows, my Pap-pa would hitch a mule to the plow and make his rows.
Like many good farmers I knew through the years, my grandparents’ rows were always neat and orderly, and incredibly straight. Oh, they tried to teach me and my siblings to plow the rows, but ours were never straight enough, and our attention span was probably not long enough… and we most likely looked back while plowing! I can still hear my grandmother fussing about those rows… and she told me just last week that she had chastised the maintenance guy at her senior residence because “he didn’t dig his trenches deep enough.”
What does this mean in the end? What does it really hurt? Maybe not much… but then again, maybe it hurts a lot. In a relatively square garden patch, one crooked row leads to another… and another… and ultimately, besides crooked rows, you could end up without enough space for everything you wanted or needed to grow. Also, crooked rows speak to the orderliness of the gardener. And serious gardeners like my grandmother take their planting personally… and feel any flaws reflect directly on their character!
In the context of our spiritual life, Jesus is saying that we have to leave the past in the past. We can’t be continually looking back at what we did or worrying about what we didn’t finish or fix. We have to be willing to say, “Jesus has called me to serve Him now… those things no longer matter. He is more important!”
So when people say, “I’ll give my heart to Jesus tomorrow… just let me have one more wild night,” this passage is for them. When someone says, “Lightning will strike if I darken the doors of the church sanctuary,” this passage says, “That’s not true.” When people tell you, I’ve got to get my life in better order before I can serve others,” that’s stinkin’ thinkin’! I remember very clearly believing that I could not attend a Walk to Emmaus until I had resolved some “issues” in my own heart first. I thought I had to fix myself before I could allow God to work… and nothing could be further from the truth!
God wants us right where we are… now… today… this minute! He wants us to say, “I want so badly to be in Your will and serving You with every fiber of my being that I am willing to drop everything and start immediately.” He doesn’t want us to hesitate… to even look back and wave “Good-bye” to our sinful past. He just wants us to move forward, plowing the straightest, neatest row of Christian faith and trust that we possibly can. He will give us the seeds to plant. He will fertilize and nurture our “garden” and handle the harvest. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.
I am so bad about hesitating. I am clearly one of those who wants to “tie up loose ends” first. I have a terribly hard time “letting go and letting God” sometimes… don’t you? But we can change! We can do better. We must learn to operate in faith and stop looking backward. Our spiritual “garden” depends on it!
During the Walk to Emmaus… we say to those who attend, “Christ is counting on you.” They reply, “And I am counting on Christ.” Are you counting on Christ today? Or are you looking backward, procrastinating, and trying to fix things yourself? Isn’t it time you started plowing forward? Can Christ count on you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!"
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My grandmother has the staff at her assisted living facility jumping through hoops to help her “make a garden.” For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has had a garden of some sort every year. When I was a child, she and my grandfather grew nearly everything they ate. Each late winter/early spring, they would get out the little wheel plow and make the rows in their garden for the various vegetables. For the deeper furrows, my Pap-pa would hitch a mule to the plow and make his rows.
Like many good farmers I knew through the years, my grandparents’ rows were always neat and orderly, and incredibly straight. Oh, they tried to teach me and my siblings to plow the rows, but ours were never straight enough, and our attention span was probably not long enough… and we most likely looked back while plowing! I can still hear my grandmother fussing about those rows… and she told me just last week that she had chastised the maintenance guy at her senior residence because “he didn’t dig his trenches deep enough.”
What does this mean in the end? What does it really hurt? Maybe not much… but then again, maybe it hurts a lot. In a relatively square garden patch, one crooked row leads to another… and another… and ultimately, besides crooked rows, you could end up without enough space for everything you wanted or needed to grow. Also, crooked rows speak to the orderliness of the gardener. And serious gardeners like my grandmother take their planting personally… and feel any flaws reflect directly on their character!
In the context of our spiritual life, Jesus is saying that we have to leave the past in the past. We can’t be continually looking back at what we did or worrying about what we didn’t finish or fix. We have to be willing to say, “Jesus has called me to serve Him now… those things no longer matter. He is more important!”
So when people say, “I’ll give my heart to Jesus tomorrow… just let me have one more wild night,” this passage is for them. When someone says, “Lightning will strike if I darken the doors of the church sanctuary,” this passage says, “That’s not true.” When people tell you, I’ve got to get my life in better order before I can serve others,” that’s stinkin’ thinkin’! I remember very clearly believing that I could not attend a Walk to Emmaus until I had resolved some “issues” in my own heart first. I thought I had to fix myself before I could allow God to work… and nothing could be further from the truth!
God wants us right where we are… now… today… this minute! He wants us to say, “I want so badly to be in Your will and serving You with every fiber of my being that I am willing to drop everything and start immediately.” He doesn’t want us to hesitate… to even look back and wave “Good-bye” to our sinful past. He just wants us to move forward, plowing the straightest, neatest row of Christian faith and trust that we possibly can. He will give us the seeds to plant. He will fertilize and nurture our “garden” and handle the harvest. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.
I am so bad about hesitating. I am clearly one of those who wants to “tie up loose ends” first. I have a terribly hard time “letting go and letting God” sometimes… don’t you? But we can change! We can do better. We must learn to operate in faith and stop looking backward. Our spiritual “garden” depends on it!
During the Walk to Emmaus… we say to those who attend, “Christ is counting on you.” They reply, “And I am counting on Christ.” Are you counting on Christ today? Or are you looking backward, procrastinating, and trying to fix things yourself? Isn’t it time you started plowing forward? Can Christ count on you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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