1 Peter 1:17
You call out to God for help and he
helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a
responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugeterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.
All rights reserved.
We’ve been practicing for the
children’s Christmas program at our church. I am helping with the music
this year…and this is Timothy’s first time to participate in the
program for children in elementary school. His sister and brother will
ring bells with the “Little Ringers” – which includes ages 3-5.
Our
practices for the program are on Sunday nights at 5:00. This is just
about the worst hour of the week for elementary school children to
rehearse for a program. They are weary…they are distracted...some are
hungry…they’ve had a big week, and some have had an even bigger weekend.
So
the children stand and halfway sing. They go through the motions, and I
wonder if, with two rehearsals left, the program will be even remotely
decent on December 13th. I almost know that it will be – that God will
provide. Still, I coach the children to sing louder…to “stand up
straight and do your best!” And I pray for a good outcome!
One
night, Timothy was especially tired, and I actually let him leave
practice early. He told his mother and me, “I don’t want to do this
anymore.” He loves the music, and his mother says that he practices at
home on his own and sings like a bird. And to her credit, she told him
that…”We finish what we start.” So he has been a good “soldier” and
marched to practice since – and I am confident that he will sing beautifully for the actual performance.
Here’s the thing. My heart
aches for those little kids who are weary and disinterested. But “rules
are rules”…and Timothy’s mother is right – “we finish what we start.”
And it’s that way with God, too. Yes, He meets our needs…and often, His
heart is broken for us and what wears us down. He has committed to
caring for us at all times…”through thick and thin.” But at the same
time, we’ve made a commitment to love and serve God in return…and there is no room in this covenant for sloppy living.
We
cannot have it both ways. We cannot take and take from God and expect
Him to keep on giving without any reservations. We cannot give less
than our best in “rehearsals” and expect a flawless “performance” at the
actual program!
I am so grateful for God’s love and care.
Today, my challenge for all of us is that we would examine our hearts –
and our thoughts, words and actions – and see where we have gotten a
little sloppy. Where do we need to “stand up straight and do our
best?” Where do we need to work a little harder to finish what we have
begun…even if it takes the rest of our lives? Will this be the day that
you recommit to your covenant with God? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label doing our part as Christians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doing our part as Christians. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for May 22, 2014
Romans 12:4-5
Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
We have a Greater Roadrunner that lives in our yard – or close by – and I have to tell you…I love that funny bird! Not only is he entertaining to watch as he scurries across our yard or driveway…he’s a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website*, “… the Greater Roadrunner can outrace a human, kill a rattlesnake, and thrive in the harsh landscapes of the Desert Southwest.” Between the Greater Roadrunner and the large black rat snake we sometimes see in our yard, I feel relatively comfortable that poisonous snakes are being kept at bay around here!
I’ll be honest… I generally operate by the philosophy that “the only good snake is a dead snake”…but I have learned in recent years to let the harmless, non-poisonous variety be, as everyone insists that they keep the “bad” snakes away. I am still scared half out of my wits by them sometimes, but I’ve decided that they do serve a purpose. Now, Greater Roadrunners don’t scare me (we humans probably scare THEM!)…but I understand their importance to our ecosystem…so I am always glad to see our little “Speedy Gonzales”!
As I read this scripture passage, I wondered…what if we had no roadrunners or “good” snakes to control the “bad” ones? I’ve been reading about the decimation of our bee population and how detrimental this is to us in so many ways. I read a quote by Albert Einstein that said something to the effect of “When the bees are all gone, we humans have about four years left.” So many of God’s creations are vital to our daily survival…creatures we never even consider - like a honeybee or a Greater Roadrunner!
By the same token, each one of us is vital to God’s grand plan. And as Christians, we have critical roles in furthering God’s Kingdom and spreading the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ. When we sit on our hands or hang back in the shadows and fail to act, we’re at best making it hard on the others who have to pick up our slack …and we dishonor Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf - the precious gift of salvation. We are the “honeybee” in God’s plan who helps to sustain and develop new life in Christ! We are the “Great Roadrunner” or “King Snake” who keeps the devil’s “bad snakes” at bay. We were important to God already…but in terms of the body of Christ, we are even more significant!
Now don’t misunderstand me. God is all-powerful…all-knowing…perfectly capable of handling all of this on His own. But He has chosen us…Jesus rescued us…and in return, we are called to serve – and to “do our part”. Have you ever stubbed your toe…or maybe even broken it? If you have, you know that the pain of such a small body part can affect you profoundly. If you’ve ever injured an arm, leg, hand, foot, eye or ear and had to function without its use for a while, you understand that your whole lifestyle changes. You become focused in large part on what is missing…and how to accommodate getting along without it. In many cases, things probably don’t go so well as a result. It’s like this in the body of Christ, too!
We need to stop and thank God for our body and how well it works…to praise Him for orchestrating nature and how it functions so perfectly…and to glorify Him for giving us Jesus – and our new life in Him. We must pay close attention to our role as part of Christ’s body and make sure that we are pulling our share of the load…that we are functioning at peak performance…that everything we do honors and glorifies His name and shares in the proper functioning of the lives of fellow believers.
This is a good day to stop and look at a bumblebee or a roadrunner and remind ourselves that we all have a job to do…and to do ours to the best of our ability – and to the glory of God. How are you doing so far?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/greater_roadrunner/id
Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
We have a Greater Roadrunner that lives in our yard – or close by – and I have to tell you…I love that funny bird! Not only is he entertaining to watch as he scurries across our yard or driveway…he’s a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website*, “… the Greater Roadrunner can outrace a human, kill a rattlesnake, and thrive in the harsh landscapes of the Desert Southwest.” Between the Greater Roadrunner and the large black rat snake we sometimes see in our yard, I feel relatively comfortable that poisonous snakes are being kept at bay around here!
I’ll be honest… I generally operate by the philosophy that “the only good snake is a dead snake”…but I have learned in recent years to let the harmless, non-poisonous variety be, as everyone insists that they keep the “bad” snakes away. I am still scared half out of my wits by them sometimes, but I’ve decided that they do serve a purpose. Now, Greater Roadrunners don’t scare me (we humans probably scare THEM!)…but I understand their importance to our ecosystem…so I am always glad to see our little “Speedy Gonzales”!
As I read this scripture passage, I wondered…what if we had no roadrunners or “good” snakes to control the “bad” ones? I’ve been reading about the decimation of our bee population and how detrimental this is to us in so many ways. I read a quote by Albert Einstein that said something to the effect of “When the bees are all gone, we humans have about four years left.” So many of God’s creations are vital to our daily survival…creatures we never even consider - like a honeybee or a Greater Roadrunner!
By the same token, each one of us is vital to God’s grand plan. And as Christians, we have critical roles in furthering God’s Kingdom and spreading the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ. When we sit on our hands or hang back in the shadows and fail to act, we’re at best making it hard on the others who have to pick up our slack …and we dishonor Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf - the precious gift of salvation. We are the “honeybee” in God’s plan who helps to sustain and develop new life in Christ! We are the “Great Roadrunner” or “King Snake” who keeps the devil’s “bad snakes” at bay. We were important to God already…but in terms of the body of Christ, we are even more significant!
Now don’t misunderstand me. God is all-powerful…all-knowing…perfectly capable of handling all of this on His own. But He has chosen us…Jesus rescued us…and in return, we are called to serve – and to “do our part”. Have you ever stubbed your toe…or maybe even broken it? If you have, you know that the pain of such a small body part can affect you profoundly. If you’ve ever injured an arm, leg, hand, foot, eye or ear and had to function without its use for a while, you understand that your whole lifestyle changes. You become focused in large part on what is missing…and how to accommodate getting along without it. In many cases, things probably don’t go so well as a result. It’s like this in the body of Christ, too!
We need to stop and thank God for our body and how well it works…to praise Him for orchestrating nature and how it functions so perfectly…and to glorify Him for giving us Jesus – and our new life in Him. We must pay close attention to our role as part of Christ’s body and make sure that we are pulling our share of the load…that we are functioning at peak performance…that everything we do honors and glorifies His name and shares in the proper functioning of the lives of fellow believers.
This is a good day to stop and look at a bumblebee or a roadrunner and remind ourselves that we all have a job to do…and to do ours to the best of our ability – and to the glory of God. How are you doing so far?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/greater_roadrunner/id
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