How Rich Are You?

Are You Busy?

Have you looked in the book of James lately? Man it is filled with good stuff.

James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

What a frustration it is to see so many people who come to worship service on Sunday and sit in the pew and listen. Then watch them walk out of the building to quickly forget what they just heard. It makes me wonder why they even bother to assemble. If they studied the Bible they would know that their attendance does them no good. In fact it is a lukewarm faith that God hates, Rev 3:16. It is a destructive and insidious faith. It infects those around it with the same apathy. It tears down ambition and sinks Godly excitement.

Boy have I been on both sides of this verse. It is something I have to constantly work on. But I often try to remind myself that when I am spiritually lazy, it’s not just me that suffers. My husband, my son, my friends and all those around me are infected as well.

I’m definitely at my sharpest when I practice James 1:25.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but and effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

When I am studying His word, I’m more apt to be an effectual doer. And busy people have less time to become apathetic. And we’re more likely to incite others to good works instead of dragging them down to apathy.

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Peace

So How Do You Like Them Apples

Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.

Everyday thousands of words come rolling out of our mouths. Some roll smooth as butter and some fly out like rocks from a sling-shot. How often do we actually think about what words might be the most fitting for the occasion?

Have you ever spoken to someone that seems to know just what to say? I’m convinced that they didn’t get to that point by shear happenstance. I believe that speaking words that fit the circumstances around us takes practice. I can see how I’ve gotten better at this over the years; however it’s not been easy and I’m not done learning and I’m not great at it, but I am better. I am naturally one that likes to just ignore situations. But that part of my personality is of no benefit to me or anyone around me. So I started complimenting people more. Not insincere compliments, but real ones. If I thought someone looked nice, I told them. If I thought someone did a great job, I told them. I started to let those good and positive thoughts escape my mouth. Guess what? It’s fulfilling. To see someone’s face light up is a real joy. And after you encourage like that for a while, it becomes second nature. So I started with simple encouragement. Then the tough stuff came. I started to try to comfort. This is a real hard one, but it is so important. Sometimes you just don’t know what to say. So I just said that. “I don’t know what to say.” Who would have thought that just speaking that truth would be comforting, but it was. Sometimes all that needs to be said is, “I love you and I’m hear for you.”

But putting these words into action takes thought. A friend of mine once made a comment about this subject and he said to always remember T-N-T. Dynamite is a very powerful thing. It can be damaging or it can be useful. It’s all in the application. The acronym TNT stands for Timely, Nice and True.

Timely : Speak up in the moment. Don’t hesitate to tell someone how great they are. Also, you don’t always have to make a comment or share your opinion if the time is not right.

Nice : Make your words pleasant. Some things are hard to hear, but when you speak in love and sincerity the words are much more easily digested.

True : Speak truth. Don’t say things you don’t mean or have no intention of doing. No one wants to hear empty words.

The trick is to pick good words and say them at the right time. You won’t ever be perfect at this, but with lifelong practice you will be more likely to deliver a beautiful silver basket of golden delicious apples instead of a shoe box filled with sour grapes.

Life Is a Gift

I took this from an email I received:

Once upon a time, there was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her kind boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told him, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine."

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

It's 5:45 p.m. The company you invited for dinner will be here any minute. You rush around, doing last minute things, when suddenly you see a spot you missed on the floor. Oh No! You grab a rag, "spot mop" it, and all because..."what will they think of me?"

Does this scenario sound familiar? I hope I'm not the only one who does this. We recently had a party with guests from the neighborhood, some of which had never been in my house. The standard of cleaning excellence was raised quite high in my mind--I felt like the yard needed to be perfectly mowed, we needed pretty flowers, and I cleaned house in some pretty obscure places! All this because I was concerned that they think the best possible thoughts about me and my family.

God gave us some food for thought in this area in I Samuel 16:7, when Samuel was trying to choose one of David's good-looking brothers as king:

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

If we are to be Christlike, we have to think like God thinks. It is impossible for us to have the mind of an omniscient God, but being made in the image of God, we can think in a way that is like Him.

God looks at the heart. He doesn't care if the floor has a spot. He is concerned about black spots in your heart, caused by worldly or evil thoughts. In a similar way, we can be unconcerned about keeping up appearances, and be concerned about showing the love of Christ to our neighbors. Do we know more about the cars they drive and the mower they own, than whether they have problems you could help with or pray about?

Let's work together as friends to combat these attitudes among ourselves. If you see me worrying too much about appearances, please let me know! Let's find others who need our attention, and work on helping them, instead of focusing on ourselves. Then we will see that we are thinking like God, and that many of the things we thought were so important, really are not.

-- Sarah Bruce, author

Love