2007-07-20
Good Morning God's Treasures,
Do not be embarrassed by my greeting, for that is what true believers are to God and to me. As it began, our continuing discussion on temptation is prompted by Christ's Sermon on the Mount words in MT 6: 22-23, which begin with, "The eyes are like a lamp for the body..." At this point it's important to investigate distractions to living lives of holiness and what to do about them. 1) Material security is a major issue for most of us. Only a few have enough money to live without a concern about acquiring enough to provide our families with their basic needs. There are lots of behavior patterns that can arise from trying to support ourselves and/or our families. A common one is the main provider working such long hours that he has little time for quality communication and interaction with his/her family. Sometimes it's the individual's fault; other times it's the result of superiors on the job who don't consider family life important, but instead, are only concerned with the bottom line for their company.
While Christ isn't having his earthly incarnation in our day of under-employment and living with the results of the "downsizing" trends of the '90's, His words on the subject of provision for our basic needs still apply. MT 6: 25-27, "This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, for about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds flying around: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns, yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?" Christ continues in MT 6: 31-34, "So do not start worrying: 'From where will my food come? Or my drink? Or my clothes? (These are the things pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead be concerned above everything else the Kingdom of God and with what He requires of you, and He will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings." What a different way of looking at our lives this is than the way our natural selves approach it! Is Christ saying, "You don't have to work, because God will provide for your needs without that?" Of course not! We must do what we can, without being lazy and irresponsible. However, needless worry is not what we should be doing. The real bottom line here is faith. God wants us to do what we can to help ourselves, and He wants us to trust that He will provide the rest. He does not want us to sacrifice our family lives or our Christian values in the quest to provide material wealth. PS 37: 11, "But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing, and shall have wonderful peace." PHIL 4: 19, "And with all His abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs." Notice that this does not say, "...all your wants." We are to distinguish between wants and needs.
I must use myself as the "poster child" who needed to understand this lesson. When my own husband was "downsized" twice in his career, his days of making more money than we needed were over. I wasn't used to the greatly reduced material lifestyle we were forced to live and was unfaithful, unfeeling, and ungracious in my complaints at first. This was particularly true when we were forced to sell our lovely home and move into a much simpler one. However, the Lord has forced me in all of my sinfulness to focus my eyes on Him. It's what He wanted for me, so that I could serve Him in the ways I do now. IS 43: 13, "I am God and always will be. No one can escape from My power; no one can change what I do." God uses His power to focus our eyes on Him over other distractions. Then, He lets us know that He is here for us. JS 1: 9, "Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go." He told me to calm down and get my priorities straight with His. IS 30: 15, "In quietness and in confidence I shall be your strength"; this is what He says to me. My husband didn't have to learn this lesson, because he has always handled the situation with grace and faithfulness to God. His trust in God has been strong throughout the last 10 years in a way that tells me God put Peter in my life to show me His power through Peter's reaction to our situation. In the long run, I needed to learn coping skills that had always been there for me, but that I hadn't chosen to use before. God is teaching me to use them now.
Before completing the subject of worrying about material provision, I'm led by the Holy Spirit to reiterate IS 53: 5. This is to put in godly perspective just how much God really does provide for our real needs. "But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." Think about it. JN 15: 13 comes alive in our minds when we do. "The greatest love a person can have for His friends is to give his life for them." Christ gave his very life on the cross, so that we could have the choice not to continue to sin, so that the Holy Spirit could dwell within us- letting us know God's will and whether we are in conformity with it. That's worth our being faithful to Him!
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your throne today needing to learn even more about how to be trusting, having real faith in You. Even when we can't see how our basic needs will be provided for, You love us enough to put our minds at ease and teach us to live with less material wealth, if necessary. Greed, pride, and other associated sins are not Your way. You have told us that in EPH 5: 5 and COL 3: 5, "You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God...You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passion, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry)." Of pride, you have spoken through Solomon in PR 18: 11-12, "Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls around a city. No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin." As Your covenant partners, You expect us to live up the standard You set in MICAH 6: 8 and RO 12: 2, "He has showed you, O Man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God...Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect." In addition to learning which behaviors of our own we must change, we also learn what You reveal about Yourself as we study Your word and pray daily. You are a loving, faithful God, Who really does provide for our needs. EX 34: 6 is an example. "The Lord then passed in front of Moses and called out, 'I, the Lord, am a God Who is full of compassion and pity, Who is not easily angered, and Who shows great love and faithfulness.'" PS 81: 10, "I, the Lord, am you God, Who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth and I will feed you." We pledge You our love, trust, obedient faithfulness, thanks, praise, and worship. In Christ's holy name, we pray. Amen.
Next week, we will look at more of these distractions from lives of holiness and what to do about them. As true believers, we really do have the choice not to allow temptations to overpower us. When we feel like worrying, we can remember how prayer banishes worry and fear. PS 64: 1, "Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; preserve my life from fear of the enemy," we can pray. We can remember God's love for us, as expressed in 1 PET 5: 7, "Cast all of your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." Our Lord God tells us how to react in the face of our material worries. PHIL 4: 6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Our God and His Son, Jesus Christ, love us. The great sacrifice of the cross was made for us. How much more proof do we need? Christ's main mission is our redemption. As we read these words, know that we are always loved- that God will provide for the needs of every person who is not lazy and prideful but keeps his eyes on Him. Praise be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,