2009-11-13
Good Morning Cherished of God,
Last week, I began writing about the comparison of MT 7: 12, the Golden Rule, with RO 13: 1-8, duties toward state authorities, at the direction of the Holy Spirit. He reminds me that I didn’t complete discussing RO 13: 8, which really deals with duties that we have toward one another, in addition to state authorities. “Be under obligation to no one-the only obligations we have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.” When we have obeyed EX 20: 12-17, the commandments that deal with our relationships with others, we have started along to road to loving one another, as Christ means in the Golden Rule. Furthermore, as we accepted Christ as our Savior and agree to obey His teaching as a life’s habit, we are elaborating on this love. Remember Christ gives us JN 13: 34-35, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are My disciples.”
In looking at RO 13: 8, we must understand that it applies in numerous ways. Certainly, it means we should pay our bills on time. To do that, we must live within our means. We all have fixed expenses, like rent or a mortgage, auto expenses, utilities, a need for some clothing, and the like. The decisions we make in incurring even those expenses must be carefully and prayerfully considered. For example, if we can’t afford to buy a home, then we should find a place to rent that is within our budgets. One of the most important reasons for the present recession was the fact that people who really shouldn’t have been buying houses were given ways in the last 20 years to do so with creative financing. This led to a terrible rash of foreclosures, which got this recession in full swing. People were evicted from their homes, and the homes were left beaten down and in poor repair. Very recently, I heard a reporter on the news comment on how the main homes in foreclosure now are the “mini-mansions” once owned by executives that have now lost their jobs. When houses don’t sell, when over-spending has been in progress by companies, then jobs are lost. The idea is not to get into arrears with any bills, and that takes careful planning and budgeting by companies and also by individuals in their personal lives.
How can we avoid debt? We must obey God and realize the difference between wants and needs. North Americans are quite materialistic, for example. If Mr. Jones has gotten a fancy new car, then Mr. Smith wants to do the same. But if Mr. Smith’s income, savings, and investments aren’t large enough to support this in his budget, then he must learn to delay or even forget about his gratification. Instead, he should repair his present car and do his best to keep it running safely. Doing preventive maintenance on one’s auto from the git go can make a big difference. We must pay our bills within 30 days and not float loans with exorbitant interest rates. PR 22: 7, “Poor people are the rich man’s slaves. Borrow money and you are the lender’s slave.” If we can’t pay our bills, then refrain from purchasing the item until we have saved enough money for it. All too many young couples and singles are not saving money each month as a hedge of protection either for the future or against getting in over their heads if an adverse contingency happens. We need to forget getting involved in the lay away plan. If we can’t afford it, then don’t buy it.
God wants us to care enough about each other that we should feel an obligation to exhibit agape love. This is the kind of love that Jesus had for us when He went to the cross [JN 3: 16: RO 3: 24-25]. It is unselfish, profound, and undeserved love. It differs from brotherhood, familial, and sexual love, although it should be a part of all our interpersonal relationships, and certainly, our relationship with God. Believe that agape love should be a part of our dealing with enemies. MT 5: 44-45a, “But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the sons of your Father in heaven.” As you can see, Christ brings this up in more than one place in His Sermon on the Mount. By His Atonement and our faith in Him, He has given us a choice not to be dragged into spiritual death by the control of our emotions. The truth is that a person without the Holy Spirit can’t exhibit agape love in the way that the Lord does. We know this from 1 COR 2: 14, “Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them; they are foolishness to him, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.” Christ really is love’s perfect expression, the One we should emulate. We have the choice to resist the devil’s temptation to hold grudges, because of our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. JAS 4: 7, “So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.” With wisely living within one’s means, we can have real peace of mind.
PRAYER: O Lord, Your Son’s sacrifice on the cross has had enormous ramifications on our lives. It has made us open to salvation, and all we had to do was to repent of our sins and believe in Him. The blessings of His wise advice in the Sermon on the Mount have reached into every facet of our lives, even our handling of our finances and our interpersonal relationships with You and with other people. It is now and forever that we must express our thanks and praise of You for making such an ethical foundation available to us. You are a truly faithful God. Today, we pray, PS 105: 1-2, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.” We know that You alone deserve the credit for the blessings You send us. PS 115: 1, “To You alone, O Lord, to You alone, and not to us, must the glory be given because of Your constant love and faithfulness.” We meditate over Christ’s words and in them, find layers of meaning that apply directly to our lives in 2009, even though He said them as far back as 32-33 AD. These precepts are, as You have stated, eternal. HE 13: 8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We are reminded in JN 1: 1-4, “Before the world was created, the Word [Jesus Christ] already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the Source of life, and this life brought light to mankind.” If Christ is eternal, then so are His words. If Christ is Your second personality of the Trinity, then Your words and those of the Holy Spirit are also eternal. What we learn from You through Christ’s Sermon on the Mount are words discussing matters of great importance to us and to our ability to live righteously, as You have commanded [LV 11: 44-45; LV 19: 2; 1 PET 1: 16]. What a loving, wise, and compassionate God You are! We accept Your blessings with gratitude. We pledge to do our very best to take the advice of the Sermon on the Mount discussed today seriously and with intent to follow it. We know You bring out the best in us. Once again, we thank and praise You, in the holy and mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week, the Holy Spirit directs me to analyze law and love, as they appear in MT 7: 12; MT 22: 34-40, and RO 13: 1-8, in an effort to pull together what has been in the last several devotions. For now, we need to realize that we are capable of getting ourselves out of debt, if we are in it, and to keep ourselves living within our means, if we are already doing so. There are people who had a terrible time beginning with the “downsizings” of the ‘90’s when the loss of jobs began. Some of them are still mired in debt due to lack of wise planning and budgeting even today. Others may have saved money in the past and lost some of those savings, but they kept on refraining from unnecessary spending after the jobs were lost. These people paid their bills within 30 days and didn’t get into excessive and unwise purchases. While they may be living on a much lower level than before, their credit ratings are still golden. It is essential that our economy recovers, and it helps a lot to think positively about this and to be patient. We can be kind to one another by living as Christ would have us live and by treating others according to the Golden Rule. While all of this sounds like it doesn’t involve the Spirit and our spirits, it really does. We must remember RO 8: 28, “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom He has called according to His purpose.” So, a main directive is to trust in our loving God, Who will take care us through all our trials. Today, I will end with this important verse: PS 33: 19, “How wonderful are the good things You keep for those who honor You! Everyone knows how good You are, how securely You protect those who trust in You.”
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn