Spring Cleaning

It's amazing to me just how simple sin can be. I mean, sure Satan may give me a little push every now and then but in the end it's me taking the plunge from high above. We love the risk, enjoy the reward, and hope that there aren't repercussions. Let's face it, if we're going to give credit where credit is due, the credit belongs to you; and me, too!

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but sin is seen by all. In 1964 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define 'obscene'. He couldn't but said, “I know what it is when I see it.” Sin isn't so. We all know what it is. Obscene is what offends us—it is ambiguous. Sin is what offends Him—it is explicit. Sin is direct defiance of a holy and righteous God.

Let's think about this: Paul writes that we are to evaluate ourselves realistically and individually.
4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load. -Galatians 6

Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm responsible for giving myself a grade I get an 'A'...and put a plus sign out beside it while you're at it. It's so much easier to see sin in in others' lives. You know why? Pride. We don't want to admit that we've swept our dirty little secret sins under the rug. Spring cleaning requires moving things around and we're perfectly comfortable letting sleeping dogs lie; on the rug of course. We don't want to give the appearance that we're not perfect or at the very least God forbid be seen as less in another human's eye. Never mind that the God of all creation has X-ray vision.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? -Matthew 7

Laziness is another reason we don't want to face ourselves in the mirror every morning. If we see what we really are then we'll be convicted to change. That requires real effort on our part. We might actually have to get off our Bibles and start living them out in our lives. No one wants to look at themselves naked. Well, some I guess, but those who do have a pride issue. The ironic thing is, the rest of us do, too! We're afraid of what we will see; someone who is out of shape. It reveals our failure to care about our health and lack of discipline in doing what is right. Our hearts are no different. We need to work out.

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

-Philippians 2

For it is God who works in you to will and to act... I love that! Thank goodness it's not up to me. Sure I can't pack my Bible away or fail to pray anymore than I can go through the fast food drive through everyday expecting to be the picture of health. But there are things out of our control. We have to depend on him. So maybe it's time to bare your heart before God, sin and all, and allow Him to do a little spring cleaning in your life.

$how Me The Money

Money, money, money…so Abba sings. Must be funny/ In the rich man's world/ Money, money, money/ Always sunny/ In the rich man's world/ All the things I could do/If I had a little money/ It's a rich man's world. And it is a rich man’s world there’s no doubt. How much of our life is spent in resentment and envy of what others have? What a waste. I’m beginning to realize that by living my life in that way, I am coveting a blessing that wasn’t meant for me. And to be perfectly honest, James doesn’t believe money to be much of a blessing; at least that’s how his book of the Bible reads.

Meanwhile, on the big screen Cuba Good, Jr. wants you to ‘show me the money’ in the famous scene from Jerry McGuire. Let’s face it, more is never enough when it comes to greed. We use money to get what we want, but in the end we don’t always want what we get. Still, that doesn’t seem to stop our quest for more of it.

I like to think that I need just a little more to be content; X amount to pay my bills, buy a house, and live comfortably. But then again, that’s all relative isn’t it? I well remember an example our associate pastor once gave in a message on money. Kevin told the crowd to think about how much money it would take to make them content, not rich, but content. He said, ‘If you’re like me, you probably doubled your salary.’ Then he directed everyone to look around the room assuming that someone else probably made the salary you had just settled on, and they too doubled that amount of money.

If I’m going to be honest, I must confess that I don’t like what the disciple James has to say on the matter of money. This is what he writes: “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.” James 1:9 Really? You’ve got to be kidding me. Who wants to be that guy? I don’t. At least not in my flesh anyway; but he goes on to shoot down my dream of it always [being] sunny in the rich man’s world. “But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.” James 1:10 Now, I don’t want to wilt and become mulch any more than I want to be strapped for cash. Yet, those are my only options. I’m left to weigh which one will bring me peace; although the choice is clear.

After my grandparents passed away, my dad and mom became executors of the estate. Grandma and Grandpa did not leave a will so it was up to their four kids to sit down and come up with a compromise or allow a judge to sort it all out. I have always had great respect for my dad; he’s a good man. But in the midst of all of this he said something that I hope to never forget. He told me that no matter what the family decided he could live with it because none of it belonged to him to begin with. Dad said he didn’t earn it; the money, the land, all that had been left behind was a gift. He simply said that he had lived without any of it before his parents died, and he could live without it now that they’re gone. That’s not to say that there were not things that are important to him that belonged to them. It’s simply that he wasn’t willing to get mad when money doesn’t really even matter. In the end it will one day be spent or he’ll leave it to his kids.

So, the question is this: are you taking pride in your humble circumstance? Are you grateful for what you’ve been given and learning to live content? Abba the band wants you to think the rich man has it all; the American dream, the good life that we are all supposedly striving for. But Abba [Father] God wants you to see that it is He who will provide all that you need. His Heavenly dream is different and eternal life is what we are really supposed to be seeking.