Standing

Sunday’s Monday

This has been a great week for me as I had 2 days of meals on wheels and that always brings me joy. I meet so many new and interesting people on my route and to spend a few minutes with the seniors is such a treat. I was able to have coffee with a brother in Christ and to be sharpened (iron sharpening iron) a little more. We are weathering the storm quite well and look forward to its end.

Considering things that I’ve witnessed this week; a reoccurring song title keeps jumping into my head. “You've Got to Stand for Something” written by Aaron Tippin in 1991 and “He goes on to say or you’ll fall for anything.” After making my usual weekly visits to the gas station, grocery store and multiple visits to hardware stores, I noticed some people were operating in a mode of urgency or panic. Whereas others were going about their business in a complete sense of normalcy and peace. It is important to know that I started noticing this behavior on Tuesday and it seemed to be driven by television reports of an approaching hurricane. Now don’t hear what I am not saying, warnings are a good thing and tv is the most powerful way to get them out. However, we have to find and or renew the art of looking out for others and teach it to our children. I witnessed a lot of people with the Satan mine set of “me first and I need more than enough!” Satan had convinced some that stockpiling was the proper thing to do. However, when a person obtains more than enough, and it causes others to be without, that is a sin. Yes! Hording water, gas, food or anything is still a sin! The question to you and I is, what do you stand for? This is a relevant question and should be asked daily of ourselves. A Christian will boastfully reply, “I stand for Jesus”, while the atheist demands, “I stand for myself” and in far too many cases an on looker can’t tell one from the other. The bible tells us in James 2:19-20 (NLT), 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? As a Christian we are to mimic the life and actions of Jesus and the bible tells us in Acts 10:38 (NLT), and you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Do we stand for Jesus enough to walk with concern, kindness and generosity among our peers and neighbors? Is the welfare of others in our thoughts as much as thinking of ourselves? These are the type questions that should cross our minds daily and we should seek our wisdom from God’s word. I realized early on through past experiences that I couldn’t successfully stand for that I didn’t understand. I lived under the belief that everyone has an opinion and is entitled to a voice, however if it did not equal mine it was worthless and resented. I lived under the me first rule and my thoughts, needs and everything came first and foremost. In which now I know to be very wrong! God revealed to me that not every opinion carries validity or accuracy, and this is the category that most of my opinions fell and fall into. One of the first things that I was taught by my mentor came from Proverbs 15:14 NLT, A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. In my efforts to become wise I started learning the values and worth of my worldly opinions, thoughts and allegiance. I realize that to put me number one, I had to leave someone behind, usually to suffer unnecessarily. Way back when that didn’t matter however today that’s a heartbreaker. You see, each day I am understanding more of the truth on which I stand and enjoying my part in God’s plan. My daily challenge can be found in James 3:13 (NLT), If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. So today my plea to all today, understand what you stand for and should it be in the will of God, “STAND STRONG!” Read Ephesians 2:10 (NLT), For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. There is so much more to life than, me, myself and I!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

COMMENTS WELCOME…pal249@hotmail.com…09/16/2018