Doing What We Ought
As I sit here on my bus at an athletic event, I praise You Father for getting us here safely. May each participant in tonight’s game do their best and injuries be few and better yet nonexistent! Amen.
Luke 17:7-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the frustrating things that little by little became the mindset of where I worked in retail was the overarching importance of getting people to open charge accounts. I understand that it generates a huge amount of income but while it benefits the company, in many instances it does not benefit the customer. Yes, they get all their discounts but that was a pittance compared to the interest paid out each and every month! (That is a soapbox for another time!)
My main point in bringing it up is that before I left it got to the point that as long as an associate could generate credit, nothing else mattered. They could accomplish it by just about any means, ethical or not, and higher-ups would look the other way. It was disgusting! Earlier in my career, credit was important and there were incentives for getting it but most of the time, it was just considered part of your job. Even people who were in departments and not on registers were expected to get their share…because it was part of the job! If we got credit we were merely doing what we were supposed to do.
Initially reading through today’s passage it almost sounds offensive. Verses 9-10 state,
He does not thank the servant just because he did what he was ordered to do, does he? So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.’”
Our culture has conditioned us to expect praise and reward for just about anything we do, regardless of whether its part of the job or not. Too many people struggle with commitment in many areas if they are not constantly being commended for a job well done with all the perks expected as well.
The note from my study Bible* says,
If we have obeyed God, we have only done our duty, and we should regard it as a privilege. Do you sometimes feel you deserve extra credit for serving God? Remember, obedience is not something extra we do; it is our duty. Jesus is not suggesting that our service is meaningless and useless, nor is he advocating doing away with rewards. He is attacking unwarranted self-esteem and spiritual pride.
Ouch! That smarts a little! There are times when service to God can really wear on us. We get down and consider giving up because we’re not getting the strokes we think we deserve.
As I am typing a comparison comes to mind. Jesus has already gone above and beyond to give us the opportunity to join Him for eternity. Broken body…spilled blood, hanging on a cruel cross…all for me…all for you.
The next time a pity party wants to get started, think on that and proclaim,
“We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.”
Oct 6th, 2020, Tues, 6:32 pm
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Quality vs. Quantity
A foggy morning turned into an absolutely beautiful day! Thank You, Father, for Your protective watch over myself and my fellow bus drivers this morning. My prayers were answered!
Luke 17:5-6 (<<click here to read the passage)
Reading through the notes of my study Bible* brought something to light that had never crossed my mind!
Here is today’s passage.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”
The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!
Jesus gave a response to the apostles’ question but if you read the question and the answer He gave; He did not give them the answer for which they were looking. The answer He gave them was the answer they needed to hear, mainly because they were asking the wrong question!
Not for a minute do I doubt the sincerity of their request – they wanted to be more faithful and there’s nothing wrong with that! But what they were asking for, was an increased quantity of faith. Jesus’ answer pointed out that quantity wasn’t the issue – quality was what was needed!
My study Bible* asks, “What is faith? It is complete trust and loyalty to God that results in a willingness to do his will.”
We can have tons of faith but if we don’t act on it, it is useless. We must have complete and humble obedience to God’s will, and a readiness to do whatever he calls us to do.
In James 2:17 Jesus’ brother very clearly states,
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. NLT
In the context of today’s text, Jesus is speaking of forgiveness – not just once but ever how many times forgiveness is requested. That’s not easy to do but even a speck of faith that is genuine and full of complete and humble obedience to what God wants in our lives will be enough!
Lord Jesus, may we be ready to do whatever you call us to do. May we strive to trust You completely and may we have a stalwart loyalty to You as You work in and through us! Amen!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Oct 5th, 2020, Mon, 12:32 pm
Anything BUT a Cakewalk!
(The cakewalk is still a part of life in Tucker County West Virginia – thought the numbers are not in chalk anymore!)
Wait patiently for the Lord.
….Be brave and courageous.
….Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 NLT
It’s not always easy, but it is always necessary!
Luke 17:3-4 (<<click here to read the passage)
I graduated from Tucker County High School in the great state of West Virginia! It sits on the top of Backbone Mountain at about 3,000 feet above sea level smack dab in the middle of the Monongahela National Forest. The closest community east is over 7 miles away, down the mountain. The closest community west is over 6 miles away.
I was in the band in high school and a big fundraiser for us were cakewalks. We would sit on the steps of the county courthouse in Parsons and play songs. There were chalked numbers on the sidewalks and people would pay to walk around the numbers and when we stopped playing a number would be called. If you were standing on that number, you got the cake (or pie or cookies) with that number on it! Real exciting, huh? But kids loved it and many adults did, too!
That may have been fun but striving to follow Jesus amid living life here on earth is quite often anything but a cakewalk!
Did you happen to read today’s Scripture…or did you skip past it? Well just in case, let’s look at it, but this time from the Amplified Bible.
Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God’s precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled].” AMP
That’s a pretty tall order, isn’t it? Honestly, isn’t forgiving someone one time a difficult enough task? It may depend on what is being forgiven and who we are supposed to forgive…but is there anything in that passage that allows for any of those qualifiers? …no, there isn’t. Jesus doesn’t give us any room for “buts” and “what ifs”. There are no “maybes” and not a single “could” or “should” …but there is a must. And the must is not a suggestion…Jesus didn’t give suggestions. It is a command. And it’s not from a mom or a dad, or a teacher or a coach or a drill sergeant or a boss or a spouse…it is from God Himself.
It was from a different set of circumstances but Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:26 is just as applicable here, too.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” NLT
Once again, the Amplified Bible’s emphasis at the end of verse 4.
Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled].” (emphasis mine)
Forgiveness can be challenging enough, but giving up resentment? Recalling and annulling the offense? That is why we cling to Jesus’ promise in Matthew 19:26! It is difficult but, with God – everything is possible!
Oct 4th, 2020, Sun, 5:28 pm
Better a Millstone
Recent deaths of friends and individuals in our area have left me in a somber mood, Father. Instead of being melancholy, may I rejoice in the fact that they have all been dearly loved children of Yours and are all now with You. Amen.
Luke 17:1-2 (<<click here to read the passage)
I’m sure that the plight of children in our world hasn’t changed a whole lot throughout the course of time. They have always been easy and accessible targets for those who would wish to harm or take advantage of them. There are times when they are preyed upon and other times, unfortunately, that they are just neglected and forgotten.
Vulnerable…that’s the word. Malleable minds so easily influenced and molded. And once set, they are almost impossible to change.
I admit it is a rare day indeed when my phone is not in my pocket. Yet I find it very disturbing as to how many children today have free access to all that smartphones and tablets have to “offer”.
Yes, communication is important and there is the entertainment “value” – to a degree. But they have become modern-day babysitters…and very poor ones at that. Safeguards, as such, are available, though I would be surprised that many parents really bother with them and I would be equally surprised if many tech-savvy kids couldn’t easily find their way around them. But there is an unlimited amount of junk – and that word is nowhere near expansive or dark enough! – out there for any and everyone to get hold of, including kids. It is easily an open door to the very gates of Hell!
Death, killing, blood, violence, sex, profanity, disregard for authority, substance abuse – and the list is never-ending – are readily available in music and games and images. Indulged in long enough and we become desensitized to the depravity of it all. Oh, it’s fine! It’s just pretend! We’re just having fun! And in the end, we are branded for life… It truly is an uphill battle for those seeking freedom.
Today’s passage reads,
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. NLT
Lord Jesus, may we seek to protect those within our charge. May we take note. May we not be oblivious to what we are allowing to fill the minds of our children and ourselves, as well. Purify our hearts, set our course in Your ways not the ways of the world. Amen.
Oct 1st, 2020, Thurs, 7:16 pm
I Can’t Do It Myself
A beautiful day is coming to a close, Father. The sun’s light is no longer touching anything within view. The only light is from the reflective glow of its setting. Even in that light, there is beauty to behold. Thank You, Father, for all Your creation has to offer!
********
One of the biggest struggles in following You, Lord, is getting out of the way. The “I can do it myself” mentality can so get us in trouble.
A dear friend of mine gifted me a beautiful book of Puritan prayer and this is a portion of one,
Thou hast taught me the necessity of a Mediator, a Messiah…
…and this by faith in thy beloved Son who teaches me
not to guide myself,
not to obey myself,
not to try to rule and conquer sin
but to cleave to the one who will do it all for me.
It was a fairly common occurrence when I worked at Kohl’s to see a parent with a young child who insisted on pushing their cart. On many occasions, the child could barely reach the handle; much less see anything that laid ahead – fixtures, displays, little old ladies, etc. The child proclaimed emphatically (and quite often loudly) “I can do it myself!” But mom or dad had to stay close by, had to be ready to react at a moment’s notice or problems could quickly ensue.
I’m just glad that I never… who am I kidding?! It has been a fairly common occurrence, in my life, to see a parent – You, Lord – with a child – me – and I insist on (fill in the blank). I can’t see what lies ahead…but You do.
When it comes to my spiritual walk, I have had to learn my lesson. I can’t do it myself. I cannot “guide” or “obey myself.” I am totally inept in my attempts “to rule and conquer sin.” My only hope of success is to “cleave to the one who will do it for me.” Only in You will I find success. You alone can bring me victory. My Lord and Savior guide me, help me to be obedient to You. Enable me to leave the ruling and conquering of sin to You. You are the Parent – I am Your child.
Sept 30th, 2020, Wed, 7:06 pm
(originally posted Sept 18th, 2016, Sun, 6:35 am)