The screech of tires on the asphalt pavement could be clearly heard late at night. Next the sound of metal hitting metal pierced the darkness. With an abrupt halt, the truck came to stop hitting the trunk of the car directly in front. An accident! Not exactly what my husband expected on his way from the airport but slowly the shock wore off. Inside his truck the airbag deployed preventing him from further danger. The seatbelt held him firmly in place. A call to 9-1-1 alerted the local police that assistance was needed. One at a time other drivers stopped, wondering if they could help in any way. Slowly the events of the evening unfolded and flashing blue lights alerted other drivers to slow down and proceed with caution.
As the tow truck arrived and people began to clear the scene of the accident another tale unfolded that made me really question what motivates people to do what they do. Since my husband was coming home from an out-of-town trip, he had luggage in the back of the truck. His computer and medical breathing device were in the seat behind the driver’s side. The bags were placed in sight by the side of the road while all the details were being taken care of. Tired and ready to come home, my husband went to pick up his luggage only to discover that two items were missing. Yes, someone had taken advantage of the situation and had stolen a laptop and a CPAP medical device. Inside the computer bag was a set of Bose headphones and a MP3 player. In just a matter of minutes almost $5000 of merchandise had been stolen. After all the stress of dealing with the accident another problem added to the already exhausting night.
While authorities searched the along the roadside we waited in anticipation and a hope that the missing items would be recovered. To me, it was the absolute lowest level to which anyone could sink. I know that today’s world has changed from even a decade ago, but I never thought anyone would use the busy activity that surrounds an accident as a cover-up for theft. Just one more thing to add to our list of things to do.
It was four days later that we discovered that we had indeed encountered an “honest” thief. A strange envelope arrived in the mail addressed to my husband with no return address label. When the envelope was opened, the driver’s license that had also come up missing was inside. Thank you so much!! You take the time to steal from the accident scene yet you feel sympathy that someone has lost his driver’s license. Come on! Am I supposed to be grateful for your help?? If you are going to be honest enough to return the driver’s license why not return everything that had been stolen?? Does this really mean that there is honor among thieves?
This example made me question what motivates people to do the things they do. I already know that many people think of the evening as a time to party and make friendships. As a Christian I need to be reminded that many people are living in spiritual darkness. That darkness refers to the missing light of Christ in the lives of unsaved men. One of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15). This warning comes early in the Old Testament and is repeated throughout the New Testament. John 10:10 states, “The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy”. The warning is clear and strong. A thief is not to be trusted.
In a deeper spiritual truth, the thief who works hard to prevent me from keeping real fellowship with Christ is Satan himself. He will manifest himself in several ways to tempt me to turn away from God. In the most difficult situations God is beside me and protects me. When the thief seeks to take away my peace or tempts me to move away from God and indulge in some sin, I am the one who has to depend on God. My life is not an accident and God has a purpose for me. To stay focused I need to pay attention to God’s Word and stay close to Him. I must use wisdom in solving problems and share God’s Word with others so that my life is protected from the thief who is hoping for an accident to happen.
Showing posts with label Christian living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian living. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Friday, April 27, 2007
ESCAPE FROM THE ROUTINE
My name is Kevin and what I am about to tell you is something that actually happened one night while I was working. I am a senior at Tyler High School and I have a part-time job to earn some extra cash for spending.
4:00 AM--- I was busy on the floor of the discount store working methodically to open the boxes of items on pallets that need to be put on the shelf. It wasn’t easy being on the late night shift and the work was tedious and monotonous. Music played through the store to help lift everyone’s attitude. The time between 3:00 and 4:00 was the hardest time of all. It simply was hard to stay awake.
I had worked hard to keep everything organized and with only a couple of hours to finish my shift I was looking forward to getting home. Most of the furniture boxes had been stocked and I was almost finished when I heard the sound. The clip, clop, clip, clop sound resonated on the linoleum floor and seemed out of place. I didn’t check to see what was going on for a while but after still hearing the noise, I became curious. Just as I walked into the center aisle I saw the most bizarre picture. I still can’t believe what I saw.
Two young men sat atop chestnut mares and were making their way down the aisle of the store. Both of the men looked to be about 21 and they were riding and laughing as if what they were doing was normal. Horses? In a discount store? You have got to be kidding? Yet, here it was right before my eyes. It took a moment for the shock to wear off.
I tried to figure exactly why the horses were in the store and I came up with four possibilities. Perhaps the young men had been challenged by their peers to pull this stunt just to prove that they could do it. Maybe it was part of a college fraternity initiation rite. There was the chance that they were on drugs and actually didn’t realize exactly what they were doing. The only other possibility was they both decided to do something “wild” just for fun and to see if they could get away with it. No matter what the reason, I stood there in astonishment as the team headed back towards the rear doors and then disappeared.
Everyone on the night staff began to talk about the incident. Most everyone had reacted with shock just like me. By now, everyone was laughing. It just didn’t seem plausible that something like this could happen. The manager had made his way to the back of the store where the loading docks were located. The floor manager had walked around the store trying to get everyone focused on their task. Boxes had to be opened and merchandise had to be shelved before the morning crew arrived.
The police had been notified of the prank and came into the store to ask questions. It was rather obvious that the officers on duty were not amused by the antics. The two pranksters had to be apprehended and held accountable for their actions. They questioned the manager and anyone else who may have seen the horses either come into the store or exit. This matter was no longer funny. It was serious and several items had to be taken into consideration so that the details of the story were accurate.
What could have been a peaceful night turned into a hectic scene that had consequences for many people. The risks that these two young men took put the safety of everyone in the store in jeopardy. Health concerns had to be dealt with and it was no small task cleaning up before more customers arrived. (Thankfully, I wasn’t part of the clean-up crew!) Adrenaline had taken over and I was fully awake. My intentions of leaving the store and going home to relax wouldn’t happen, at least for a while.
We all have times when we do things that are amusing. We say something in jest or fail to take things seriously. You tease someone without thinking how your words hurt the individual. You get mad while driving and dash out into traffic cutting off another driver ahead of you. You decide to drive through someone’s lawn because you’re angry. You ride with your friends in the country and go along the side of the road knocking down mailboxes. You take a chance at hiding items that you picked up in a store just to see if you can get away with it. No matter what the prank, it may seem insignificant at first but later on it becomes a problem. Dealing with the consequences may be harder than you thought
From a spiritual aspect, we may scoff at what Christians represent and reject the Bible as the Word of God. We may refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We may feel that there is plenty of time to make a decision to serve Christ and delay taking action to serve Him. We may even think that the principles in the Bible do not directly apply to us. In Luke 6:25b we are admonished “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” In the context of the Scripture, Jesus is reminding the rich that pleasures and riches here on earth will not be enough to keep them in heaven. A Christian is certainly allowed to have fun but not at the expense of others. In the end, we will all have to stand before Him and give an accounting for the way we have lived our life. Look carefully at your life and be sure that part of your routine is spending quality time with the Lord. When you stay focused on Him, others will notice a difference. Your walk through life will guide you in the right direction where you can be a testimony to others who are seeking guidance. Can you commit to walking daily with Him?
4:00 AM--- I was busy on the floor of the discount store working methodically to open the boxes of items on pallets that need to be put on the shelf. It wasn’t easy being on the late night shift and the work was tedious and monotonous. Music played through the store to help lift everyone’s attitude. The time between 3:00 and 4:00 was the hardest time of all. It simply was hard to stay awake.
I had worked hard to keep everything organized and with only a couple of hours to finish my shift I was looking forward to getting home. Most of the furniture boxes had been stocked and I was almost finished when I heard the sound. The clip, clop, clip, clop sound resonated on the linoleum floor and seemed out of place. I didn’t check to see what was going on for a while but after still hearing the noise, I became curious. Just as I walked into the center aisle I saw the most bizarre picture. I still can’t believe what I saw.
Two young men sat atop chestnut mares and were making their way down the aisle of the store. Both of the men looked to be about 21 and they were riding and laughing as if what they were doing was normal. Horses? In a discount store? You have got to be kidding? Yet, here it was right before my eyes. It took a moment for the shock to wear off.
I tried to figure exactly why the horses were in the store and I came up with four possibilities. Perhaps the young men had been challenged by their peers to pull this stunt just to prove that they could do it. Maybe it was part of a college fraternity initiation rite. There was the chance that they were on drugs and actually didn’t realize exactly what they were doing. The only other possibility was they both decided to do something “wild” just for fun and to see if they could get away with it. No matter what the reason, I stood there in astonishment as the team headed back towards the rear doors and then disappeared.
Everyone on the night staff began to talk about the incident. Most everyone had reacted with shock just like me. By now, everyone was laughing. It just didn’t seem plausible that something like this could happen. The manager had made his way to the back of the store where the loading docks were located. The floor manager had walked around the store trying to get everyone focused on their task. Boxes had to be opened and merchandise had to be shelved before the morning crew arrived.
The police had been notified of the prank and came into the store to ask questions. It was rather obvious that the officers on duty were not amused by the antics. The two pranksters had to be apprehended and held accountable for their actions. They questioned the manager and anyone else who may have seen the horses either come into the store or exit. This matter was no longer funny. It was serious and several items had to be taken into consideration so that the details of the story were accurate.
What could have been a peaceful night turned into a hectic scene that had consequences for many people. The risks that these two young men took put the safety of everyone in the store in jeopardy. Health concerns had to be dealt with and it was no small task cleaning up before more customers arrived. (Thankfully, I wasn’t part of the clean-up crew!) Adrenaline had taken over and I was fully awake. My intentions of leaving the store and going home to relax wouldn’t happen, at least for a while.
We all have times when we do things that are amusing. We say something in jest or fail to take things seriously. You tease someone without thinking how your words hurt the individual. You get mad while driving and dash out into traffic cutting off another driver ahead of you. You decide to drive through someone’s lawn because you’re angry. You ride with your friends in the country and go along the side of the road knocking down mailboxes. You take a chance at hiding items that you picked up in a store just to see if you can get away with it. No matter what the prank, it may seem insignificant at first but later on it becomes a problem. Dealing with the consequences may be harder than you thought
From a spiritual aspect, we may scoff at what Christians represent and reject the Bible as the Word of God. We may refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We may feel that there is plenty of time to make a decision to serve Christ and delay taking action to serve Him. We may even think that the principles in the Bible do not directly apply to us. In Luke 6:25b we are admonished “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” In the context of the Scripture, Jesus is reminding the rich that pleasures and riches here on earth will not be enough to keep them in heaven. A Christian is certainly allowed to have fun but not at the expense of others. In the end, we will all have to stand before Him and give an accounting for the way we have lived our life. Look carefully at your life and be sure that part of your routine is spending quality time with the Lord. When you stay focused on Him, others will notice a difference. Your walk through life will guide you in the right direction where you can be a testimony to others who are seeking guidance. Can you commit to walking daily with Him?
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
SINFUL TEMPTATIONS
Q. Do you jump into the sinfulness of the world in hopes of them becoming like you? Or do you stay back because you know temptations are too strong and it’s easier to protect your purity?
Dealing with sin in this world is not easy. Jesus was perfect and lived in a sinful world and still kept His testimony. He confronted the rich young ruler who wanted to receive eternal life and told him that he needed to sell his possessions and give to the poor. He gave him a choice and the young man made a decision to NOT follow Jesus’ advice. So, even when Jesus was in the world, he addressed the issue of sin and made others around Him aware of their sinful nature. He challenged the Pharisees on religious doctrine, he cleansed the temple from those people who bought and sold in the temple, and he used the parable of the unjust steward to reveal the sinful nature of man.
Obviously we can’t go into isolation and never be involved in the world around us. On a casual basis we have to “brush shoulders” with others who do not know the Lord. The problem is to try to keep our testimony by keeping our language and actions Christ-like. Emotions play a part in our ability to keep our testimony and stand up for Christ. When you have to be around friends and people who are not Christians, don’t let their kidding and unkind words allow you to get angry. Stand firm in your faith and let them see the real you, the one who is a follower of Christ.
God’s Word addresses the solution to whether or not we should be a part of this world and to what extent. In Proverbs 16:17 we learn that the way a person should live is to depart from evil. The word depart indicates moving away. In I Thessalonians 5:22 we are to “Abstain from every form of evil.” James 1:14 “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” As Christians we are encouraged to stay away from evil because our testimony can be too easily compromised and we will be drawn further away from Jesus and His Word. I Corinthians 15:33-34 warns us that we are not to be deceived “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Each of these passages seems to resound with the same theme, stay away from those things that are evil. Don’t be willing to risk your growth as a Christian by getting too close to the things of the world.
The acronym WWJD seems to be a good idea. What would Jesus do? Would Jesus be pleased if He found you in a questionable place? Are you really strong enough to answer questions and avoid temptation? Maybe the first time you can, but what about time and time again. Your resolve weakens and you begin ever so slowly to move away from Christ. What about others who may be Atheists, Muslim or Hindu? Can you really defend your Christian beliefs and answer their questions without getting confused? I feel that my day-to-day testimony is very important in showing others the love of God. If I stay focused, then others will know that living for Christ is really a life-changing situation. By not putting myself in a compromising situation I keep my testimony and can show others Christians can have fun without being involved in worldly things.
I heard a preacher give an example of how sin enters our life and why it is so important to keep our lives protected and pure. If you decided to bake something like a cookie and followed the recipe carefully but added an extra 1/4 tsp. of salt you probably wouldn’t notice it. If the next time you added an extra 3/8 tsp you still may not taste the difference. But if you add an extra 1/2 tsp of salt you would begin to notice the taste. Adding an extra 3/4 tsp salt would surely be noticed and if you added 1 full tsp. it would be unpleasant to taste. The more salt you add to the cookie the more the taste is affected and eventually you would have to throw the cookie away. Sin creeps into our lives just like the little additions of salt to the cookie. We may not notice any change at first but the longer we stay in the sinfulness of the world, the more we weaken our resolve and compromise our real Christian walk with God. Our lives can become just like the “bad” cookie that no longer appeals to our sense of taste.
Being in the world and in non-Christian environments may cause us to refuse to take responsibility for our sin. In our attempt to “jump” into the sinful word we may underestimate our ability to deal with situations. Yes, God lives within our life and gives us the direction we need and He is always there to help us. But being in situations that do not edify Christ, our senses may become dull and we may eventually push the quiet voice of Christ into the back of our mind. We have to know our limitations and I’m afraid that a majority of Christians do not know how to keep the boundary clear and defined. By staying away from things that entice us and keeping worldly things at a distance we can be more like Christ and help our mind to focus on pure thoughts and actions.
Dealing with sin in this world is not easy. Jesus was perfect and lived in a sinful world and still kept His testimony. He confronted the rich young ruler who wanted to receive eternal life and told him that he needed to sell his possessions and give to the poor. He gave him a choice and the young man made a decision to NOT follow Jesus’ advice. So, even when Jesus was in the world, he addressed the issue of sin and made others around Him aware of their sinful nature. He challenged the Pharisees on religious doctrine, he cleansed the temple from those people who bought and sold in the temple, and he used the parable of the unjust steward to reveal the sinful nature of man.
Obviously we can’t go into isolation and never be involved in the world around us. On a casual basis we have to “brush shoulders” with others who do not know the Lord. The problem is to try to keep our testimony by keeping our language and actions Christ-like. Emotions play a part in our ability to keep our testimony and stand up for Christ. When you have to be around friends and people who are not Christians, don’t let their kidding and unkind words allow you to get angry. Stand firm in your faith and let them see the real you, the one who is a follower of Christ.
God’s Word addresses the solution to whether or not we should be a part of this world and to what extent. In Proverbs 16:17 we learn that the way a person should live is to depart from evil. The word depart indicates moving away. In I Thessalonians 5:22 we are to “Abstain from every form of evil.” James 1:14 “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” As Christians we are encouraged to stay away from evil because our testimony can be too easily compromised and we will be drawn further away from Jesus and His Word. I Corinthians 15:33-34 warns us that we are not to be deceived “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Each of these passages seems to resound with the same theme, stay away from those things that are evil. Don’t be willing to risk your growth as a Christian by getting too close to the things of the world.
The acronym WWJD seems to be a good idea. What would Jesus do? Would Jesus be pleased if He found you in a questionable place? Are you really strong enough to answer questions and avoid temptation? Maybe the first time you can, but what about time and time again. Your resolve weakens and you begin ever so slowly to move away from Christ. What about others who may be Atheists, Muslim or Hindu? Can you really defend your Christian beliefs and answer their questions without getting confused? I feel that my day-to-day testimony is very important in showing others the love of God. If I stay focused, then others will know that living for Christ is really a life-changing situation. By not putting myself in a compromising situation I keep my testimony and can show others Christians can have fun without being involved in worldly things.
I heard a preacher give an example of how sin enters our life and why it is so important to keep our lives protected and pure. If you decided to bake something like a cookie and followed the recipe carefully but added an extra 1/4 tsp. of salt you probably wouldn’t notice it. If the next time you added an extra 3/8 tsp you still may not taste the difference. But if you add an extra 1/2 tsp of salt you would begin to notice the taste. Adding an extra 3/4 tsp salt would surely be noticed and if you added 1 full tsp. it would be unpleasant to taste. The more salt you add to the cookie the more the taste is affected and eventually you would have to throw the cookie away. Sin creeps into our lives just like the little additions of salt to the cookie. We may not notice any change at first but the longer we stay in the sinfulness of the world, the more we weaken our resolve and compromise our real Christian walk with God. Our lives can become just like the “bad” cookie that no longer appeals to our sense of taste.
Being in the world and in non-Christian environments may cause us to refuse to take responsibility for our sin. In our attempt to “jump” into the sinful word we may underestimate our ability to deal with situations. Yes, God lives within our life and gives us the direction we need and He is always there to help us. But being in situations that do not edify Christ, our senses may become dull and we may eventually push the quiet voice of Christ into the back of our mind. We have to know our limitations and I’m afraid that a majority of Christians do not know how to keep the boundary clear and defined. By staying away from things that entice us and keeping worldly things at a distance we can be more like Christ and help our mind to focus on pure thoughts and actions.
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