Thursday Thought: Straying Away from a real Stick in the Mud

We all have that one person who has kept us in a spiritual rut. For some it may be a spouse, or a pre-marriage relationship. Others, it’s probably a friend or acquaintance who seems to commandeer their thoughts and emotions, assuaging them with unhealthy wisdom which pushes them to greater depths below the surface God wants them on. For me, it’s been a mixture of everything except of course a spouse. And when I say mixture, I mean several people. Part of being Autistic is not really knowing a person’s intentions below the surface. However, in the past, my intuitiveness has read into the wrong signs and signals time and time again. Bea has reminded me on countless measures that just because a person is giving, doesn’t mean their heart is in the right place.

Take about five minutes to watch this video from Ted Shuttlesworth Jr. on youtube about the 3 Types of People who keep us bogged down, unable to be fruit bearers for Christ.

I can’t believe I only just recently happened upon this guy’s youtube channel. For when this video first published, I was at the beginning of what truly was the longest spiritual rut of my life. (See; the last three years until now) and let me point out that I am so guilty of surrounding myself with containers, complainers, and abstainers. What’s more, I’m guilty of being those three different types myself. But thankfully, we don’t have to continue walking down that avenue. And let me also elaborate that while God wants us to be kind and forgiving to all His children, that is not a decree that we must be their friends. We can love and be kind from a distance.

“Do not be deceived: ‘bad company ruins good morals.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV)

After the past month and encountering some very revealing truths about some of the people I live close to, I am a first-hand witness to once including a few of these types of people as of very recently. A few weeks ago, one of them explained in a text message that their management job requires too much of their attention and they just don’t have the time to do nice things for others because they’d rather spend their off time to themselves in their own space. And because of events leading me to revelations which proved previous incidents I had suspected to be true, I have stopped asking them for any more help because this was God’s way of proving Bea’s aforementioned wisdom is sound advice.

So friends, think about this today as part of your Thursday Thought and who you might need to love from a distance because they might be keeping you from living out God’s calling in your own life. Since personally doing so, I can see so many things clearer now. When otherwise I was just blinded by some real sticks in the mud. But if there is one thing I’d like everyone who reads this to take away, it’s this:

Time is the only thing we have in limitless supply. What can’t be done one day, we can finish in another. We need to be open to the opportunities God gives us each and every day and be mindful of these green lights to be the light in someone’s dark day. Even if it means we are taking an hour of our own day to gift the fruits of the Spirit, we will have an hour tomorrow to complete whatever it is God required our attention elsewhere for.

Prayer:

Lord, by the sake of your mercy, please enlighten each of us to become more mindful of your green lights. Give us the goodness to evaluate our relationships and determine which ones need love from a distance and which ones we can keep around in our innermost circle. Help us to identify the goodness in everyone, but be pragmatic in the decisions we make going forward each continued day of our lives. We know that you bring people in our life for a reason and a season, but we need to be sure we’re paying attention to your ultimate timeline and realize when those seasons have shifted–for it is not against your will to love from a distance, but ensuring that our hearts remain purely intentional and open to your divine wisdom of knowing what’s best for each of us. We thank you for this day, and we are appreciative of the love you shower upon us. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Thursday Thought: Keep Our Eyes on the Godly Prize

“When I win the Powerball, I will…”

We’ve all heard that expression and I’m willing to wager (pun not intended though) that each one of us has said it more than once. We proclaim what we would do if we just came into a mountain of money. And how much better it would make our lives.

The other day I had to ride the bus which required stopping into the transfer station to board a separate route. As we turned into the bus corral, I noticed the Colorado Lottery marquee which boasts of great jackpot potential. Back when I turned 18, I might have shown more enthusiasm for games of chance. But after living in the real world, I gradually lost interest in gambling. Since then, I’ve only played the lottery about ten times, if not less. You see, and please feel free to comment if you think I’m wrong, I don’t feel that God shares that enthusiasm for gambling either. I can think of many other beneficial uses for $2 (which often exceeds that nominal ante) than throwing it away! And you don’t truly know how valuable two measly bucks is until you’ve had to hold onto your last couple of dollars for an absolutely good reason.

Take four minutes and watch this video provided by The Southern Seminary on YouTube. He makes a very valid point, and helps reinforce today’s “Thursday Thought.”

I’ve probably mentioned before that money is just an object. And it’s proven that most people who have a lot of it, are not happy and they can sometimes stray further away from God. After all, what could they possibly need God’s help for when they have more money than there are the number of people residing in their home state? By no means will I ever judge anyone for playing the lottery, because that is a decision of free will humans are provided with and whether they won and gave it to charity or not–is between them and our Father.

But what if instead of gambling away our money in the incredibly high hopes of receiving abundantly more of it, we put it to better use? What if we spent just that five bucks doing something more Christlike? I’m sure I don’t have to provide you examples of what $5 can do for someone, and I won’t. But I will challenge each of us to pause before dropping any measure of currency on games of chance. I compel all of us to think about putting it to better use. For if we spend that instead on beneficial ways to help improve someone else besides our own false hope, we already have the riches we need through satisfaction of participating in kindness and encouragement. Earning more of God’s adoration for serving others in His name. Yet more, if we have Faith in God we have all we truly need, and anything else we earn along the way is just nothing more than icing on the cake.

By no means am I saying money in and of itself is evil, because it isn’t. But what I know for sure, is that money can have an extra influence of temptation from the enemy to do less Christlike things. In the past three years, I have seen just as much greed from people who have so little, as someone with more money [than God] than half the Earth’s population. (Furthermore, that euphemism couldn’t be further from any basis of fact. God didn’t invent money, humankind did as a means of putting a value on trade for products or service.) Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money, however is very much what turns God’s smile upside down. If money were merely a dark entity, Bill & Melinda Gates wouldn’t have helped hundreds of millions of people across the globe. There’s something to be said for earning money and relying on it via pure luck. God didn’t just hand David an entire kingdom and thrones of riches. God rewarded him because he earned it and used that experience to test David’s truest intentions. And we all know how that story ends!

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 ESV)

On my spiritual journey and having matured spiritually now from even say three years ago, I can confidently say that I don’t want great monetary wealth. I’d rather see a hundred million blessings and miracles happen with my own eyes, than a hundred million dollars which would most likely push me away from Jesus.

Prayer:

God our great Father, I pray on behalf of us all. Please lighten our hearts and straw us away from the prison of want. For if we have your grace and your love to guide us on the missions you’ve prepared us to do, we need nothing else and have your attention that our basic needs be met. Humble us, Lord, so that we can think of better ways to serve you that doesn’t involve games of chance in order to do it. Thank you for the mighty blessings you’ve already provided us, we vow to go forth with humility in your great name. Amen!