A $35 Pair of Boots

   Spent some time in a chic little clothing/accessory shop today. They have super cute stuff. The ladies working used all their sales tactics & treated me like a doll they could dress up. Then they stuck me in front of a mirror and said, "LOOK at you!! You look ready for the runway! And all for less than $200!"  I just smiled, but on the inside I was thinking, I've never spent $200 on an outfit in m life, AND what I could do with $200 for a Roma family in Romania! That would feed a family for quite a while, or help them stay warm for winter, or pay a doctor, or buy medicine or or or... You get the picture.

  Of course the materialistic, media brainwashed, girl within me WANTED the coat and boots, but why? How many coats are hanging in my closet now. How many people could I personally keep warm this winter if I'd just get over my selfish self and GIVE more away!?! What if I took that $35 I almost spent on a pair of boots today and instead... Bought something fair trade, made by women in other countries working to support their families. OR, got onto World Vision's website & bought some ducks or chickens for a family somewhere around the globe that need food, income & hope? What if, instead, I helped a family gain access to clean water so they or their children won't die of preventable diseases? What if I sent that money to one of my countless friends that serve as missionaries around the world? What if I bought Bibles for people who have never had a Bible of their own (while I probably have 4 or 5 floating around somewhere).

Sick as I realized how selfish and greedy I can still be!

Humbled, that my Savior still loves me as broken as I am!

Reminded of Christ's words about clothing "The Least of These"

Blessed, beyond measure and more than I could ever hope to deserve!

 So, I'm choosing to be satisfied. I have a pair of warm waterproof boots that are nearly new. I have a warm wool coat. I have a had and gloves and scarfs galore. I don't NEED winter clothing at all. In fact I could spare some...a visit to a local coat drive or homeless shelter might just be in my near future. What could you do with $35 & the extra winter clothes in your closet?

NUMB3RS

I recently finished reading the book of Numbers. Numbers is rarely the first book of the Bible I run to for comfort and encouragement. I don't always think of it as the easiest book of the Bible to get direct life lessons; however, it IS still the Word of God & 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful in teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness."

  As I was reading Numbers, I was continually struck by the enormity of the laws and rules by which the Israelites were required to live by. Living righteously wasn't easy. The laws were strict; purification laws often protecting them from dangers that were still unknown at the time. There were all sorts of sacrifices and things that could or couldn't be done with the sacrifice. I mean, this stuff was serious, when a couple of Aaron's sons tried to do things their own way they DIED. None of this could be skimmed over in real life, as I have so often skimmed over the book of Numbers.

   I began to wonder if I would think before I act or speak more if I knew I would have pay literally for the sacrifice required to find forgiveness. If I was giving up a lamb out of my flock or had to go pay for a goat or dove, would I not consider my actions more carefully? Or to create a more realistic picture if I knew my paycheck would be deducted every time I sin, would I not respond differently to temptation? Sadly, I have to say, yes. I think I would act differently and think about my actions more under these circumstances, or at least at first. Eventually, I would probably give up on ever keeping up with all the laws and sacrifices.

  To be honest with myself, and you, I'm more than humbled by this realization. I'm really ashamed to think that I do not consider the price paid for my sin as seriously as I should. I so often take the sacrifice of Christ, the SON OF GOD, for granted. I seek forgiveness time and again and there are far too many times when I am not truly repentant. There are times when I know I need to sit down and spend time in prayer & I turn away. There are times when I haven't spent time in the Word & I keep on embracing the busyness. There are days that go by when I think selfishly and don't do a thing to serve the Least of These around me. Words come out of my mouth that are spiteful and rude. ...I could go on.


Would I still do these things if each time I had to offer a sacrifice out of my own means? Would I still do these things if I truly faced the facts that I am turning my back on my Savior and Lord each time I make these choices to sin?

I praise God that He is a God of abundant GRACE, slow to anger and abounding in Love! He does not expect me to figure it out on my own, but has given me the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the strength of the Lord within me, making the impossible possible! I CAN truly repent and turn away from the sin in my life with His strength. And how I praise Him that I don't have to live under the laws of sacrifice, but His once and for all sacrifice is all I need. How humbled I am to realize a little more how undeserving I truly am. But I will praise God for the blessings He has so freely given! How incredible is it that the Most High God calls me child. I AM a Daughter of the King.

Baa vs. Bleat

 

Recently my learning thoughts have been centering on some of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25. Jesus was teaching His Disciples some important lessons that day. Lessons about the end of the age, about what will and must happen before Jesus will come back. Lessons about our duty as followers in preparation for that day. Then He explains what will happen at His return. This is what really gets me:

Jesus tells them, I’m coming back and when I come in all my glory ALL the nations will be gathered before me. I’m going to separate the people, each one will belong either with the sheep or with the goats. To the sheep Jesus will invite to enjoy the blessings prepared for them BECAUSE: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”  The confused “sheep” will say, “huh? When did we do that?”  Jesus responds, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Then the opposite happens for the “goats”. Jesus says, you are cursed and will endure eternal punishment. BECAUSE, when you saw me hungry, thirsty, a stranger, without clothes, sick or in prison, you did nothing! The confused goats say, “what the heck, we never saw you!”  Jesus tweaks his response a bit to: “I tell you the truth whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” [emphasis mine]

Now, I don’t know about you, but I think what Jesus was trying to do for us was paint a picture of what it looks like to Love God & Love people (the two greatest commandments according to Jesus in Mark 12:29-31). If we truly chose to love people the way Jesus described here, don’t you think people would listen when we talked about our faith? Now, earlier in the beginning of this day of teaching His Disciples Jesus also says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14  So, obviously God wants us to preach the Word too. But, if we preach it and don’t follow it with our actions are we any better than the Pharisees? I know this isn’t a new topic, but it’s been resonating in my mind differently lately.

When Jesus comes back He’s not going to say, well you prayed the sinners prayer & preached the Gospel message to people, so you can come to heaven. He’s not going to say, well you told others I was the way to heaven, so you can enjoy the home I’ve prepared.

Nope, Jesus directly revealed to us what will separate His followers from the rest. The followers who truly loved others, who served others, who gave of themselves to meet the needs of “the least of these” they’re the ones who get to enjoy the place Jesus personally prepares for His followers.

Matthew 7:20-23 says, “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Okay, so this might seem a bit harsh, but God is just. He sent His Son to demonstrate and teach & gave us the Bible to guide generations to come. If we have truly confessed with our mouth and believed in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead so that we might be saved and believe that our justification comes through the grace of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, if we TRULY BELIEVE, will our actions not reflect that? (Romans 10:9)

If the Holy Spirit is alive and well within us, our desire WILL be to love our neighbors as ourselves and care for the needs of the people God has fearfully & wonderfully created. The question I’m asking myself now is: What does Jesus think of how I focus my time and energy? Does my daily life reflect the heart of God for the Least of These?