School-itis

 

I have a dear cousin who is older than I am.  Carol was just starting school when she realized that it wasn’t that much fun.  So, on the morning of her second day of school, she complained about not feeling well, and Carol got to stay home from school.  That was nice!  Soon after the school bus went by, she perked right up.  The third morning, she didn’t feel well again.  But her parents were now aware of her sickness: it was called “school-itis”.  After the school bus went by and she began to feel better, they said, “You are so much better now, you should be able to go to school,” and put her into the car and drove her to school.  Carol never had school-itis again.  Hey, how often do we complain about something and blow it up bigger than it is simply to put off the unpleasant job.  But putting off an unpleasant job doesn’t make it any easier.  The job still has to be done, but now it is compounded by being late too!  Why not just shoulder our responsibility and get the job done?!  The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that unpleasant things often have productive results.  Hebrews 12:11, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”  No one likes correction, but everyone likes the sweet cooperation that correction brings.  Hey, when you have an unpleasant task to do today, don’t put it off.  Jump right on it and get it done first!  You’ll be glad that you did.

Beautiful Painting and Nice Frame

My wife and I enjoy watching the Antiques Roadshow, Monday nights on PBS.  A few weeks ago, they had a lady with a valuable painting.  She was pleasantly surprised at the appraisal of her painting.  She asked if it needed another frame to enhance the value of the work.  The expert replied, “No, this is probably the original frame because it goes well with the painting.”  The expert went on, “When I look at a painting, I should notice the painting and not the frame.  You never want someone to say, ‘That is a nice frame’. You want someone to say, ‘That is a beautiful painting … with a nice frame’.”  Hey, that’s what we as Christians should do.  We should point to Jesus Christ and He should get the glory, not us.  Paul said in II Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure (that’s Jesus) in earthen vessels (that’s us), that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”  People should say, “I see Jesus Christ … in Gerald.”  If people notice that I am a good person, they have missed the point and I have failed in my mission in life.  John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

 

Fire, Water, Sunshine

 

A fireman does not fall asleep while knocking down a house fire.  An Ironman swimmer doesn’t fall asleep during the water leg of the competition.  But, when a cool breeze is blowing and the sun is shining, it is easy to lean up against a tree trunk and fall asleep.  Hey, Christians don’t fall asleep during the purifying process of the fire.  Christians don’t fall asleep going through testing in deep waters.  But Christians do fall asleep in the sunshine.  When the good Lord gives us blessings, we should be grateful, because God is being gracious to us.  But if we neglect the Lord during the good times, He may have to send difficult times to bring us back to Himself.  Paul said in Romans 5:3-5, “… we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”  Stand up for the Lord during the fire and deep waters of testing, but don’t forget Him in the sunshine.