LIVING BEFORE THE WORLD
We watched a reunion of
a certain television program awhile back, and on it, they said
different episodes of this show have been used as Sunday School
lessons. I had heard that before, and then when seeing portions of the
episodes on this reunion, I could see why.
What possible TV show
could you think of today that would be the opposite of such a show?
Well, there are probably way too many, to even try to start listing
them all, huh? But I just happened to be watching a certain one the
other day and it made me think. How about the show
“Survivors”? We’ve all caught glimpses at least of it
I’m sure. Some of us have even gotten hooked to it, maybe because
we want to see how things might turn out, kind of like a “soap
opera”, in a way.
But tell me why they
can’t seem to come up with a show like that, which could have
good people, Christian people on it. But stop and think, even
Christians when put on the spot, when put really to the test, sometimes
bring out their worst sides, now don’t they? Oh, we’ve
heard of Christian baseball teams that would compete, and other similar
things. When you hear of competition like that among Christians, many
times you hear of someone acting so much like people of the world. Why
though, aren’t we simply human? Yes, that’s what we are,
but the world expects us to act and even live differently than they do.
See, on this
“Survivors” show, there was this woman that was a Boy Scout
leader. Why a Boy Scout leader and not a Girl Scout leader, I
don’t know. But at the end, she did not win, although she could
have, depending on whom she might have chosen to be with her at the
end. Others had lied in the game, that’s usually what seems to be
expected on that show to make it to the end. But because she wore the
scout uniform, they didn’t think she should have lied. And
what’s ironic, even though lying may get you to the end, no one
really wants you to be a liar, if some of the former players are going
to vote on you to win the money.
There seems to be so many double standards in our society don’t there, even in and out of the church?
It may get difficult at
times for us to live up to what we are supposed to as Christians. We
are just human after all, aren’t we? Yes, we are, and
that’s why it sometimes seems so difficult and so unfair when
people expect more out of us than what we can deliver. We may make
mistakes sometimes, but we must do our best to try to make things right
as much as possible, I believe.
Sometimes there are ones
of us that expect too much of our own selves and get so down on
ourselves when we can’t do it all, all the time. It’s
easier to even do that, when you get help from others to put you down
because you failed one more time.
There are so many things
we can look at with this. I definitely feel like if the world expects
us to be what we say we are, then we need to do our best to be that.
How are they going to want to come around to the Lord’s way, if
we can’t do better before people in this world?
When it comes to
‘Survivor’; do you think they should say, its okay for me
to lie and cheat and on and on, but not you, if you say you’re
something other than what we are?
I don’t know, but I believe this sure bears some looking into and some thought on this subject.
There are so many angles
to it though, when it comes to within and without the church. When
people within the church have to step on us and kick us because we made
a mistake, what’s that say? That is when we don’t need to
be a whipping post, that in my opinion, is when we need to stand up for
our own rights and for what we believe in and try to make a change.
When it comes to the
world though, no, we shouldn’t let them just come and make fun of
all that we believe in, but for just human relations, we need to be
careful.
Let’s just talk
about all this, it seems more than I can divide right now. Yeah, things
need to be broken down and divided sometimes. Put in compartments in a
way, in our heads and for us to better be able to live by.
It bothers me though
that so much on our media today says that everyone drinks, lies,
cheats, and any and all else. But we don’t, and I know there are
others out there that are mad about it too.
We may not be perfect,
we never will be actually on this plane. If there’s anything
believable that we can convey to non-Christians, is that, I’m not
perfect, but He’s still working on me. Just like Rough-Hewn, it
means, we’re like diamonds in the rough, and that He’s not
finished with us yet, but still working with us and in us, as long as
we are willing for Him to. He will work in us and on us, we just need
to be willing vessels, vessels that can be used for His glory and honor
and purpose.
I remember hearing a
story once, it was probably even a forwarded email from somebody on the
internet. But it said there are all kinds of vessels, beautiful ones
that just sit there to be stared at and admired, but there are also
marred ones, ones that seem to be so anyway. These are the ones that
might have a crack in them, and maybe they’re used to carry
water, and the water can’t stay in it. But all along the pathway
leading back, there are beautiful flowers that sprung up where that
broken vessel was able to drip some water. It wouldn’t have
happened if it weren’t for a crack in the vessel, now would it?
It couldn’t have happened with one that could have carried all
the water the whole way, could it?
Sometimes we have cracks
in our lives, things that may make us seem less perfect. But it may be
those things that may bring someone to Him, why? Because it may have
been the very thing they could identify with.
We’re not perfect,
we might as well accept that. We need to strive to be more like Christ,
or strive for perfection as He was, but do not believe we will ever
achieve it on this earth. So let’s be content being who He made
us to be, and be that willing vessel that can be used for His glory,
okay? That’s what can bring Him honor, when we try to be before
the world what we say we are, no matter how hard that may seem at
times. If they expect more out of us, then we should, huh,
shouldn’t we?
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