Following God's words
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
I’m wondering if socialism is our culture’s answer the Jesus-followers have created by NOT following what Jesus says regarding the poor and needy: a “ pure and undefiled religion” is to care for the orphans and widows in their distress and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The Bible has given extensive information on how to specifically care for the poor and needy. What if those of us who claim to follow Jesus put His Word into practice faithfully ? Would there be any poor any longer ? Would we even need any social services ? Or maybe we would have these services, but they would be funded by us ?
Does anybody know the 10 th Commandment ?
“ You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. ”
Coveting (to long for; desire; hanker after; crave ) has a tight connection with envy. It is so easy to want, to covet, to envy what others have, that we are left feeling discontent and unsatisfied. We compare what we have to what other’s have. If we only had just a little more, we could be happy, would be content. We are willing to sacrifice many things for things: our time, our children, our homes and so on. Most of our money problems come from coveting.
“ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ” 1 Timothy 5: 7-8
Start to pay attention to your thought life. If you find yourself saying, “ If only I had a bigger yard, then my kids could run around and play... ” Try thinking something like this, “ I am so thankful that I have a nice small yard that doesn’t take my husband long to mow and care for -- that really gives him a break and more time to spend with our family. ”
“ Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ” Colossians 3: 2
You get the idea. Please know that I am not saying there is anything wrong with having things -- I think you all know that. The problem is when we can’t afford them and we lust after them and eventually put ourselves in a bad position (debt, strife between a marriage, etc. ) in order to have them.
“ A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. ” Proverbs 14: 30
Is there something that you have been coveting ? Has there been strife in your marriage over money ? Have you put a career before your children in order to have more things ? Go to the Lord and ask Him where your heart is, ask Him to help you, and trust in His sovereign hand.
Philippians 2: 3 says, “ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ”
God help us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought... but to be humble in heart.
Ezekiel 6: 9 speaks of an idolatrous heart, a heart gone after its own idols.
Question -- what is my idol ? Yours ?
Money ? Power ? Popularity ? Pride ? Pretentiousness ? Entertainment ? Television ?
Do we spend more time with TV than we do in the Word ? Then perhaps TV is our idol. Hebrews 3: 8 and 15: “ Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as did your fathers in the days of rebellion, during the wilderness wanderings. ”
The Hebrews writer is saying that we can harden our own hearts by choices.
You see, the Bible teaches that we are the keepers of our own hearts.
We decide what we will allow into our hearts.
We decide what we will think about.
We decide what attitudes and dispositions we hold.
We are free moral agents, Our will has control over our hearts.
We are what we decide to be, because we control what we think.
Psalm 44: 21: “ God has discovered our wickedness... because He knows the secrets of the heart. ” You see, God knows what’s going on inside us... There is nothing hidden from Him.
Jeremiah said, “ He searches our hearts. ”
Solomon told us, “ He ponders our hearts. ”
Paul said in Thessalonians that, “ God tries our heart. ”
We may be hiding our sin from one another, but we can never hide them from God. He sees within our heart.
Walk in love.
------Sue Shipp Ministries, phone 856-6573.
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