Shade Tree Wisdom 4/14/10

O what a beautiful morning, O, what a wonderful day.

I even beat the big yellow box and hardly had time to wave to the driver before I shut the door after my morning walk. And it is indeed possible to become so enamored of this beauty around us now, that we forget the other, the one we are striving for.

Paul wrote of this longing to the Philippians when he told them, “I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better; nevertheless, to stay here is more needful for you”. The man who wrote this had a goal, “to be with Christ”, but while he lived here this is the man who travelled much of his life, preached, was stoned, jailed, beaten, and finally, we assume, was killed.

His eye was on a far goal. Heaven.

If you read history carefully, you often find that the people who do most in this life are the ones who thought most of the next, The early Christians, the Apostles themselves who left their mark, were occupied with the next. It is the truth of Christ, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6, 24 – 34 teaches that clearly, as does Luke 12, 22 – 34. [The Matthew passage is a favorite with many Christians].

When Christians forget that, their influence diminishes, or even stops. “Come ye out from among them and be ye separate” changes into “what else does the world offer that we can indulge in without getting too smeared.” When we aim at heaven, the joys of earth are ‘thrown in’ as God’s bonus. Our light shines brightest in the world when our aim is heaven. That is part of God’s strange and wonderful way.

Even people who are not earnest Christians often see the value of God’s leading. There is the story of a man who was raised as a church-goer. But then he went to college, left home, got a job, was married, had children, each, husband and wife, made good salaries, but never seemed to be able to save a cent. Each paycheck was spent. Then he attended church again – children needed Sunday School – and heard another sermon on tithing. But it was different, this Pastor made a modest promise, ‘tithing will free the tither from financial worry’. And he also suggested they use their money for charities as well as Church. So he and his wife pledged to tithe, and they found they were able to save 10%, retired their house mortgage early, and indeed, did not worry about money, where before that had been their only worry, and often led to quarrels. He called it their 10-10-80 rule. (I got this story from Forbes magazine, 2/14/05 pg.35).

I know many people who fit that story too. They live by God’s rule, joyously and eagerly doing his will here, and have their eye on the great goal, which is eternal life with Jesus, whose suffering, death, and resurrection paid for their sins. Indeed, there are many such in this weary world. They are, indeed, the “salt of the earth and its light, so let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. Matt. 5,13.16. May God bless this word.

GPD 4/14/10