I find it interesting how we as Christians live life. Now, this is not to bunch us all together. But, it is interesting to consider how you or I feel at any given moment in any given situation and then think do others feel the same way?
People, in general, have tendencies. Men have them from their perspective as do women from their perspective. Adolescents, as well as children, all have tendencies to act in certain ways. Is it absolute? Actually, no it isn’t as situations and circumstances in life play a great part in determining how we will respond to any given situation.
Let me put it this way. For some people, they can do things that I cannot do. It may not be because I can’t because I certainly could but it is because I cannot bring myself to act in that way. Yet, there are things I might do that they cannot bring themselves to doing. In verses 19 and 20 of Romans 7, Paul said-
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
I little later in verse 24 he says-
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Well, we would agree with Paul in the first part of verse 25-
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!...
Thank you, Lord, for your Son Jesus Christ. We can all say Amen and Amen to that I am sure. However, we do say and act in ways that can be in conflict with how we should act. We might even say as Paul did “what a wretched man (woman, young person) I am!” and it would right to do so.
As I was leading prayer time recently with a group of pastors, I made this comment-
We have been given a Great Commandment and a Great Commission and it is our responsibility as pastors and believers to act on both. The world needs what we have and the only hope for the world is Jesus.
With this in mind, the question for each of us today is how do we live our lives? There are so many parts to life and each one needs to be balanced against the others. I love Ecclesiastes 3:1 as the writer begins by saying-
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
How true that verse is and it has stood for the test of time. It is as true today as when it was written and will be until the end of time.
It may well be because of where I am in my life that I ponder (get it?) a lot of thoughts each day. I have others things to do and I do them but there are those times when I am seriously pondering what to do and think. To be honest with you, I believe this is what we should all be doing. That may be what is so wrong with our world today. People are not taking the time and effort necessary to consider what the outcome might be of an action they might take. We certainly see this every day. We see it in the politics of our country whether it be national, state or local. We see it in the schoolhouses and the homes of student and their parents. It is in the workplace and every avenue we travel. Recently, I heard someone talk on the topic of cause and effect.
Edward Everett Hale (April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909) was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as "The Man Without a Country", published in Atlantic Monthly, in support of the Union during the Civil War. He was the grand-nephew of Nathan Hale, the American spy during the Revolutionary War.
Hale said-
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Those are profound and timeless words that we should all remember and act upon. What can I do because I know I cannot do everything? I will however do what I can and never refuse to do so. What about you?
A thought to ponder,
Elbert Nasworthy
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