Ready To Work

“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.”

Matthew 10:9-10

I think what Jesus means by this statement is that if we wait until we think we have everything we need to take the Gospel to the world, we will never do it.  There will always be something we think we need to get the job done, when all we need is a willingness to speak the Word and compassion for people. 

And, God will provide the rest.

He Raises The Poor From The Dust

The Lord is high above all nations;

His glory is in the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God,

Who is enthroned on high,

Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in heaven and in the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the needy from the ash heap,

To make them sit with princes,

With the princes of His people.

Psalm 113:4-8

Reconciled

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engage in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Colossians 1:21-23

It Is About Doing Good

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.  The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

3 John 1:11

It Does Not Say Tough Love

But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

1 John 3:17

In his writings John is affectionate toward us and he is also a tough task master.  He lets us know that if we say we are Christians, we need to behave in a Christ like manner and do what Jesus commanded us to do – love one another. 

One day, my mother sent me to the grocery store to buy a loaf of bread.  A head of me in line was Mike.  It was summer and he was wearing a dirty undershirt, torn pants and no shoes, and he was paying for a loaf of bread with deposit money from pop bottles he salvaged from an overgrown lot next to the store.  Mike was short six cents and the cashier sent him back outside to find three more bottles.  Bread was twenty-eight cents a loaf then.  Don’t you think someone standing in line could have paid the six cents?   Nobody did. 

It could be argued that it did not hurt Mike to dig through the weeds for pop bottles, but if someone would have said, “Let me get that for you,” and paid that last six cents, Mike might have seen God’s love.

Don’t miss an opportunity to show God’s love.

Light Up

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” 

“You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus does not speak passive words to us; He speaks words that call us to action. 

Jesus challenges us to live in a way which demonstrates our Christian beliefs by doing what is good and right.  It is easy to sit by and complain about the state of the world, it is more difficult to get up and do something.  When we help people we demonstrate God’s love.  We may think we are only saying encouraging words or feeding a few poor people and debate what difference our actions make.   But the truth is when we step out in faith and do something, we unleash the love of God upon the world. 

Light up your light so all may see God.