May 11, 2020
Anyone who shops on Amazon knows that a 5 out of 5 star rating is the best recommendation for a product. People who buy and read books electronically (like me, on my Kindle) read the summary and reviews to get a glimpse into what a book is about and whether other readers enjoyed it before we buy it. People choose doctors, airlines, restaurants and movies based on the opinions (and temperaments) of total strangers. And then if the reality doesn’t live up to the reviews they are shocked and dismayed. (Man, I can’t believe that Irma G. from Denver, Colorado said that was the best book she ever read. I hated it!). Sometimes we ask people we know or even our own family members their opinion on something and we find out that what they think is entertaining, tasty or satisfactory bears no resemblance to our own ideas. Opinions are like fingerprints. We all have them and no two are alike. Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree. When it comes to our spiritual lives there’s only one opinion that matters. God’s. If God was shopping for a good attitude on line would he pick mine? If He was looking under “kindness” would he see good reviews on my performance? Would He give my patience two thumbs up and 5 stars? (Not likely.) The good news is that with God, every day is a new day and our reviews can be wiped clean and started over. He knows we are imperfect. He knows we will need forgiveness and direction every single day. That’s why He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins. Jesus’ blood wipes away our transgressions and the Holy Spirit in our hearts helps us to hear Gods guidance on how to “do better”. Are we listening to the only opinion that matters? Are we at least trying to live our lives by God’s standards? Are we a “new and improved” version of ourselves each day, growing spiritually, forgiving ourselves and others, and trusting God to direct our paths? Pre-quarantine, most of us showered, changed our clothes and brushed our teeth every day. Some people even exercised! All of that improves our outward appearance (our label). But what are we doing to improve the product inside each day? In The Message, Matthew 5:8 says: “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” John 3:16-17: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” What a wonderful promise! Smile and be joyful!
Anyone who shops on Amazon knows that a 5 out of 5 star rating is the best recommendation for a product. People who buy and read books electronically (like me, on my Kindle) read the summary and reviews to get a glimpse into what a book is about and whether other readers enjoyed it before we buy it. People choose doctors, airlines, restaurants and movies based on the opinions (and temperaments) of total strangers. And then if the reality doesn’t live up to the reviews they are shocked and dismayed. (Man, I can’t believe that Irma G. from Denver, Colorado said that was the best book she ever read. I hated it!). Sometimes we ask people we know or even our own family members their opinion on something and we find out that what they think is entertaining, tasty or satisfactory bears no resemblance to our own ideas. Opinions are like fingerprints. We all have them and no two are alike. Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree. When it comes to our spiritual lives there’s only one opinion that matters. God’s. If God was shopping for a good attitude on line would he pick mine? If He was looking under “kindness” would he see good reviews on my performance? Would He give my patience two thumbs up and 5 stars? (Not likely.) The good news is that with God, every day is a new day and our reviews can be wiped clean and started over. He knows we are imperfect. He knows we will need forgiveness and direction every single day. That’s why He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins. Jesus’ blood wipes away our transgressions and the Holy Spirit in our hearts helps us to hear Gods guidance on how to “do better”. Are we listening to the only opinion that matters? Are we at least trying to live our lives by God’s standards? Are we a “new and improved” version of ourselves each day, growing spiritually, forgiving ourselves and others, and trusting God to direct our paths? Pre-quarantine, most of us showered, changed our clothes and brushed our teeth every day. Some people even exercised! All of that improves our outward appearance (our label). But what are we doing to improve the product inside each day? In The Message, Matthew 5:8 says: “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” John 3:16-17: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” What a wonderful promise! Smile and be joyful!
Comments
Post a Comment