As a business owner, it’s always in the back of my mind. I have to meet payroll. I only have two people on my actual payroll, but there are four more to whom I write a commission check every quarter. It is my responsibility to see that they are paid what is due them. I am fortunate to have people who take pride in our workplace and who do far more than what they are paid to do.
Hired people don’t always do much more than what is absolutely necessary. They may do that much only when they know they are being watched. However, they expect the signer of the check to do far more for them than just meet payroll!
I’ve been on both sides now. I’ve worked for people who gave me only what I earned, and then grudgingly. I’ve worked for people who were far more generous than they had to be. I purpose to be that sort….
My Father is.
He doesn’t give me what I earn.
He doesn’t have to worry about meeting His payroll, He can lavish me with far more than I deserve and never exhaust His resources. And because of that, it is my desire to do anything and everything I can possibly do to serve Him well.
I have heard that disclaimer many times. I always know what the person means to communicate by it, but often, it’s really just not true.
Let’s make sure we are on the same page about it. What is a saint? Looking at it from the negative, what is it NOT? Being a saint does NOT mean being perfect and living a perfect life because “Everyone has sinned” (Romans 3:23 NIrV).
There ARE saints. They are mentioned numerous times in scripture. The apostle Paul spoke about them and wrote to them many times. There are also many other references in the Bible to saints.
Most of the time we use the phrase “I’m no saint”, it is usually followed by a ‘but’. We might remark “I’m no saint, but I don’t ____________.” ( You can fill in that blank.)
We excuse ourselves because we don’t find the same fault in ourselves as we see in someone else. Problem with that is that we are comparing ourselves to some other person rather than the holy Creator God of the universe. He is the only Perfect One. The rest of us are flawed. So how could we possibly be saints?
Well, I am a saint. I’m not perfect, but I am being perfected. By the work of Jesus Christ, not my own, my imperfections are forgiven and erased. “It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process” (Hebrews 10:14 The Message)
I’m a saint. I have been made perfect. I am being made holy. And if you wear the Name of Christ, you are too. Hallelujah.
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14 NIV)
I don’t often have trouble making decisions. In fact, I am prone to make a decision in haste and later regret it. In my younger, even more foolish years, I’ve often said, ‘I’m going to do something even if it’s something wrong”. I would laugh then, but it was a very foolish attitude.
I’ve made decisions when I didn’t really like any of the options. I’ve made decisions with too little information and suffered the consequences of it. And I’ve even just flatly refused to make a decision. I think they call that ‘passing the buck’.
A decision is sometimes simply to wait. (…doing nothing was what I would have called that a few years ago. Waiting is NOT doing nothing….)
Life is a series of decisions. Every single one is important, and every single one effects far more than just ourselves. The prophet Joel described our situation, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14 NIV)
Right now, I’m making decisions about some health issues. I don’t like any of the options but need something to change. I can choose a doctor to help with the issue, or plod along like I am….waiting. A wrong decision may mean my arm loses even more range of motion.
There is one decision that every single person needs desperately to decide “..for the day of the Lord is near..” (Joel 3:14 NIV). Whether it is today, tomorrow, or next month, your time is limited. Even if it is in the next century, your time will have long since ran out. If you choose to wait too long, it may mean you suffer some grave consequences.
It can be hard to decide .The enemy will lie and deceive and provide plenty of options. He kept me burdened and bound for a long time, until I decided to give up. It was the best decision I ever made. I gave up, I did not give in. I gave up to Jesus, I did not give in to the enemy of my soul, liar and devil that he is.
“But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion…” (Joel 3:16-17 NIV).
God decided before I was in my mother’s womb, He loves me. I can’t fathom it. And I wonder how it was not incredibly hard for Him to decide to do so. How could Jesus decide to lower Himself to a body of flesh like mine, just to help me in the valley of decision? For He did. And He stands waiting to help you in yours.
When the occasion gives opportunity, I like to give the gift of a Bible. Recently, an occasion came and as is my custom, I highlighted a couple of my favorite scriptures in an engraved Bible. This occasion was a wedding, I just love seeing the bride look at a new Bible with her new name engraved on the front!
I almost always echo Paul’s words to the people of Phillipi. “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” (Phillipians 1:9-11 from The Message)
Paul prayed that over the Phillipians pointing out to them that love grows and flourishes on purpose, not on accident. It’s not just about how we feel, it is very often a purposeful choice. We humans are apt to react rather than respond. Our nature doesn’t always make it easy to “discern what is best.” (Phillipians 1:10 NIV)
What a beautiful way to start a marriage, and a beautiful way to start every day: a look into God’s Holy Word and a prayer to love much and to love well.
