(08.19.21– The Power To Be Good –Galatians 6:7)
My friend, may I ask you a question? If we put effort into one spot in our lives and it shows, how does that speak for the rest of our lives? Should we polish up the whole man or just be content with a part of him?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
Holly and I own an old Airstream travel trailer. Over the years it's gone through a number of renovations. There's one renovation, however, that I've long avoided. Since the trailer is fairly large, about 25 feet, and high, you need a ladder to reach the roof of the trailer, I've only washed and waxed it once in all the 18 years we've owned it. Airstreams are aluminum and, if you maintain the spit and polish, they shine brilliantly as you pull them down the highway. Unfortunately, our Airstream won't blind you coming down the highway; that is except for one spot on the right side under the kitchen window. I backed a skid steer loader into that spot years ago and had to pop out the dent. I decided to wash and wax that one spot well when I repaired it. Ever since it shines brilliantly even thought the rest of the trailer's surface is rather dull.
I put effort into one spot and it shows. Life is like that as well. The more you put into it, the more you will get.
Here's a story: There is a beautiful story about a child playing with a vase his mother had left on the table for a few moments. When the mother turned at the sound of her son crying she saw that his hand was stuck in a vase. She tried to help him and pulled until the child cried out in pain. But the hand was stuck fast. How would they get it out? The father suggested breaking the vase but it was quite valuable and the child's hand might be cut in the process. Yet he knew that if all else failed there would be no other alternative. So he said to the boy, "Now, let's make one more try. Open your hand and stretch your fingers out straight, like I'm doing, and then pull!" "But Dad," said the boy, "if I do that I'll lose my penny!" The boy had had a coin in his hand all the time and was holding it securely in his tight little fist. And he wasn't prepared to open his hand and lose the penny. But once he opened his hand it came out of the vase easily. (Zig Ziglar)
It struck me that this is much like the sin to which we are all prone. Get rid of it as soon as we notice it entering our minds, and it requires much less effort to keep ourselves clean from it. Neglect it, and it is hard to erase. By the great effort of Jesus' death, like the spit and polish I put on that one Airstream panel, we were first made clean. Now we learn how to stay clean the easy way! We can delight Jesus and our heavenly Father by shining every day with the brilliance of newly polished aluminum or to be content with a dull brilliance belying our little effort. Have you conquered one sin in your life? That's your starting panel. Now spread out and go after the rest. One shiny panel is a start; but a whole life, spit and polished, is the better goal. Blind the devil and the world when you travel down life's road. Drop sin like a bad habit and see, by the power of Christ, how polished you can be.
We pray. Heavenly Father, if we polish just a part of our lives, and and leave the rest, is it by the great effort of we will be clean? Lord, You have taught us how to stay clean completely! We just need to focus on Jesus Christ. We can delight You by shining every day with the brilliance of Christ each day, or be content with a dull brilliance belying our little willingness to make the total effort. Help us Father to conquer one sin in your life. Make that our starting panel. Now spread out and go after the rest. A whole life, spit and polished, is the best goal. Help us to blind the devil and the world when we travel down life's road. May we drop sin like a bad habit and see, by the power of Christ, how polished we can be. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.