Rants

Need to rant a moment...I finished my devotion this morning in My Utmost for His Highest and the last sentence really struck me. It says, "Is my master ambition to please Him (God) and be acceptable to Him (God), or is it something less, no matter how noble?" I got to thinking about that and how often we put noble causes, lifestyle choices, careers and such in place of pleasing God. It also struck me how often we judge other peoples' choices without knowing their motives behind them. We feel like they are wasting their talent or resources because in our opinion they aren't receiving enough attention, money, etc. for it. But what if they are using it in a way they feel is pleasing to God? Does it matter if it nets them any worldly gain? My neighbor is an amazingly gifted, caring woman and nurse. She is currently taking care of a very ill relative at her home. Is she getting anything out of this? No. In fact since she has three children and a busy husband, this has made her life much more hectic. Is she trumpeting and blowing whistles and saying look at me and what a selfless thing I am doing? No. She is just quietly and gracefully going through each day and doing her best. She is an example to me of living to please God, regardless of what other people think. Another example is a man I know who is a gifted landscaper who donates his time to his church. I don't think 85% of the congregation even knows he is out there every week making the grounds beautiful for God's house. In our house we try and limit our impact on the environment. We reduce, reuse and recycle. We are trying to switch to non-toxic products and eat more whole and organic foods. We conserve water, compost, and constantly remind the boys to turn off the lights. We are also trying to pass on to our boys a sense of responsibility to what we've been given. Are we environmentalists? Actually no. We are Christians who believe that we are to be stewards of what God has given us. That means taking good care of our environment, our bodies and our finances. Granted we seem to struggle more with the "our bodies" part. The point to this long spiel is don't judge others. Since you are not involved in their decisions and you are not the all-knowing God of creation. Also, take a look at your own choices. Are you holding back on something because you are afraid of what other people might think? If you are a christian, remember who we are living to please.

Okay, I am done with my soapbox.