Reflections from Monday's Devotional

Devotional from Our Daily Bread: Gossip-Free Zone
Biblical Passage: Proverbs 25: 8-18

I know this is going to sound bias and I'm going to sound like a male chauvinist pig so I'm getting that out of the way right now but I often tell people that the only women I enjoy working around are geek women. With geek women gossip is truly at a minimum. They care about their appearance but I have never heard them tear down another woman, well at least while I'm around. They are not into dumb shows like Desperate Housewives, Girlfriends, Sex & the City, The Starters Wife (while USA Network airs that show I will never know), Tyler Perry movies...yes I said it.

Gossip is something I have heard men and women do from time to time and it's very easy to get caught up in it. Gossip is one of those subtle sins that before you know it you're right in the middle of that mess. You don't think you get caught up in it? Have you ever read PEOPLE, US, Star magazines? Have you ever watch any so called Reality shows?

*my hand goes up slowly

It's amazing so many things that are positive that surrounds us and many times we are drawn to the negative. There is the Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, National Geographic Channel, heck for me The Weather Channel is productive (they play some of the best smooth jazz when showcasing "The Local on the 8's"). Do you own a mp3 player? So many positive podcast are out here from pastor Greg Laurie, Paul Sheppard, Dr. Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, Tony Evans, the late Adrian Rogers & Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Michael Yousef, James McDonald...and these are national pastors and I'm sure that there are local pastors in your area that great teachers of God's word. You have some great music podcast (mine included...hint, hint), great tech shows and yet we sometimes get sucked into the gossip abyss.

I love the book of Proverbs. If you ever want sound, no nonsense every day advice this is the book to read a chapter a day. So much is written about gossip because God knows that is where the majority of all problems begin...word of mouth. If we want our children, our grandchildren gossiping or talking ill of people we as adults must lead by example when it comes to what we read, what we watch, what we say. Let's begin to make our home, our speech a "Gossip-Free Zone".

Be Blessed, Be Safe,
& Have a Wonderful Monday

Christian Podcast to check out:
Thru the Bible Questions & Answers - Dr. J. Vernon McGee
Broadcast for Saturday, November 08, 2008

Tech Podcast to check out:
Windows Weekly 82: Pocket Paul
Hosts: Paul Thurrott with Leo Laporte

My Rant for this Wednesday at 5:29 in the morning

"For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever."

~1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (New Living Translation)

As I read Our Daily Bread devotion and passage this morning these verses stuck out to me and it got me to thinking about the question every non believer ask, "If God loves everyone, how can he send someone to hell?" It's amazing how many people believers and non-believers think that there is no way God can send people to hell. God NEVER attended hell for you and I, that's for Satan and his cohorts. I don't think of being a Christian a burden, I think of being a big stress reliever but I think many in the body of Christ still do not truly believe this by our life styles. I know I can truly say whenever I have truly turned everything over to Christ he has never forsaken me. So why do go back to my old ways? It's something our pastor said last night, it's not the faith, it's the TRUST and that the truth plain and simple. Why do we waver?

One thing I believe is that we as Christians has gotten to the point where we think of God as our bellhop. We have the notion that "waiting on the Lord" means just that, to be still and do nothing. If you read all through Proverbs it tells Christians to TRUST in God but do not be lazy. For me I am beginning to learn that trusting in Christ means that I do what I need to do but at the same time I still have to be a provider for my wife and I while striving for what God has for my life.

Successful people in the Bible were always in motion because they realize that they were in covenant with God. They did not sit back and let God do all the work because even before the fall of Adam God put him to work in the garden. I am learning to strive what He wants me to do with time I have on this earth. Once I truly get the concept of obeying and trusting God in every area in my life things will become less stressful. It's a process but a process we as Christians have to partake of each and everyday.

The second thing I believe (and this really applies for myself) is to strive for what God has truly put in your spirit to do, something that you have a passion for day in and day out and not be afraid to work toward that vocation and this really ties into the first point I made. Something that brings you joy, something that makes you get the proper rest so you can begin that task refreshed, full of energy. A career that when Monday rolls around you can't wait to get started. I am learning that this brings honor and glory to Him and not only that the world can see it's cool to have your own business, your happy with it, your making a decent living and you're still acknowledging God in the process.

I think we as Christians dream big but are afraid to take that leap of faith so to speak. So we go into jobs we do not like, jobs that bring us stress and we complain about to our co-workers and by them seeing and hearing us complain they say to themselves, "if that is what is to be a Christian, I will take my chance with the world." I have been guilty of this and now I have stop complaining about my job and began doing something about it because we live in a "action" society. Our walk will be much more effective when they see us come in there, do our job but at the same time we are working toward what God truly has planned for our lives. I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to work this hard for someones, I might as well work toward what I enjoy to do everyday but I have to make preparations toward that goal and not just sit back and wait for it to happen because it is so true that tomorrow is never promised to us.

This is my New Year goal(like I said in a previous post for me, October seems to be my New Year for some reason). If I have to go back out and get a job sweeping floors and if the pay is decent, as long as it helps me toward my degree, so be it because the last thing you want to do is work in a field that brings you stress, high blood pressure and just unhappiness Monday through Friday. That is not God purpose for our lives. I believe when the world sees more Christians strive for what God has put inside of them, truly trust in God, follow his principles, work toward what the desire God has put inside of them more people will come to God and they will see that Christians are more than just "bark".

Be Blessed, Be Safe and
Have a Wonderful Wednesday.