Do Something
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:43–44
The difference between compassion and pity is that pity feels bad about a situation but compassion does something to change the situation.
When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended an event at which one young man was brutally beaten by another. No one made an attempt to stop the beating. The next day she was struck dumb to learn that the youth had died as a result of the pounding. Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help him. She could never forget the incident or her responsibility as an inactive bystander.
Some years later, Rosina saw another catastrophe. A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly skidded and plunged into Biscayne Bay. The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end showing. In a moment, a woman appeared on the surface shouting for help and saying her husband was stuck inside.
This time Rosina waited for no one. She plunged into the water, tried unsuccessfully to open the car door, then pounded on the back window as other bystanders stood on the causeway and watched. First she screamed at them, begging for help, then yelled at them, telling them there was a man dying in the car.
First one man, then another, finally came to help. Together they broke the safety glass and dragged the man out. They were just in time, a few minutes later it would have been all over.
The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband, and Rosina was elated, riding an emotional high that lasted for weeks. She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do anything she could to save a human life. She had made good on her promise.
Rosina figured out that having good intentions was not enough to achieve something. She felt sorry for the young boy who beaten and probably wanted to help, but she didn’t. As a result nothing was done to save him.
Even so, as Christians I’m sure we would all say we desire for others to be saved. We don’t wish that anyone would have to spend eternity in Hell. But simply wanting something to happen will not get the job done. You must have an active part in making it happen.
God doesn’t command us to hope people accept Him; He commands us to go tell them (Matthew 28:19). He tells us in Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
How are people supposed to accept Christ if we are not obedient to tell them? God calls us to have compassion on others. Therefore, we must do something about their lost condition! Yes, it is important to love others and pray for their salvation, but take an active role in witnessing to them and inviting them to church. When you have true compassion for someone, you will do whatever it takes to help them.
People Business
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1–2
God’s business is people-work, not paperwork.
In the 1950s, marketing whiz Stanley Arnold was working at Young & Rubicam, where he was asked to come up with a marketing campaign for Remington Rand. The company was among the most conservative in America. Its chairman at the time was retired General Douglas MacArthur. Intimidated at first by a company that was so much a part of America, Arnold also found in that phrase the first inspiration for a campaign. After thinking about it, he went to the New York offices of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Beane, and placed the ultimate odd-lot order:
“I want to purchase,” he told the broker, “one share of every single stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange.” After a vice president tried to talk him out of it, the order was finally placed. It came to more than $42,000 for one share in each of the 1098 companies listed on the Big Board at the time. Arnold now took his diversified portfolio into a meeting of Remington Rand's board of directors, where he argued passionately for a sweepstakes campaign with the top prize called A Share in America. The conservative old gentlemen shifted around in their seats and discussed the idea for a while. “But Mr. Arnold,” said one, “we are not in the securities business.” Said another, “We are in the shaver business.”
“I agree that you are not in the securities business,” said Arnold, “but I think you also ought to realize that you are not in the shaver business either. You are in the people business.” The company bought the idea.
God’s main goal is not for us to build a large church, have the most activities, or design the nicest bulletin; His focus is on the souls of the people in our communities. The focus of our lives as Christians should be to reach out to those who don’t know Christ and share with them His gift of salvation.
How often do we get wrapped up in our effort to make a living, provide for our family, attempt to get everything done, and we fail to see what truly matters to God? While we are focused on swapping emails, sending memos, and conducting meetings with our coworkers, God is focused on where they will spend eternity.
How many people do you interact with everyday without sharing God’s gift of life with them? Don’t view people as workers together in a business, but view them as lost souls needing Christ. When you view people as God views them, you will have a burden for their eternal destiny.
Who Is My Neighbor?
“Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
Leviticus 19:16–18
Love others like Christ would love them, for you never know when you may be in their shoes one day.
Catherine Booth was the “mother” of the Salvation Army. “Wherever Catherine Booth went,” said Campbell Morgan, “humanity went to hear her. Princes and peeresses merged with paupers and peasants.”
One night, Morgan shared in a meeting with Mrs. Booth, and a great crowd of “publicans and sinners” was there. Her message brought many to Christ. After the meeting, Morgan and Mrs. Booth went to be entertained at a fine home. The lady of the manor said, “My dear Mrs. Booth, that meeting was dreadful.”
“What do you mean, dearie?” asked Mrs. Booth. “Oh, when you were speaking, I was looking at those people opposite to me. Their faces were so terrible, many of them. I don't think I shall sleep tonight!”
“Why, dearie, don't you know them?” Mrs. Booth asked; and the hostess replied, “Certainly not!”
“Well, that is interesting,” Mrs. Booth said. “I did not bring them with me from London; they are your neighbors!”
Who is your neighbor? When people refer to their “neighbors” they most often mean the people living in their neighborhood. But when God refers to our neighbors, He means anyone with whom we come in contact.
God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Have you ever really thought about that? You are to love, care about, and honor your neighbors just like you treat yourself. You wouldn’t ignore a need in your life if you had the power to supply it. So why do we ignore the needs of others when we can help?
What have you done recently to help one of your “neighbors”? Jesus loved everyone He met while on earth. It didn’t matter if they were homeless, sick, poor, rich, intelligent, simple, or whatever. He loved and took care of them just like He took care of Himself.
Take time today to help someone else. Buy them a meal, send them a card, fix something around their house, do whatever you can to love them. Love them like Christ would love them, for you never know when you may be in their shoes one day.
How Are You Today?
“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:14–16
No matter how much resolve or determination we have, we can get off course spiritually by one little sin.
The word accountable has been defined as “required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible, liable, or answerable.” In life we are often held accountable for our deeds. By signing car lease agreements, we are held accountable to the car dealership that we will pay for the car. By signing purchase agreements, we are held accountable by the store that we will pay the money owed. Being held accountable is something we don’t think about too often, but partake in just about every day.
In our Christian life, we also need accountability. We need someone to come alongside us and help steer us toward Christ. No matter how much resolve or determination we have, we can get off course spiritually by one little sin.
I once read these questions an author had someone ask him to help keep him accountable:
1. How is your relationship with God right now?
2. What have you read in the Bible in the past week?
3. What has God said to you in this reading?
4. Where do you find yourself resisting Him these days?
5. What specific things are you praying for in regard to yourself?
6. How are you doing with your spouse? Kids?
7. If I were to ask your spouse about your state of mind, state of spirit, state of energy level, what would the response be?
8. Are you sensing spiritual attacks from the enemy right now?
9. If Satan were to try to invalidate you as a person or as a servant of the Lord, how might he do it?
10. Are there any unresolved conflicts in your circle of relationships right now?
Are you accountable to someone in your life? If not, find someone! You need that accountability and godly influence to keep you going forward for God.
Look for someone godly in your church, someone more spiritually mature than you. Ask them if they would be your prayer partner and help keep you accountable. Give them free reign to ask you about your walk with God, and don’t become offended if they confront you about something! As you stay accountable to another Christian, you will become more accountable to God and will become more faithful in your walk with Him.
Integrity: How Do You Get It?
“If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.”
Job 31:5–8
Integrity is not bought, but built through time with God.
Several years ago, in Long Beach, California, a fellow went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date, late one afternoon. The young woman at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day—a whole bag of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken—over $800! But this man was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back.
When they arrived at the restaurant, the man got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic. The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, “I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here.” Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, “Oh, great, let me call the newspaper. I'm gonna have your picture put in the local newspaper. You're the most honest man I've heard of.” To which they guy quickly responded, “Oh no, no, don't do that! I didn’t return the money for fame; I just want my chicken dinners.”
Integrity is mentioned sixteen times in the Bible. Five times that integrity is mentioned, the word refers to walking in integrity. Five other times this word is mentioned, it refers to the integrity of the heart. We know from Scripture that the way we get integrity is through the heart by consistently walking with God.
The greatest example the Scriptures give us of integrity outside of Jesus Christ is His servant, Job. Job was a man of faith and fortune, and when his faith and fortune were tested, he remained upright.
Job allowed God to prove him, and through his integrity, he not only proved his love to God, but he also received ten times the blessings. The one thing that kept Job faithful during his trials was his consistent walk with God. Even when his wife sought to turn him from God, he daily sought God’s face and remained faithful.
Do you have integrity so that if presented with a difficult situation you would choose the right path? The way to develop integrity or moral uprightness in your life is through walking with God each day. When you spend time with God each morning, He will help you make the right decisions even during difficult times.
Three Keys to Dealing with Others
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Matthew 25:35–40
Most of Christ’s earthly ministry was spent on others.
In 1722, Count Nicholaus von Zinzendorf of Saxony founded a colony of believers called “Hernhut,” later known as Moravians. He also traveled to America and set up communities that began to send out missionaries, first to Greenland, then to the West Indies, then beyond. By the time Zinzendorf died in 1760, some 300 missionaries, all laypersons, had gone out from the various colonies.
Zinzendorf is known for his helpful writings on dealing with others. He took time to put together a practical, twenty-point guideline to help missionaries as they went out to begin their work. Another help guide he wrote is known as “The Order of the Mustard Seed.” It states:
1. Be Kind to All People
2. Seek their Welfare
3. Win them to Christ
It has been said that the ministry is not just paperwork but people-work. It’s hard to go through life without having to deal with people. In fact, it’s just about impossible! As we saw yesterday, God desires that we would take time to help people. Even if there’s no payback for us, we should always stop to do the right thing.
Notice our verses today. Jesus was explaining that the disciples had helped Him, but they didn’t remember helping Him! Then He explained that when they took time to help the poor, tired, or hungry, they were doing it unto the Lord.
Even so, when we put others first and help them, we are helping Christ. As Count von Zinzendorf stated, being kind to others, putting their well-being above our own, and telling them of Christ is our pattern for dealing with others.
How are your people skills? Are you known as somewhat stand-offish or rude to others? God says that whatever you do to others, you are doing to Him! Take these three principles, “The Order of the Mustard Seed,” and implement them in your life. Show others kindness through your speech and actions. Then, place their needs and desires above your own. Go out of your way to help them. And also, share the good news of God’s salvation with them. Next time you interact with someone, ask yourself, “How would I treat Christ in this situation?”
Nice Guys Finish Last
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:35–36
Nice guys may finish last on earth, but they finish first in Heaven.
Have you ever noticed that in the sporting world, acts of sportsmanship and kindness often result in defeat? It happened that way several years ago in the marathon tandem kayak racing event at the world championships in Copenhagen. Danish paddlers were leading when their rudder was damaged in a portage. British paddlers, who were in second place, stopped to help the Danes fix it. The Danes went on to defeat the British by one second in an event that lasted nearly three hours.
But there's a happy ending to this story. According to The Wall Street Journal, the British kayakers won what many people regard as the highest honor in sports. They became the winner of the Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophy. The trophy is named for the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and it has been awarded annually for the past 28 years to people in sports who have demonstrated nobility of spirit. It is big news in Europe, but it has not been given much recognition in the United States. In the past, the trophy has gone to a Hungarian tennis player who pleaded with officials to give his opponent more time to recover from a cramp, and to a high school basketball coach who forfeited the Georgia state championship after he found out that one of his players was scholastically ineligible.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Nice guys finish last”? In our society we are taught that kindness and taking time to do the right thing hurts you. There are no medals or benefits for those who stop to help someone else. All that is accomplished is that time is lost or wasted.
That’s not how God views it! Notice Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” As a Christian, God wants you to be kind to others no matter the reward!
If there were a reward for being kind or helping others, I’m sure many more people would be doing it! Many people only do nice things for their own benefit or reward. But God says, “Even if there is no medal for kindness or no recompense for the time you spent helping that person, I still want you to show them kindness.”
Have you taken on the “medal mentality,” only doing things for what you’ll get in return? Don’t allow the world to tell you that others aren’t important enough to help. Sacrificing of yourself to aid others is what God desires for you to do! Even if no one’s watching or no one offers to pay you for it, go ahead and help someone else. After all, God’s watching everything and He gives out larger rewards than any human could.
Pull up the Roots
“And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Hebrews 12:13–15
Bad habits are like comfortable beds—easy to get into but hard to get out of.
An elderly teacher, with a pupil by his side, took a walk through a forest. Suddenly he stopped and pointed to four plants close at hand. The first was just beginning to peep above the ground, the second had rooted itself pretty well into the earth, the third was a small shrub, while the fourth was a full-sized tree. The tutor said to his young companion, “Pull up the first plant.” The boy did so eagerly, using only his fingers.
“Now pull up the second.” The youth obeyed but found the task more difficult. “Do the same with the third,” he urged. The boy had to use all his strength to uproot it. “Now,” said the instructor, “try your hand with the fourth.” The pupil put his arms around the trunk of the tall tree and couldn't even shake its leaves. “This, my son, is what happens with our bad habits. When they are young, we can remove them readily; but when they are old, it's hard to uproot them, though we pray and struggle ever so sincerely.”
Someone once said, “Habits start out as cobwebs and end up as cables.” When a habit begins, it feels different and even sometimes awkward. Remember when you first learned how to ride a bike or how to tie your shoes? It took regular practice and determination to develop that habit.
A habit is developed through the repetition of a thought or action. The more you do something, the more permanent it becomes in your life. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. The more you read your Bible, the more permanent taking time to read the Bible becomes in your life. But on the other hand, the more you spend time in sin, the more permanent a sinful lifestyle becomes in your life.
How do you avoid sinful habits? Hebrews 12:13 says, “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” By keeping your path straight and your eyes focused on Christ, you can develop good habits rather than bad ones. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He can help us break the habit of continually sinning.
We all have habits in our lives. Whether it’s what time we wake up in the morning or which route we take to work, we have daily patterns that we follow. So what are your habits? Have you fallen into some bad habits? Maybe a pattern of sin has overtaken your life and you don’t know how to fix it. Follow the guide in Hebrews 12:13, and set straight your course. Develop the habits and patterns God has laid out in His Word, and let Him give you the victory over the habit of continual sin
Pay the Price
“For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” 1 Timothy 2:2–3
A lie, no matter how small it is, always costs.
Bob Harris, weatherman for New York television station WPIX-TV and the nationally syndicated independent network news, had to weather a public storm of his own making in 1979. Though he had studied math, physics, and geology at three colleges, he left school without a degree but with a strong desire to be a media weatherman. He phoned WCBS-TV, introducing himself as a Ph.D. in geophysics from Columbia University. The phony degree got him in the door and after a two-month tryout, he was hired as an off-camera forecaster for WCBS.
For the next decade his career flourished. He became widely known as "Dr. Bob." He was also hired by the New York Times as a consulting meteorologist. The same year, both the Long Island Railroad and then Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn hired him. Forty years of age and living his childhood dream, he found himself in public disgrace and national humiliation when an anonymous letter prompted WCBS management to investigate his academic credentials.
Both the station and the New York Times fired him. His story got attention across the land. He was on talk shows, in magazines, and on a host of news programs. He thought he would lose his home and never work in the media again. Several days later the Long Island Railroad and Bowie Kuhn announced they would not fire him, then WNEW-TV gave him a job. He admits it was a dreadful mistake on his part and doubtless played a role in his marital problems. “I took a shortcut that turned out to be the long way around, and one day the bill came due. I will be sorry as long as I am alive.”
I’m sure Mr. Harris never thought that one lie could ruin his life. One false statement to simply get a job cost him years of experience and hurt his family as well. Where once he was a public figure people trusted to deliver their news, he lost all credibility and was forced to start his career over again.
One little lie never seems like it will do much damage when it is first told. Maybe you call it a fib, a white lie, or even a joke. But no matter what you call it, a lie is a lie.
Proverbs 14:5 states God’s desire plainly when it says, “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.” God doesn’t want you to lie for any reason! Even if it seems like nothing, lying can build and soon become a mess in your life.
Have you ever caught yourself making an excuse for lying? Perhaps it was to help someone else or to make yourself feel good. But don’t allow the devil to belittle lying! It is a sin and God desires that we abstain from it. The next time you are tempted to tell a “small lie,” remember that God says a faithful witness will not lie.
There is Hope!
“My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Psalm 42:3–5
If Peter (and Paul and Barnabas) fell, I too may fall. If they rose again, I too may rise again.—Martin Luther
The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city's hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child's name and room number and talked briefly with the child's regular class teacher. “We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I'd be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn't fall too far behind.”
The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I've been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn't accomplished much.
But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don't understand what I mean. We've been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment. It's as though he's decided to live.”
Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?"
How often do we become discouraged like this little boy? He thought there was no hope to live! As Christians, we fail. We fall into sin and sometimes revert to our old sinful lifestyle. We are only human! But that does not mean that God can no longer use us. There is still hope!
Think of the Apostle Peter. He struggled with pride and a quick tongue while he was a disciple. He also denied Christ three times, and used His name in vain. Yet Peter was used to be one of the leaders on Pentecost—the greatest day of revival in history!
Have you fallen into sin? Have you made a mistake that has left you feeling useless? Don’t get discouraged! There is still hope for you. God has a plan for your life, and He can still use you as long as you turn to Him. Repent of your sin, make things right with God, and continue living for Him today.
The Least of These
“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:7–9
The least of saints is greater than the best of sinners.
The concert impresario, Sol Hurok, once told this story about singer Marian Anderson: “A few years ago a reporter interviewed Marian and asked her to name the greatest moment in her life. I was in her dressing room at the time and was curious to hear the answer. I knew she had many big moments to choose from. There was the night Toscanini told her that hers was the finest voice of the century. There was the private concert she gave at the White House for the Roosevelts and the King and Queen of England. She had received the $10,000 Bok Award as the person who had done the most for her hometown, Philadelphia. To top it all, there was that Easter Sunday in Washington when she stood beneath the Lincoln statue and sang for a crowd of 75,000, which included Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and most members of Congress.” Which of those big moments did she choose? “None of them,” said Hurok. “Miss Anderson told the reporter that the greatest moment of her life was the day she went home and told her mother she wouldn't have to take in washing anymore.”
With all the accomplishments in her life, Marian Anderson realized that she was still a normal person. She was no one special; simply a girl who once washed laundry for other people. She kept a humble attitude.
Sometimes as Christians, we can glance in the mirror a little too often. We may listen to someone’s praise and stop to review our own accomplishments. But everything that we’ve ever done has been by God’s grace and through His strength!
We would consider Paul to be one of the greatest apostles to ever live, but notice what he said of himself in Ephesians 3:8, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Paul called himself the least of all saints!
Rather than focusing on what all he had done for Christ, Paul focused on the fact that he was but a sinner saved by grace. Without Christ, Paul would have been nothing. And even so, without Christ we would be nothing.
Have you been focusing on yourself a little too much lately? Rather than looking in the mirror of your accomplishments, look into the mirror of God’s Word and let Him reveal your true self. The next time you’re tempted to think highly of yourself, remember Paul’s words and fix your eyes back on God.
The Swan or the Crane
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:2–4
Sometimes we can be so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good.
There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then inquired:
“Where do you come from?” “I come from Heaven!” replied the swan. “And where is Heaven?” asked the crane. “Heaven!” said the swan, “Heaven! Have you never heard of Heaven?” And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold; and the gates and walls made of precious stones; and of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms the swan sought to describe the hosts who live in the other world, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane.
Finally the crane asked: “Are there any snails there?” “Snails!” repeated the swan. “No! Of course there are not.” “Then,” said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the pool, “you can have your Heaven. I want snails!”
To give up the blessings of Heaven for lowly snails here on earth would be ridiculous! Who would want something so mundane when you could have all the beauty ever created in Heaven? Yet, many times we can represent the crane.
How many times have we chosen to live for the mundane, lowly things of this world rather than seeking heavenly things? As Christians, we know that God has given us a home in Heaven and that one day He will take us there, but are we living in light of that knowledge?
Matthew 6:19–20 plainly shows us this principle: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Rather than focusing on the snails and successes of this world, we should be aiming to live for Christ and keep Heaven in mind.
Where are you storing your treasure? Are you so earthly minded that your Heavenly bank is empty? Don’t be like the crane who was so focused on pleasing himself that he couldn’t see the wonderful blessings the swan was describing. Keep your focus on God and living for His glory. Don’t allow the things of this world to come between you and God. Allow God’s will to be your main goal and desire as you live on this temporal earth.
