Thursday, January 5, 2012

It's News to Me

I am in the habit of sitting down with a cup of tea each weekday morning after my husband leaves for work. I sit and watch a piece of news and weather broadcasting on television before I start my day. Today was no different. As I sat down in front of my television with my cup of tea, I heard the announcer asking all viewers to mind their clocks today at noon. Quickly, he continued to give the reason for his request. He said that by noon today, most CEO’s would have made wages equivalent to the average workers full years’ salary. By noon today? How incredible! I immediately became self-righteous and condemned these unknown–to-me people in my mind. Almost instantaneously, I felt the Lord speak to me. He asked how my heart was doing in the area of loving others. It hadn’t taken long for me to fall yet again. My self-righteous thoughts were not justified. I realized I had sinned. Forgive me, Lord. I have no cause to condemn these people. I also remembered something my grandparents used to say. “If you can’t say something nice about someone; don’t say anything at all.” I also remembered that they basically lived by that practice. My heart had once again taken a downward spiral from where it desires to be. The alarming thing is, it didn’t take long, and it didn’t take much. This was yet one more reminder to me of the extent to which I need to remain close to the Lord at all times. Soon after, I did spend my quiet time with the Lord. My heart is back on track…again. Oh, if only I could tame those thoughts my mind entertains. Romans 7:15-25 (NIV) “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death. Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” Yes, thanks be to God who delivers me through Christ Jesus our Lord! Give me your heart Lord; give me your eyes….for your people. The people you love. All people.

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