"Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you."
-James 4:10
Most of us enjoy getting recognition when we do something good, but our goal shouldn't be to get recognition, but to do something good. All good things come from God, so that should help us remain humble and resist trying to take credit for anything good that we do. We shouldn't really be exalted except through God being exhalted through us.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Thousandth Generation
Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments.
-Deuteronomy 7:9
Our love for him will benefit ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids down to the thousandth generation. Whenever I take my two older kids to daily Mass on Saturday mornings, I have gotten comments about how my faith is going to make (or break) theirs. It's not like this promise of God's is necessarily a free pass for the next 999 generations, but the foundation that has been started for you by your parents, grandparents, etcetera, has helped mold your faith and your faith will help mold your children's (for better or worse).
-Deuteronomy 7:9
Our love for him will benefit ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids down to the thousandth generation. Whenever I take my two older kids to daily Mass on Saturday mornings, I have gotten comments about how my faith is going to make (or break) theirs. It's not like this promise of God's is necessarily a free pass for the next 999 generations, but the foundation that has been started for you by your parents, grandparents, etcetera, has helped mold your faith and your faith will help mold your children's (for better or worse).
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Does standing in a forest make you a tree?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
-James 15-17
This reminds me that going to church doesn't make you anymore a Christian than standing in a forest makes you a tree. A lot of people talk a good game, but if you haven't learned already, there's little use in listening to what anyone says, whether it's good or bad. A person's actions give authority to their words. There's more to be learned by watching a person than listening to a person.
-James 15-17
This reminds me that going to church doesn't make you anymore a Christian than standing in a forest makes you a tree. A lot of people talk a good game, but if you haven't learned already, there's little use in listening to what anyone says, whether it's good or bad. A person's actions give authority to their words. There's more to be learned by watching a person than listening to a person.
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Kingdom of Priests
"You shall be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."
-Exodus 19:6a
It's not just the priests (and ministers) that are called to be holy. The role that God is asking us to play, whatever it may be, needs just as much holiness as priests and ministers need. Obviously, we can think of examples where priests and ministers have fallen short just as readily as we can recall when we have fallen short as spouses, parents, childen, or neighbors. No matter whether you are blessed with a great priest or minister, we are called to be our best, better than a priest or minister perhaps. Anyone fully open to God's grace can be their best.
-Exodus 19:6a
It's not just the priests (and ministers) that are called to be holy. The role that God is asking us to play, whatever it may be, needs just as much holiness as priests and ministers need. Obviously, we can think of examples where priests and ministers have fallen short just as readily as we can recall when we have fallen short as spouses, parents, childen, or neighbors. No matter whether you are blessed with a great priest or minister, we are called to be our best, better than a priest or minister perhaps. Anyone fully open to God's grace can be their best.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Where to start helping
"Learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow."
-Isaiah 1:17
Certainly, these are still good things to do today, but there's even more to it now than there may have been then. Too many kids I see in school come from broken homes. Both parents may be alive, but the children are emotionally orphaned. There are mothers that may have let Solomon slice their child in two. Many already do so before their babies are born. These are extreme cases.
The widow back then is comparable to the many single mothers today. It certainly helps to have two parents, but God can certainly use a single parent to give a child everything the child needs just as if there were two parents, even though it may seem more difficult. These women need support just like the widows of the past whether their husbands have died or just plain left.
There's a time to help the kid and there's a time to help the helper (help the kid). Only you can hear what God is calling you to do with the people he has put in your life at this time.
-Isaiah 1:17
Certainly, these are still good things to do today, but there's even more to it now than there may have been then. Too many kids I see in school come from broken homes. Both parents may be alive, but the children are emotionally orphaned. There are mothers that may have let Solomon slice their child in two. Many already do so before their babies are born. These are extreme cases.
The widow back then is comparable to the many single mothers today. It certainly helps to have two parents, but God can certainly use a single parent to give a child everything the child needs just as if there were two parents, even though it may seem more difficult. These women need support just like the widows of the past whether their husbands have died or just plain left.
There's a time to help the kid and there's a time to help the helper (help the kid). Only you can hear what God is calling you to do with the people he has put in your life at this time.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Chili's
As a good steward, I like to take advantage of free stuff, so here's a link for free Chili's stuff that you can copy and paste into your browser:
http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/chlscrp/lp/join/join.asp?inputsource=FFbtstevens@hotmail.com
http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/chlscrp/lp/join/join.asp?inputsource=FFbtstevens@hotmail.com
Friday, March 18, 2011
Mary's Husband
Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.
Typically, people like to be called by name and not a title, especially if the title is so-and-so's husband or so-and-so's dad because the person is able to remember someone's name, just not yours. It looks like they think the other person is more important even if that isn't the way it is meant. Of course, that should be fine with us because it's our job to put others first and it should be easy when it's people we love.
Joseph was given a job that he didn't want to do until he learned God wanted him to do it. Even though an angel probably won't be as explicit with us, we should treat the jobs we are given by those God puts above us as coming from him, as menial as those tasks may be (as long as they are not God's will). If you can go to work every day for God, it's easier than going to work every day for your boss. Whatever your boss gives you, whether it's your AM boss at work or your PM boss (as some spouses are referred to) at home, do it with a smile on your face to honor God. If you do it moaning and groaning, that's your reward.
Typically, people like to be called by name and not a title, especially if the title is so-and-so's husband or so-and-so's dad because the person is able to remember someone's name, just not yours. It looks like they think the other person is more important even if that isn't the way it is meant. Of course, that should be fine with us because it's our job to put others first and it should be easy when it's people we love.
Joseph was given a job that he didn't want to do until he learned God wanted him to do it. Even though an angel probably won't be as explicit with us, we should treat the jobs we are given by those God puts above us as coming from him, as menial as those tasks may be (as long as they are not God's will). If you can go to work every day for God, it's easier than going to work every day for your boss. Whatever your boss gives you, whether it's your AM boss at work or your PM boss (as some spouses are referred to) at home, do it with a smile on your face to honor God. If you do it moaning and groaning, that's your reward.
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