Sunday, January, 22, 2023
2 CORINTHIANS 1: DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE (On this earth)
I like a good vacation…do you? The only thing is at some point we want to go home and sleep in our own bed and rest. Vacations can be hectic. Sometimes we come back even more tired than we did before we went on vacation.
However, Christianity is different because although we rest in the Lord we do not want to get so comfortable that we don’t do what God has called us to do.
Time on this earth is short and we must be about our Father’s business We were not called to a life of sitting around doing nothing. We must do something. The main this don’t get so comfortable that you don’t do God’s business.
The Holy Spirit wants to help you in everything you do. He is our down payment, (as well) and our guarantee. He is like/but so much better, putting a down payment on a home. That down payment gives you rights to the home, but if you don’t pay for it you will lose it. You don’t have to pay the entire amount of the home to have benefits in the home. The Holy Spirit is our down payment for us. The Holy Spirit’s presence is a down payment for us. The Holy spirit’s presence in our life is a sign of God’s ownership of us. Jesus paid the price on the cross, and the Holy Spirit is your guarantee of the wonderful life God has planned for you. We have so many blessings and promises in the Bible, but we also need to do something. We need to be about God’s business and spreading the word of God so others can learn of Jesus and not be lost. God wants you to rest, and at the same time with life on this earth short we need to be doing something to further the kingdom. Let’s all get to work.
We are to be a servant of God Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we are never to give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick or deceive anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God and all who are honest know this. 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
Did you ever ask your parents for money to buy the other parent a present? Then someone takes you shopping for a present. You pick out a perfect present for your mom or dad. You are so proud of what you bought. You can hardly wait to give it to them. It is like God and us too He gives us everything we need to go and do His work in this world. He gives us so many blessings but He wants us to step up and do/go. When you are a doer and try God will see your efforts and He loves it when you try. I’d venture to say tha when we are about our Father’s business that would make Him our proud Daddy!
Think on this for a moment: We have all heard the expression (well, maybe not everyone) that says, “sit down and take a load off your feet.” But then, possibly one of your parents will say, “But don’t get to comfortable…for I have something for you to do.” Did your parents, boss, or teacher ever say that to you?
I don’t know about you but I was born and raised in America. My parents didn’t have a lot but compared to many in this world they did. Money was not easy to come by but we did have a roof over our heads, and food to eat. That is/was a huge blessing for sure. In comparison to many worldwide, we were quite blessed. However, we didn’t know that growing up. We didn’t really see what was going on around the world…not like it is today where everything is on the news and on social media.
Most of the world considers America the land of plenty. It is compared to the rest of the world and we do understand why people want to come here with their families. I sure can’t say that life has been easy in my life or those I love, yet growing up I sure felt a lot safer than I do nowadays. I felt loved, cared for, and respected by my parents even if I didn’t understand something or agreed with them. You just treated your parents with respect.
If you are old (as I am) you have seen this world change greatly. Nothing is safe, people can be mean and hateful, no one respects anyone, and people lie, steal, cheat, commit fraud, are deceptive, and so on. The world is no longer a safe heaven for many people. We are told we have to accept things we know God says is wrong, call people insane things, believe all their lies and so on. No, I do not have to do that. I have a brain and I will stand on God’s word no matter who hates me or wants to cause me pain. I have a choice. People might not like that choice but I’d rather be on God’s side than compromise His word for anyone or anything. He is the one each of us ultimately will answer too.
As we look around this world today what we see is a bunch of whiny people who all they do is tear down people, and try to get them to believe the garbage they spread. In the process of all this garbage the world now is full of hate, racism, alcohol, drugs, wrong sex, and many people are doing things they know are wrong but society tells them now it is okay to do these things. (But what does God say about it?) Some of the people are quite innocent and were deceived to believe the lies, while others are the liars and deceivers and don’t care whom they hurt.
Don’t you feel saddened by all that is going on in this world? Are you sick of people trying to force you to do what they do, and how they live their life. False teachers and fake people are all around us every day. Sometimes it is difficult to find any good people or any truth…but it is there!
God’s Grace is the source of all our supply. Grace is the word that gathers up all that God has done and is doing and is ready to do for us and give us all. God loves to give. God loves to bless.
How many storms of life have you gone through? For me, it has been many. I wish I had not gone through them, and yet, with each, I learned something and that is valuable. What I have always wanted is peace but that doesn’t always happen.
God is our refuge, God is sovereign, God is our provider, and God made each of us the way He wanted us to be. People might tell you that you can change into whatever you want to be, called whatever you think you want to be called in life, but the truth is that you were made male or female by God’s desire and no matter what you try to do with your body by adding or taking away…your DNA will always be whatever it is that God made you into. You and I exist because God has allowed us to exist. Every breath we ever take God is in control of. He put us into the family of His choice, in the country we were born in, and with the gender of His choice. We are the clay and God is the Potter and working on making us whatever He wants us to be. Wouldn’t it be easier to just allow Him to design us?
God must work in us before He can work through us.
Don’t get to comfortable…do your part!!!