I had a really interesting experience a few days ago. I had a day off from work and Abby and I decided that we were going to take Zion to the "park" over at the East Mall. This playground is great!! It's inside the mall so we can go there in the winter and it is usually full of kids, so it's a great time for Zion to just run around and have fun.
Well on this particular day it was jammed pack with kids...of all ages. It's always funny to see the differences in boys and girls and their reactions to younger kids. The girls usually are very careful and help the children smaller than themselves...where as the boys just plow over anything (no matter the age) that gets in their way.
There was one little boy who was playing right in front of where I was sitting and just causing all kinds of chaos. His mother, from a few feet away, told him that he needed to watch what he was doing. His response just made me laugh inside because it sooooo reflected the human condition. He said, "I don't want to...that takes too much effort!!!" Pretty smart for a 5 or 6 year old.
All through out the bible, specifically in the New Testament, God has given us instructions that have this idea with it, "Watch what your are doing!!!" and when we read them, or study them in Sunday School or hear a sermon preached on how we are too behave as "followers of Christ" we think that sounds really nice. However, when it comes to applying those instruction to our lives, I think our reaction is similar to what the boy said at the playground, "...that takes too much effort!!".
The thing is he is right!! It does take a lot of effort to watch and keep in check how we behave, I think that's why there are so many verses that tell us to watch out, stay away from such or such and keep ourselves in line.
I don't know where in the history of the American church or the history of mankind but somewhere we got the idea that everything in life should be easy and if there is the slightest bit of difficulty attached to something, we should not do it. What an awful, evil, lazy way of thinking. The bible is clear that things that we labor, suffer and work hard for bring the most satisfying results.
Something that Jesus said in John has really be on my mind lately. He said, if you love me you will obey my commandments. Not some of the time, all the time. Not the commandments you want to follow, all the commandments. Not obey, as in 50% or less, obey 100%. If we are going to be people who claim to follow Jesus Christ and love God, we need to obey the commands he has given us and included in that is "Watch what you are doing!!".
I encourage you, take the time and make the effort to be self-controlled. Keep yourself in check, watch what you are doing, read and obey the commands God has given us in his word. He put them there so that you and I could live the best life possible.
May our LORD be with you
Josh
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