For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men–as free, yet not using liberties as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor ALL people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Richard Craig, Author at GraceAndWorks - Page 29 of 59
When traveling down the highway, cruise control can be nice to use. It will maintain your vehicle at a certain speed. We just finished a 3250 mile trip where the cruise control was used quite a bit. As we were going down the highway, I got to wandering if cruise control could be applied to life. There are some problems with using the cruise control. When traffic is slow or bunched up, it has to be shut off. I personally don’t think it is wise to use when one is tired, because you don’t have the control that is needed if something were to go wrong or the reflexes to make fast decisions. I also hesitate to use it when it is dark and you don’t know the road very well. Going through curves also will cause you to have to turn it off, because speed varies and you again don’t have the control that might be needed. Though cruise control is nice to have, it does have it’s limitations.
I think many of us put our lives on cruise control and don’t realize the hazards that it may cause. What happens when you are just going along fine and all of a sudden life gets somewhat complicated? Do you become frustrated and just continue to speed along? Or, do you have to put a stop on the controls and readjust? Just like the highway, life becomes slow or it gets bunched up and we have to have our own control rather than being on cruise control. We need to slow down and figure out what to do. Sometimes that isn’t easy to do and we have to regain control. When life becomes complicated, confusing or bunched up, we also need the control to maneuver around the obstacles in the way. When the ways seem dark and we don’t know the road very well, we will have to slow down in order to find our way. When things are going smooth, I see nothing wrong with life being on cruise control and simply moving forward.
All the above would also apply to our Christian lives. We have curves in the road to deal with, speed bumps, complications, confusion and dark times when nothing seems to be going right. Let God be your cruise control and the Bible be your guide to getting on the right road and thus ending up in the right place.
You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.
Jesus is our example to follow after:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordon to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, JESUS CAME UP IMMEDIATELY FROM THE WATER; and behold the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.
They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel. In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, and their years in fear. When He slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.
There are two types of inheritance that I want to deal with in this blog. The first one is the inheritance we have or receive during our lifetime that involves money, property, special items, family heirlooms, etc.
So what happened to your inheritance? Did you waste it away? Spend it foolishly? Not receive any? People deal with inheritances in different ways. With cash, some will take that trip they have always wanted, buy the new car that was always dreamed about, purchased the ultimate home, or maybe it was put away so you would have that available when it comes time to retire. Whatever you did with it, it eventually will be gone. Special items or family heirlooms will probably be around longer, however, one day will come when someone won’t care about them and do away with them by giving them to someone, sell them or maybe just cast them away. Whatever happens, eventually they are gone. Thus an inheritance today is what modern language would say, “Here today–Gone tomorrow.”
The other inheritance I want to deal with is the inheritance God promises us. This is an inheritance that will last forever, IF, we don’t give it away. How do we give it away, you say? God expects us to obey His commands and do what He says. By not doing what God says, you in theory will give your inheritance away by not caring. How could that happen?
In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul pretty well lays out what not to do. If you do these things you will give/lose your inheritance according to Paul. These are listed as works of the flesh.
A) Adultery
B) Fornication
C) Uncleanness
D) Lewdness
E) Idolatry
F) Sorcery
G) Hatred
H) Contentions
I) Jealousies
J) Outbursts of Wrath
K) Selfish Ambitions
L) Dissensions
M) Heresies
N) Envy
O) Murders
P) Drunkenness
Q) Revelries
R) And the like!!
Verse 21 ends this with, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
We need to pay attention to what God says, expects and wants us to do. If not, we will give your inheritance away. Then What?? We’ll be left with nothing, just like real life. Let’s not put ourselves in a position that we would not receive the inheritance that God promises us!!
Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not even open his mouth in the gate.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.
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