Sunday, April 7, 2013
Habits
It's amazing how 'habits' seem to make us who we are. It's also pretty crazy how hard it is to break a bad habit. If our habits are bad, we feel like bad people. But they are just habits. And when we break free from them we can feel new again.
I've been breaking my old habits and I've picked up some pretty cool new, good habits too. And I must say....I'm feeling pretty great about it! All Glory an honor to you, oh Lord!
Monday, March 25, 2013
One denarius
Reading Matthew 20:1-16 today hit me a little differently then it has before. It's the parable of the Vineyard workers...regardless of how long they worked that day, they all got paid the same...some people worked 12 hours and some worked one, but they each got paid one denarius.
When I was young, and young in my faith too, I always thought this was a little unfair. The workers who started early did all the hard work, worked through the hottest part of the day and I picture them sweaty, hungry and exhausted. Then in the last hour these 'other' guys show up and barely do any work and get paid the same?! Shouldn't they at least get a bonus or something?
As I got older and maybe (probably not!) a little wiser I realized that it's ok. Maybe we do all the work but anyone, anytime who gets saved should get the same reward, right? I mean, just because I've had a relationship with God longer, I shouldn't get anything more than someone who just found God. That's fair...right?
But today I read it a little differently. Today I read it as an honor. A joy to put in all the work for the kingdom. Yeah, I might be sweaty and smelly by the end of the day. I might be exhausted and hungry but my work, MY work just might help other people who wouldn't have known the Lord see Him differently. Or maybe for the first time. It's our jobs as Christians to share the Gospel with people, to show them who Jesus is! So what a great joy when the kingdom grows!! And yes, new believers and old believers be serve the same thing....eternity with God. One denarius.
Is it fair that some people work hard and all day for they same pay? I guess that depends on how you look at it. That's one of the wonderful treasure of parables. They always seem to hold a different meaning each time you read them.
When I was young, and young in my faith too, I always thought this was a little unfair. The workers who started early did all the hard work, worked through the hottest part of the day and I picture them sweaty, hungry and exhausted. Then in the last hour these 'other' guys show up and barely do any work and get paid the same?! Shouldn't they at least get a bonus or something?
As I got older and maybe (probably not!) a little wiser I realized that it's ok. Maybe we do all the work but anyone, anytime who gets saved should get the same reward, right? I mean, just because I've had a relationship with God longer, I shouldn't get anything more than someone who just found God. That's fair...right?
But today I read it a little differently. Today I read it as an honor. A joy to put in all the work for the kingdom. Yeah, I might be sweaty and smelly by the end of the day. I might be exhausted and hungry but my work, MY work just might help other people who wouldn't have known the Lord see Him differently. Or maybe for the first time. It's our jobs as Christians to share the Gospel with people, to show them who Jesus is! So what a great joy when the kingdom grows!! And yes, new believers and old believers be serve the same thing....eternity with God. One denarius.
Is it fair that some people work hard and all day for they same pay? I guess that depends on how you look at it. That's one of the wonderful treasure of parables. They always seem to hold a different meaning each time you read them.
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