It’s a Shame!

I used that phrase a number of times at a homeschoolers convention last week as I talked with parents about resources we’ve created for 6- to 12-year-olds. It is a shame that we have to have tracts on swearing, cheating, abstinence, and divorce, but we deal with children every day who are faced with these issues.

As responsible Christians, we need to give our children the Biblical view of how to deal with cheating, for instance. What do you do with the temptation to look on someone else’s test for answers or plagiarize someone’s paper from the internet and call it yours? In Leviticus 19:13, God gives a directive that states the case. “You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him.” Taking an answer from your neighbor’s paper is the same as taking money. It’s not yours. It doesn’t belong to you.

Making sure a child knows how he will deal with an issue before it arises often stops the temptation in its tracts! The child knows how they will respond when the problem is staring them in the face. But, it is a shame that sin has to cause us to create these materials. 

What I’m really thankful for is the opportunity to refute what satan tells our children today. Through Scripture we can bring to light the depths of sin and what its continued use will bring.

So yes, it is a shame that we have to create resources like these, but I’m thankful for the Word of God that shines a light through each and every tract we have! Amen!

I'm Done!

I’m done.

I haven’t written in my blog for almost two months now. Life has taken over and I find myself choosing between the most important things and the other stuff.

Today I watched a video of a sermon preached by Francis Chan. He used a very, very long rope to represent our lives in the past, now, and the future. The rope was longer than the stage. One tiny section, about three inches long, was at the beginning and represented our whole life. He talked about how we spend enormous amounts of time fretting and worrying and working throughout just those three inches! How are we going to support ourselves when we retire? What does my 401K contain? Do I have enough stuff? It’s all so stupid, he said.

If we spent those three inches of time working on what the rest of the rope represented…eternity…we would be amazed at our perspective on life. All the stuff of life would drop to the wayside. All our push to become the highest paid in the organization, work our way into the office next to the president, or be the most famous person would fall from us like scales on a dead fish.

It’s the purpose in life that counts.

What’s your purpose in life? Gaining, gaining, gaining? Getting, getting, getting? Being, being, being? What for? So you can claim your 3/16 inches of fame?

I think the Bible says it best in Luke 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.’” What if we dropped that part of our life off at the dry cleaners on the way home? Just left the Stuff Mart and drove away?

And how about our push or need to walk over everybody else that drives us to the top? The top of what? What’s at the top that is SO EXCITING? What do we become when we get there? Do we love people more? Do we give more? Do we spend more time with our family and loved ones? Usually not.

Well, I’m done. I’m done being stupid. Those things that everyone strives for are moving to the bottom part of my list in life. If I can’t use my three inches for what God intends, then I am stupid. I see more intent in life as I look at serving others, being there for them, giving up the insignificant parts of this crazy rope that represents my life.

My three inches are going to count, be intentional, make a difference in others’ lives. What about you? How much of your three inches is left to take you off the ‘I’m not going to be stupid anymore’ list?