Why bother to be righteous? Why bother to do the right thing if no-one else does, if they all get away with it, if no-one notices wether you do or not?
At work I am pretty much my own boss, and so long as the orders go out and the invoices get written and paid no-one really checks up on what I am doing. Sometimes I find it hard to be righteous in things like time keeping or making sure I do the jobs I would rather shove to one side. But I do believe righteousness is important.
We often sing "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness" and that is straight out of the Bible. It also says (Matt 5 v 6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..." , and (v10) "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness..." If Jesus strarted off His ministry talking about righteousness then it must be important.
When Mary annointed the feet of Jesus with perfume Judas got angry and said it was a waste of money. In brackets we are told he was used to stealing money from the common purse, and it was because he was so greedy that her extravagant generosity annoyed him. Some people say it was this unrighteousness that led to greater greed for money until he was prepared to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. I don't know how far I want to push that theory, but I think it is definately the case that a "little thing" so often leads to a bigger thing and then our consciences get dull and we end up in all sorts of predicaments we would never have dreamed of.
But more than that, I want to try to live righteous because I love Jesus, and I do not want to upset Him.
Psalm 73 is one of my favourites 'cos it talks about keeping pure when everyone else seems to be getting away with it. It is a Psalm I read at a time when I was struggling with keeping my promises in the face of others who had gone back on theirs and didn't seem any worse off as a result.
Psalm 73
Wednesday 29 November 2006
Wednesday 22 November 2006
Demanding
Ever felt that life is too demanding?
Have a look at this lot from Matthew 14:
Jesus had every right to take some time out to mourn for John. He did not have to heal the people in the crowd who were pestering him, but he had compassion on them. He was not obliged to feed them, but he cared about them. He did not have to spend time teaching Peter about faith by letting him try walking on water, but he was dedicated to training this chap and saw it was important in the long term. He could have avoided the crowd when they turned up again- he had done more than his duty the day before, but he did not keep a record like that. And so on....
Sometimes when I am busy I forget to smile or forget to talk to people. I get snappy when someone asks for something and I think I already have more than enough to do. Generally I don’t mind doing things for people, my problem is I am so much in my own world I don’t notice things that need doing, or people who could do with a friendly word, a txt or a visit.
Who am I that I am so important that my needs should always come before everyone else’s? Am I so selfish that all my time should always be all my own? Jesus did not think like that, he was loving and patient and generous to everyone.
At the cross, when Jesus was being crucified, he saw Mary his mother and John his closest disciple. Jesus cared deeply for them both and told John to take her home as his own mother, and reassured Mary that John would care for her. I would not have done that. I would have been like “excuse me! I’m getting crucified here, can’t you sort yourselves out? Who do you think I am? Social services?”
It was because Jesus cared so much and was so unselfish that he was even prepared to go through the cross and take the blame for us so we could get to know him, and through him get to know God who loves the stubborn and selfish people of this world who have been doing their own thing since the Garden of Eden.
It’s a challenge to me to think outside of my own little box, and to step out and do something for someone else that will cut across my own plans or comforts.
Have a look at this lot from Matthew 14:
- Herod has John (Jesus cousin) killed. When Jesus hears about it he goes off in a boat to a quiet place.
- When the boat arrives there is a crowd of people waiting for Jesus, so he spends the day healing them
- As it gets late they realise no-one has any food and it is too late to get any, so Jesus does the miracle of feed 5thousand people with 2 loves and 5 fish
- After they have cleared up 12 baskets of leftovers Jesus sends the disciples off in the boat and goes up the hill to be by himself
- In the middle of the night Jesus walks across the water to catch up with the disciples who are having a hard time in a storm
- When the disciples see Jesus they freak out. Then Peter decides he wants to try walking on the water too and Jesus has to catch him.
- Once Peter is safe back in the boat Jesus sorts out the storm
- When they get to the shore, there is a crowd of people waiting again, and again Jesus spends time with them healing them
- Then the Pharisees turn up wanting a religious discussion about handwashing.....
Jesus had every right to take some time out to mourn for John. He did not have to heal the people in the crowd who were pestering him, but he had compassion on them. He was not obliged to feed them, but he cared about them. He did not have to spend time teaching Peter about faith by letting him try walking on water, but he was dedicated to training this chap and saw it was important in the long term. He could have avoided the crowd when they turned up again- he had done more than his duty the day before, but he did not keep a record like that. And so on....
Sometimes when I am busy I forget to smile or forget to talk to people. I get snappy when someone asks for something and I think I already have more than enough to do. Generally I don’t mind doing things for people, my problem is I am so much in my own world I don’t notice things that need doing, or people who could do with a friendly word, a txt or a visit.
Who am I that I am so important that my needs should always come before everyone else’s? Am I so selfish that all my time should always be all my own? Jesus did not think like that, he was loving and patient and generous to everyone.
At the cross, when Jesus was being crucified, he saw Mary his mother and John his closest disciple. Jesus cared deeply for them both and told John to take her home as his own mother, and reassured Mary that John would care for her. I would not have done that. I would have been like “excuse me! I’m getting crucified here, can’t you sort yourselves out? Who do you think I am? Social services?”
It was because Jesus cared so much and was so unselfish that he was even prepared to go through the cross and take the blame for us so we could get to know him, and through him get to know God who loves the stubborn and selfish people of this world who have been doing their own thing since the Garden of Eden.
It’s a challenge to me to think outside of my own little box, and to step out and do something for someone else that will cut across my own plans or comforts.
Thursday 16 November 2006
"Kingdom business"
I work in what we call a "Kingdom Business" ie everyone employed is a member of the church and the profit from the business goes to the church to pay for stuff the church does. So what's so cool about that?
The best thing is being able to express my faith at work, things that I believe in like equality and righteousness are the standards we all work to. My life is not divided into who I am in my private life and who I am at work- I can be who I am 24/7.
I think it's great 'cos we all get paid the same. The managers are not aloof and unavailable, we are on first name terms and we know that everyone on site is in it together and supports each other. There is not back-biting or fighting to get up the career ladder ahead of your colleagues.
We have people working here who have been out of work or in prison and they need a chance to prove they can work and to gain self respect- I am glad we can give them that chance. We have people here who have degrees and have given up high-powered jobs and careers to make the business work- that's a radcial example of laying down your life (your plans and ambitions) down for others, for the sake of the kingdom. There is not the superiority here that says a man at a desk is worth more than the man in the warehouse.
I appreciate knowing that the profit from what I do goes to help the church and support what I believe in. I really appreciate that I am not working for the sake of rich share holders or corrupt investments.
We pray every morning before we start work- that's radical. Sometimes we pray about well basic stuff, e.g. for an overdue delivery to arrive, or for an impatient customer to give us a more realistic deadline- and God answers those prayers! It is good to know you are not working in your own strength, but in His.
All this stuff is inspired by Jesus. He stood for equality. He stood for honesty. He stood for integrity. He stood up for the poor. He called the rich to account. We can dare to follow his ethics in business.
The best thing is being able to express my faith at work, things that I believe in like equality and righteousness are the standards we all work to. My life is not divided into who I am in my private life and who I am at work- I can be who I am 24/7.
I think it's great 'cos we all get paid the same. The managers are not aloof and unavailable, we are on first name terms and we know that everyone on site is in it together and supports each other. There is not back-biting or fighting to get up the career ladder ahead of your colleagues.
We have people working here who have been out of work or in prison and they need a chance to prove they can work and to gain self respect- I am glad we can give them that chance. We have people here who have degrees and have given up high-powered jobs and careers to make the business work- that's a radcial example of laying down your life (your plans and ambitions) down for others, for the sake of the kingdom. There is not the superiority here that says a man at a desk is worth more than the man in the warehouse.
I appreciate knowing that the profit from what I do goes to help the church and support what I believe in. I really appreciate that I am not working for the sake of rich share holders or corrupt investments.
We pray every morning before we start work- that's radical. Sometimes we pray about well basic stuff, e.g. for an overdue delivery to arrive, or for an impatient customer to give us a more realistic deadline- and God answers those prayers! It is good to know you are not working in your own strength, but in His.
All this stuff is inspired by Jesus. He stood for equality. He stood for honesty. He stood for integrity. He stood up for the poor. He called the rich to account. We can dare to follow his ethics in business.
Wednesday 15 November 2006
Favourite
This is one of my favourite bits in the Bible from 2 Philippians
It talks about how Jesus chose to be humble, and so God has been able to honour him. It shows us the way is to be humble like Jesus. It talks about how Jesus who was equal with God chose to become human like us, to go through what we go through, and to end up dying to take the blame for us.
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
That's the kind of person I can follow!
It talks about how Jesus chose to be humble, and so God has been able to honour him. It shows us the way is to be humble like Jesus. It talks about how Jesus who was equal with God chose to become human like us, to go through what we go through, and to end up dying to take the blame for us.
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
That's the kind of person I can follow!
Monday 13 November 2006
New Blog
This is my first post, so this is to let you know what I am on about.
Basically I think Jesus is inspiring. I don;t think "church" or "Christianity" are always inspiring, but Jesus was and is radical, challenging, relevant and well inspiring.
So... this blog will gradually fill up with things that have inspired me about Jesus.
I firmly believe that either Jesus is not real and therefore not relevant, or he is real and who he said he was, and so on that basis totally relevant and demands an honest response from us to try to live the way he did and the way he taught.
That is why I live in a Christian Community, and that is why I work in a Christian business, and that is why I am a celibate and have vowed to stay celibate. Anyway, you'll probably notice some of these themes come up later on...
Basically I think Jesus is inspiring. I don;t think "church" or "Christianity" are always inspiring, but Jesus was and is radical, challenging, relevant and well inspiring.
So... this blog will gradually fill up with things that have inspired me about Jesus.
I firmly believe that either Jesus is not real and therefore not relevant, or he is real and who he said he was, and so on that basis totally relevant and demands an honest response from us to try to live the way he did and the way he taught.
That is why I live in a Christian Community, and that is why I work in a Christian business, and that is why I am a celibate and have vowed to stay celibate. Anyway, you'll probably notice some of these themes come up later on...
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