May God bless you this day …
To see Outside Your Windows!
As I write I'm sitting outside, enjoying an absolutely beautiful day. The sun
is brilliant and the sky is deep blue. The trees are putting on their autumn
colors. The air is cool, crisp and refreshing. I can hear the sound of children
playing, birds chirping, and a train in the distance. It seems very peaceful, as
though all is well with the world. And yet in the land where I live we are
experiencing the worst drought of many a year. Wells have dried up. Lakes look
like deserts. Life is threatened.
It's amazing how easily we can adopt such a "Singular View", becoming focused on
just one part of our world while ignoring the rest. That can work the other way
around as well. There are many lands where people are having such hard times it
is difficult for them to believe in a place of peace and prosperity, where there
is no oppression or hatred. Of course, no such Eden exists in this world. Every
place has it's own degree of difficulty and hardship. And at times we end up
thinking more about ourselves than we should. In our eyes, we become very
important indeed.
Every week I get an unbelievable number of emails and many of these are from
other ministries. Some I read, most I can only scan, and a few I seldom do even
that. This latter group includes ministries that have adopted a Singular View.
They have become so focused on what they do that they no longer regard the worth
or value of others. They have become very important in their own eyes.
You can usually tell these quite easily. Their messages focus on the "I",
telling us what "I" have done, how "I" have succeeded, and who "I" am battling
next. These efforts take on a "my ministry" character, making it difficult to
see where God fits in. Their foe is never anything less than satan himself and
though they claim to follow the Risen Lord, they seem to be obsessed with money,
constantly asking for more and then questioning the compassion and spiritual
integrity of those who don't send it along.
I'm not talking about sharing financial needs here. Quite frankly, even though
Ciloa in general and I in particular do a terrible job of this, we are called to
share concerns, including financial ones, with those in the Body of Christ. Paul
himself frequently sent a messenger to fellow believers for the express purpose
that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
(Colossians 4:8) After all, it's impossible to encourage one another if no one
knows what's going on.
But we need to be careful of the hidden messages we sometimes send. And this is
true for each one of us, not just organizations. We don't want to be found
practicing Booger Christianity. Yeah, you read that right. For those friends in
other countries who may not understand, a booger is a piece of dried mucus in or
from the nose. Now that you are sufficiently grossed out, let me explain.
A lady is on a trip and not sure of her way, so she stops on the side of the
road. A car comes along. It's very nice...new, shiny, expensive, with dark
tinted windows. But she can still see the driver who looks like he knows what
he's doing, where he's going, and how to get there. Just as the lady is about to
ask for directions, he takes the index finger of his right hand and shoves it up
his nose, obviously in an effort to clean out his nasal passages. Suddenly she
forgets about the directions. Now all she can think of is a man with his finger
up his nose. And, perhaps without realizing it, she no longer takes him
seriously.
We all at times forget that people are watching and listening. Some want to see
how we react to a situation. Others need directions for their lives. And on
occasion, just when we could help, we have that Singular View...so focused with
our own journey that we fail to see them looking to us to be examples of the Son
of God. We roll along through life not realizing they can see through our tinted
windows. And when we're not careful, what we say and what we do send mixed
signals. "I" will take control. "You" will be ignored. And "He" will be
forgotten.
Let us remember who we are and who we represent in this world. People need to
find Christ alive in us.
"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell
you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater
than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed
if you do them." John 13:15-17
Take care and be God's,
Chuck Graham
Ciloa is funded entirely by the donations of those seeking to share God's
encouragement with the world. Ciloa .. Encouraging one another as long as it is
called Today! Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit
501(c)(3) organization. A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by
Ciloa, Inc.
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