Day 214 “Life is not a game, it's a challenge; live it well.”

Day 214 Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The selfishness of the human race has never seemed so apparent in my lifetime as it is today. The seemingly endless question of “What's in it for me?” is running rampant through our Nation and our world. Not only is this question alive and well in the world, it is additionally and unfortunately growing in occurrence among members of the body of Christ. Why is this so? This question truly is one of great importance, so important, I believe, because it truly could be one of the greatest downfalls of Christianity in America and across the world. The selfish nature of mankind has no place in the body of Christ, for Christ Himself was as unselfish as any man has ever been or ever will be. We say that we are members of His body, partakers of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, yet all too often our actions in few ways reflect the actions of the one we are to emulate. When given an opportunity to shine for the Lord, we tend to first ask questions like: “Why should I do this?” – “How will this affect me?” – or, I love this one – “Is God asking me to make this sacrifice?” When we first ask these questions of ourselves, it truly does show how little we are willing to give or to sacrifice. Do we actually believe that it is possible to out give, out love, or out do God in the dispensation of grace? Yes, I realize that each of us is to be a good steward of what God has given us; however, being a good steward does not include hording or holding onto blessings–that, my friends, is selfishness, pure and simple. When I read this passage, I see God being very upset and judgmental against those who have placed themselves and their wants above those of their fellow man, and I, myself, am quite convicted as well. You see, Jesus is not just speaking of material things; He is also speaking of behaviors, attitudes, and a willingness to give of ourselves in order to bless others, especially those we do not know. Some time ago, I was at a scrimmage for my daughter's basketball team at a public school. This was a scrimmage between our Christian school and a local public school, and the children were from fifth and sixth grades. This game had absolutely no bearing on standings in the league; it was simply a scrimmage. It was so unimportant that we had one of our assistant coaches, somewhat inexperienced and by no means a league referee, donated her time to oversee the game. I watched and listened in horror as some of the parents of our team yelled at this poor woman for missing or making calls they did not agree with. By the way, I thought she was doing a great job! First of all, this woman is donating her time, she is giving of herself, and she is our sister in Christ. Secondly, this is just a glorified practice, and thirdly, and equally important, is the fact that the other team’s parents, those in public school who may or may not be believers, never said a cross word! What kind of witness are we when we act worse than those of the world in the name of good wholesome competition? May I dare say we are very poor ones? These people were not generous, loving, kind, or self-sacrificing; they were the opposite, so I guess the question today would be “Which are you?” If you doubt the validity of my words, I would encourage you to read His Word and pray. Don't do things because I say to; do them because your Lord and Savior is directing you to. Daily Prayer: Father, may we learn to be on guard and faithful to You at all times. Help us, Lord, to be unselfish and giving to all mankind in order that You may be glorified through us. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. “Life is not a game, it's a challenge; live it well.” Gene Burroughs, Pastor