“...for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”
One day, as I was driving through an old Miami neighborhood, I noticed a group of teenagers of bad reputation which were smoking, drinking and cursing. I couldn’t help but to despise this “gang” of juvenile delinquents.
Then, the Holy Spirit told me: “This was YOU a few years ago!”
The Christian community is as forgetful as a grumpy old man that has forgotten that he was a child once. We tend to forget that just a few years ago, we were involved in shameful and sinful activities and that we were enemies of God.
While it is true that as Christians we have been justified, sanctified and regenerated; that in itself is not a reason for spiritual pride. We need to drink a healthy dose of humility each morning to maintain a balanced perspective.
Yes, we are a chosen race, a royal “tribe”, but we must conduct ourselves, not as proud kings or priests, but as servants of God. Not so long ago we were walking with the wrong crowd, but Jesus saved us just in time.
Let us always remember where we came from, and how God changed our lives. We will be more focused on the Lord and less judgmental of others. If we are humble, God will exalt us, so there is no need to be proud.
Let us also remember that we were saved by grace and must be grateful to our Lord and graceful unto others. Were it not for that irresistible and incomprehensible grace, all of us would be on the road to hell.
The proper balance is God first, everyone else second and ourselves last.
A. G.
“You shall not covet...”
To covet is a terrible sin. A covetous individual is like a small child, who always wants to play with his friend’s toys; he is also like the cow that looks for “greener pastures” on the other side of the fence.
God tells us to be content with what we already have. If you ever need more, you can always reach out God in prayers and supplications. Otherwise, let us never covet anything that belongs to someone else; not their house, automobile, job, bank account, yacht or their wives.
Avarice comes from envy and jealousy; and envy is nothing but a misguided and lustful “admiration.” When people are blindly following the dictates of avarice they are prone to theft, over-spending and adultery.
Do not covet anything or anyone. Do not give in to envy, for it will lead you to destruction. Those who covet what God has given to others will never be happy with anything they have. There will always be a bigger house, a more beautiful woman or a better job than the one you have, if you don’t learn the secret of contentment.
Learn to be happy with what God has bestowed upon you and remember that you are loved by Him. If you are a Christian, you are blessed beyond measure. God is your Father; heaven is your home and life is your inheritance. What more can you ask for?
If there is something that we should “covet” or desire, it is to love, follow, and serve God more every day. The more that we hunger and thirst for the Lord, the less we will desire anything else.
A. G.
