January 12, 2010

Number 2

VIEWPOINT

Are you a “giver” or a “taker”?  That is, are you a person who enjoys receiving the blessings of life and the gifts of the Father without making an effort to pass them on?  Or are you a person who is consistently enriching the lives and encouraging the hearts of other people? 

The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason, is one of those success books that have been so popular in recent years.  The most important teaching in Clason's book is that the person wanting to be rich should give away ten percent of everything he earns.  Why? According to Clason there are some deep subconscious, psychological principles.

The first is that you should put back what you take out.  The second is that the act of giving ten percent creates value for yourself and others.  But the third reason for giving ten percent away may be the most important. When we do that, according to Clason, it says to the world and to our own subconscious mind that there is more than enough, that we expect life to keep providing what we need.

One of the most generous men we’ve ever know was the late Clyde Carson.  After Sunday School, his wife, Joan, shared the story of his last days on earth.  Going to the Farmers’ Market was one of Clyde’s favorite activities, so last summer Joan took him there to get a load of peaches that he enjoyed giving to a variety of families.  Unfortunately the next day he took a downward turn very quickly.  His son, Jeff, asked what to do with the peaches, and Clyde listed all the people with whom he wanted to share.  “But there are still a lot of peaches!”  protested Jeff.  “What do you want me to do with them?”

In typical fashion, Clyde replied, “Give them  to  your  neighbors, Son.  It will do you more good than it will them.” 

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38)

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I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile, and a positive word!  RA

Winter Chill

We have never lived in a place where there is only one season, but I don’t think I would really like that very much.  Since we’ve been in a deep chill all this month, most of us are thinking longingly about warmer temperatures. Nevertheless, wouldn’t we miss the wonder of four seasons? 

Which season is your favorite? In the winter, we look forward toward the spring.  In the heat of summer, we wait for the fall.  Yet there is something majestic about winter when the leaves are all gone.  And what would a day at the beach be without summer?  God made them all and we love them! 

God may have also placed seasons in our lives to remind us of life itself. Spring is the season of beginnings. Summer is the time for growth.  Fall is the time of radiant beauty with a hint of coming winter. Winter is waiting for the resurrection that the warmth of spring brings.

The Scripture says, “It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17).  Just as the winter prepares the earth for spring, so do afflictions prepare the soul for glory. At no time is this more comforting than when we stand beside the grave of a loved one.  Like the barren trees of winter, there is no sign of that which we knew in the radiance of life.  There is, however, the faith that, as certainly as the trees will leaf out and flowers will bloom in spring, this one whom we love and miss will find new life in the blazing glory of God's greatest spring, the resurrection!

God’s word also says, "He has made everything appropriate in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  We all love the blaze of colors in our Southeastern fall and we grieve the loss when the last leaf has left the tree.  But we also know that though the winter is upon us, spring is coming and the bitter chill and the barren land – and lives – will soon be filled with warmth, growth, and joy!