A Tale of Two Citizens

Tragic events have a way of bringing out either the best or worst in people. Like many of you I watched the coverage of Hurricane Florence, and while it was a big storm, I was glad to see that it wasn’t as bad as we were told it would be, at least here in the Upstate. I saw two news stories run back to back that jumped out at me, and I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if we were supposed to get the subtle message.

The first story was about looting. Like with any tragedy, lowlifes come out of the woodwork to steal. A Family Dollar was broken into, and countless people were brazenly walking in and out with backpacks and trash bags filled with things they were stealing. It really is pathetic that some peoples’ first reaction to a hurricane is to grab things off of shelves; it also says a lot about their lack of concern for the people who own the store, and how much money they will lose because selfish people chose to stuff Hefty bags with toiletries and Tostitos.

The next story showed volunteers risking their lives to evacuate people in the path of Florence. An EMS crew from Nebraska left home to evacuate senior citizens from nursing homes, and local crews were making daring helicopter rescues to get people to higher ground. As soon as that segment ended, the anchor said so many people were emailing questions about how they could help, so a number was provided so that viewers can donate to the American Red Cross.

The juxtaposition could not have been starker. On one hand are people stealing items that cost a dollar apiece, and on the other hand are people giving away their own money to help people they don’t know; others were away from home risking life and limb to save people they have never met. Tragic events really do bring out the best and worst in people.

What if those news stories had been part of a quiz? Imagine if we were told one group was composed of Christians and one group was composed of atheists. Which group was acting more Christ like? A simple reading of the New Testament tells us the second group was behaving in a more Christian manner (this is not to stay Christians do not steal, or that atheists do not give to charity).

Jesus said the way to spot His followers is by their conduct, and more specifically, by their love: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).” It doesn’t just happen during tragedies. If you are a follower of Jesus, make sure your conduct identifies you as such.   

Herbs and Calves

I love to eat. Food is a passion for me. Some people eat merely for sustenance, but for me eating food is an indoor sport, and on really nice days, an outdoor sport as well. I enjoy all kinds of foods, and the bolder the flavor, the better. Occasionally I will order a meal at a restaurant and the plate looks as if I ordered from a kid’s menu. I like to eat, but I prefer to be full afterwards.

Proverbs 15:17 says, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” Given the choice between the two, I’d take the fatted calf every time; I’d even take a skinny calf over a dinner of herbs. I enjoy a good salad, but that should be the first course, the precursor to the calf. If the proverb only said herbs are better than calves, that would not make sense to meat-eating Americans. However, this proverb is less about what we eat than whom we eat with.

The first part of the proverb reminds me of our days as newlyweds. Living in our apartment in Fort Worth, Texas, my wife and I had a weekly rotation that included chilidogs, Chef Boyardee pizza, sandwiches, and on Friday night, chicken casserole. We were poor and in love, and those simple dinners were some of the best meals I have eaten. Conversely, some live in affluence, dining nightly on caviar and fillet mignon, but with love lacking in the home. That fatted calf leaves much to be desired if it is seasoned with hatred.

The greatest thing we can do outside of loving God is loving our neighbor as ourselves. With that in mind, even if you live alone, find someone to love on and share a meal with. Even if herbs are all you can muster, serve them with a side of love, and everyone will be full.        

Outdo with Honor

Are you one of those people who have a competitive nature? For some people, it doesn’t matter what the situation—playing a game, arm wrestling, seeing who can eat the most tacos—these people want to prove that they can do it the best.

What they are saying is, “I can outdo you.” It’s like the old song that says, “Anything you can I, I can do better.”

While there is nothing wrong with being competitive and competing, we need to remember to be gracious in both victory and defeat. But Paul instructed the Roman Christians to have a little competition of their own when it came to showing love.

The New King James translates Romans 12:10 this way: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

The expression “giving preference” means “to lead the way.” Newer translations, such as the English Standard Version, say, “Outdo each other in showing honor.”

Sometimes we tell a person, “You have really outdone yourself.” Whether we are being sarcastic because of another failure or encouraging because of success, the expression indicates taking an action to a whole new level.

Paul was not just telling them to outdo themselves, but to outdo each other. Take their honor to a whole new level. Find the person who is the best at it, and find a way to do it more.

This is not about bragging rights or being the best, but about being known as people who show love and honor. Our motivation should be our love for God and love for each other, the ones to whom we are showing honor.

To all you people with a competitive nature, I propose a contest. Let’s see who can outdo each other in showing honor. 

One Hit Wonder

What comes to your mind when you hear the expression one-hit wonder? You might think of some musician that came on the scene with a big hit, but then disappeared just as quickly. According to a TV documentary, the greatest one-hit wonder of all time was the group Baha Men, with that wonderful melody Who Let the Dogs Out?

Groups like this have their 15 minutes of fame, but that is it. Jesus is not that way. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” That means that Jesus is more than religion for a simpler time or something that worked for our grandmothers; He is today everything He always was.

When Jesus said that the punishment for our sin is separation from Him, that is still true today. When He said that He is the only way to the Father, that is still true today. When He said that we must deny ourselves and submit to Him, that is still true today. When He said we need to love God and love others, that is still true today.

Jesus will never stop loving us, and His forgiveness will always stand. Aren’t you glad that Jesus is not a one-hit wonder? 

#1

We’ve all heard the expression that we are supposed to look out for #1, which means that we are supposed to look out for ourselves first and foremost. This is the most natural way to live; we all want to make sure that our needs and wants are met, so usually we have to be the ones to meet them.

But consider how Philippians 2:4-5 tells us to live: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

We are not just supposed to consider our own needs, but we should focus on the needs of others. And who is our example? Jesus Christ. We never see Him seeking to take care of Himself, but instead we see Him fasting, being tired, homeless, without luxury, and laying down His life for others. This passage isn’t telling us to be homeless, but to have the same mindset as Jesus in putting the needs of others ahead of our own.

Jesus told His disciples that the two most important things they can do are love God and love others (Mathew 22:37-39) and I Corinthians 13:5 says that love does not seek itself.

So maybe you find yourself doing all the things you think will make you happy, but at the end of the day you still have no joy in your life. That is because joy comes only after we put God #1 and everyone else ahead of ourselves.

Who is #1 in your life?