Labour and Profit

Proverbs 14:23.."In all labour there is profit."

The law of life is that "we reap what we sow". The Bible also says that if a man doesn't work, he shouldn't eat.  Many other work ethic principles are scattered throughout the Word.

I am ashamed that my generation has abused this principle and bred into this generation that fun and pleasure are at the top of life's priorities.  Work is only necessary when you need the means to fund the pleasure. Most have not experienced the pleasure of the reward of hard work.

Labour implies physical exertion that produces results.
Profit is the gain or reward for the work. I am so grateful my parents instilled in me the necessity of work,  but also helped me see the profit of a job well done. I can remember, at a young age,  experiencing the pleasure of finishing a job.

As a child, one of the big spring jobs was planting potatoes. I didn't like the back breaking job of putting those potatoes in the ground, but I can still feel the good feeling of being able to eat potatoes all winter.

Believe it or not, I can remember choosing the awful job of cleaning the commode in a move to another house.  I wanted to do it so I could see the contrast after I had worked and scrubbed. The challenge, for some reason, made me feel great, when I saw that sparkling commode!

I quickly learned that time and detail in cooking or housecleaning resulted in appreciation from others and fulfillment for myself! I still can get energized ( though not as quickly as I used to:)) when I project my thinking to what the  end will be instead of dreading the job!

I learned this from my parents! My dad traveled a lot and in his absence, my mother almost always took on a project. Looking back,  she was probably trying to keep us  all busy while our Dad was gone and also using our energy positively to get extra things accomplished!  When my dad was home, we were busy,  as well. We kept our place orderly, clean and neat, inside and out.  Even as children, we had an interest in the "pride", if you will, of a place we weren't ashamed to invite our friends to visit. The extra reward was the fact that our home was always open to guests and it was often filled with fun. Yes, it was all turned upside down by the time the fun was over, but the work/ reward started all over again!

I believe it is imperative to help children appreciate order in the home. I'm all for fun, but it is more important that the children see order being frequently reestablished. They need to see the importance of everything having a place. My practice and suggestion is to clean up before bedtime so the next day can begin with order. It is difficult to begin a day peacefully when there is chaos around you. The chaos can also be controlled if all members of the household will learn to put things back where they belong! That's a hard one!

Physical exertion is also healthy.  The body was designed for working, then resting. That principle was established in the Creation. Later, an observant someone said: " all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Well said..work comes before play.

By now you know my philosophy in life: the practices we build into our lives in a temporal way affect us spiritually. I've observed a lot of life. People who have built a measure of organization into their lives, are much more structured and profitable on a public job.  They can also focus on relationships more positively. 

Another big factor in this plan, is the fact that organization in the home gives you extra time to reach out and bless others.  God instructs us to go outside of our own four walls and give and help! If all our energy is used in trying to keep our own household together, we will burn out. We need connection with others.

The labour/profit plan is a gift to our family. It will lift the burden of maintenance from our shoulders. Where there is reward, there is incentive. We all learn to work together for a common cause. Most importantly, we are following God's great plan. That, in itself,  is reward enough!

Reputation vs Character

Proverbs 21:3 "To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. "

"Reputation is what men and women think of us. Character is what God and angels know of us."

I have read many times, in the disclosure of a murderer, that they were initially described by family and friends as a "normal" person,  even "good" or "loving".  However, when their past was uncovered,  much more about their real character was revealed.  They had serious character flaws that were unknown.  Because of this,  these flaws had developed into major traits that doomed them.

A background check is required on many jobs today.  That is appreciated by the public and used for protection for us all.  However,  the character of a person isn't necessarily revealed in a background check.  Unfortunately,  it is often difficult to discern one's character until time or circumstance reveal it.

My character is the moral qualities that are unique to only me.  Only I know who the real "me" is.  So many things are filtered into what makes up my character. I want to have a good reputation. But I believe my reputation cannot long remain "good" if I am harboring self righteousness or pride within my heart.  I have been known to feel quite pleased with my ability to do good things.

The real background check came when I hired on with God. And he does updates on my character reference pretty often.  I realize that I have some flaws, that if left unchecked,  will certainly affect me down the road. I have also realized that to develop good character, I need a heart in tune with the Holy Spirit.

I read of the fruits of the "spirit" which I believe to be positive character traits. The outpouring of gentleness , goodness and love from my life has to come from my heart.  I am generous by nature, but I can't produce,  on my own, a selfless generosity that will bless others. I can see a need  and even minister to the need because that's who I am.  I have a reputation for that. However, this is not necessarily a good character trait.  I can easily  become proud of the fact  that I do this well.  I know how to make others like me.

My character is defined by why I am doing what I am doing.  God has to develop my character with traits that effectively work.  I can sacrifice and give and establish a pretty good reputation, but if it isn't channeled through the Holy Spirit, it is in vain. The Love Chapter says that I can give all I have to the poor, but if not done with God's love, it will profit me nothing.

To do good and establish good character doesn't always feel good. As an example,  I remember an instance when I felt like God was directing me to take flowers to an acquaintance that I knew didn't like me.  I was pretty sure I wouldn't be rewarded for doing it and I was more than a little fearful.  Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I set out, but, sure enough, this person let me have it and sent me out the back door with the flowers. I was embarrassed and even shed a few tears.  Years later, I was called to the bedside of this lady to witness her salvation. She and I became great friends!  God was developing my character through that circumstance.

I become emotionally exhausted when I try to maintain a reputation.  It's hard work to give and give without reward. Character building isn't  so difficult when I live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I feel so good when I don't have to worry about making everybody happy. I just let Him do all the detail work.

Seekers

Proverbs 15:14: "The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. "

I am "old school".  So old that one of my favorite literature classics is:  "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation", written by George Washington in his teens.  Rule #18 I have passed on to a lot of people.  Just ask my children, grandchildren,  former students, or Sunday School Class.  It reads: " Read no letters, Books or Papers in Company but when there is necessity for doing of it you must ask leave."  I think that rule of manners slipped through the cracks somehow in the last two hundred years!

In general,  I refer to the acceptability for all of us to carry our cell phones with us everywhere, giving each other permission to refer to it at all times!  We are quickly losing the desire for civility " in company and conversation."

This valuable (in more ways than one), little device is running the world!  We hold it dearer and more important than any other thing in life.  It is on or near us 24/7.  It controls us!

The above scripture reference tells us that if we are smart, we will "seek" knowledge. That means to go out and search.  The other phrase of that passage says " fools feed on foolishness".  Feeding implies sitting down.

I am interested in the difference between "seeking" and "feeding".  I believe that to get educated in life, we need to get out and seek.  I realize that there is infinite technological information at our disposal. It is available on what else but the "smart phone" which makes us feel like we are really being educated by it.  I beg to differ. It is education but is it the kind we need? Seeking for people and circumstances in life to color and enhance our education is really what life should be about.  Seekers are looking for teachers.  We need action and relationships to learn. That's the kind of education we need.

On the other hand,  I see this generation settling down and being "fed" by the Internet and Social Media.  We don't have to go far.  This platter of food can be handed to us while we drive,  recline on the sofa, or settle into our beds.  Our cell takes priority over anyone in our presence.  The menu often isn't pure or even healthy.  Alot of it is empty calories and useless information.  Creativity is at a low.  Obesity is at an all time high.  People are sadly lacking conversational skills.  It is hard to sit in a room and socially relate to people without the competition of an iPhone.  I am realizing that it is much easier for people to be a "friend" on Facebook or Instagram than it it is to sit or stand and have eye to eye contact with another person and do a give and take conversation.  Forming physical friendships is outdated. Healthy one on one relationships are no longer a priority. That makes me sad!

I don't know about you, but I choose to be a seeker!  Let's initiate some softball games,  roast some weiners,  have a picnic, or simply generate some old fashioned conversation!   Why not invest in reading, walking, nature and relationships?  Can't we seek for education in the things that matter and quit feeding on foolishness!

I challenge us all.. Just as fasting is good for the body,  I recommend a fast from the things we are feeding on socially.  We should do it often;  it might even generate a lifestyle change!

How to be Healthy

Proverbs 3:7b-8..."depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

In December, I was blessed to participate in the birth of our tenth grandchild,  a sweet little lady named Savannah Grace.   In this observance of birth, I was impressed again of how the "navel" is a central, life sustaining, very important part of birthing. Even continuing afterwards, it is a priority that it is kept clean and healthy. When I am attending a newborn,  I have respect for this part of that little body.

With that in mind, I considered Proverbs 3:8. The significant part of this comparison is that the navel is where life originated and it is the central location of the body.  Anything unhealthy that invades the body will affect survival and spread to very vital parts. 

How I seek daily for understanding from God how to be "healthy" in my body and soul.  I realize that a healthy soul seems much more important than the health of the body.  But by experience, I also see that when the body is hurting, I can have a more difficult time focusing on spiritual goals. 

When I was a good many years younger, I was painfully reminded by some serious health issues,  that my choice of food intake most definitely was affecting my physical body.  Forced to make some pretty drastic lifestyle changes, I can remember feeling quite deprived from some of the great pleasure that I received from eating "unhealthy" food! Looking back, I can see how I learned so much from those lessons.  Today, if I feel badly, I will retrace my thinking to what food I have been eating. It will start with a small trigger, but if my indulgences continue, it will quickly spread to all my body. It is amazing how a few food choices can result in making me feel really terrible.

Now, I have been faulted for comparing food to evil, but I think, in all honesty, most everyone knows that we are killing ourselves by our unhealthy food choices.  If that is fact ( and medical science has proven it so), it quickly becomes a spiritual problem. This is an area that I often choose not to address because I think it is not a moral infraction to indulge in food. Thus, I don't enlist grace and enlightenment about this part of my life.  Unhealthy food is my besetting weakness and I have found I often have to pray for awareness in how to eat and sometimes have to repent for failure.  It has become so important to me, that it is very often a daily prayer right alongside the prayer for God to deliver me from all other temptations.

Just as the navel is respected at time of birth, so this body  should be protected from things that negatively affect it. I believe the Lord will honor anyone who will seek Him in this quest to respect the body. He will be pleased with anyone that chooses to obey the commandment to let the body be His Temple.

I want to say that living and eating healthy is not a religion.  I am not a "health nut". I just believe that this is Bible based instruction that will reap rewards and bless,  just as surrender in any other area of my life is rewarded.

My prayers become very intense every time God reminds I am His child. He has a right to initiate change or control in any area of my life. I really want to have the central part of my being balanced out emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Path Pondering

Proverbs 4:26a "Ponder the path of thy feet....."

Today is the day I have been anticipating all week. I love to experience Resurrection Day!  It is exhilerating to sit in worship with others and praise and reflect on the awesomeness of a Risen Saviour! As I say, I was looking so forward to fellowship with my congregation, a shared meal,a wonderful day and feeling great....

Yesterday, I got out of bed, slapped  on some old clothes, and told my husband I was joining him in cleaning up a pile of metal waiting to be recycled. This is a job that had been on the spring "to do list" for quite awhile.  The ground was muddy from spring rains; I could tell immediately we were in for a nasty job!  I was doing this because it was a "biggie" and I felt sorry for my husband!  He really didn't think I needed to be out there!  It was my idea!  I am old enough and should be wise enough to know that after about 15 minutes, it was too much for me.  I mentioned previously, I  sometimes don't like being limited in my capabilities.  This was a job I really wanted done!

Feeling my back weakening, my inner voice told me to withdraw;  it was a man's job.  But I determinedly pushed on.  So far, I had been limiting my lifting to what I thought I could handle.  I reached for a bucketful of small pieces of iron and metal. I looked (pondered) its contents. Then I tried to lift it. I pondered some more and concluded I probably shouldn't. Stubbornly, I reached down and tried again and immediately felt searing, hot pain slice through my lower back.  I had to release the bucket, but I was still thinking: "Surely this isn't as bad as it seems!"  Slowly walking to the house, I realized I had really injured my back pretty seriously.

After a lot of agony, some tears and a much anticipated Easter Sunday adjusted,  I am feeling rather foolish. I could have avoided it all, had I let the pondering of my path be the warning I heeded!

It is a lesson needed. My lesson has short term effects, I hope.  But it is so like human thinking when I know choices I make in daily life all have path pondering decisions tied in.  The instruction from Solomon was to "ponder the path" of my feet. To ponder is to "consider thoughtfully".  It is so easy to consider briefly then do what I want to do anyway.

This covers so many choices.  For instance,  I think of shopping. How easy it is to limit myself to an allotted amount of money when I head out then find something I really want.  I  have been known to ponder how I can arrange the budget, not  always thoughtfully considering how it will affect next week or therafter.

Sometimes I rearrange my schedule, fitting in the things that are fun or exciting. Yet tomorrow comes, and the day isn't long enough or my strength strong enough to pick up the slack.

These decisions cover healthy lifestyle choices such as eating (just a few cookies!), exercise(it's easier to do social media).   I can choose my attitudes (it actually seems to feel better, for the moment, to have a bad one). "Self control " is the fruit of the spirit called " temperance". To have it never merits the " instant gratification" I am surrounded and affected by.

Spiritually,  I sometimes cut short my time with God, promising Him I will communicate later. Later never comes and after too much of this, it becomes evident. Impatience,  bitterness,  or selfishness pop up in unexpected places. Then I ponder how that happened!

Pondering the path involves thinking about where the choice for the moment will lead. Often  pondering doesn't go that far;  it only gets to the part where the choice is excused, and adjustments are made for it. No real thoughtful consideration is given to the reaping.

Today I reap for the lack of "pondering" yesterday.  I was embarrassed to explain my foolishness when asked why I was in this predicament.  However, it is giving me time to consider how I may be coming up short in other "ponderings" in my life! I am asking God to gift me with reminders of how to be thoughtfully considerate in what seem to be "little" choices.