HEAT

1oct15 HEAT

I saw a meme in Facebook today. I liked it, because it made me examine myself, so I re-posted it.   Like I said,, I journal through social media.  Transparency is my number one rule.   As a pastor, I was always taught to NOT be transparent.  That did NOT work very well for me,, I am not sneaky by nature.  My Lord was very transparent, so I have learned to follow His lead, not man’s.  Too little too late I am afraid.

The facebook post was about everyone telling a lady not to have an abortion,, that they would do anything for her to protect the life that was growing inside of her. Then, after she had the baby, everyone was hot under the collar, because she was asking them for help.  I took REAL heat for that post,, lots of religious fury and indignation. I posted it though because I have seen that with my own eyes.  I am just as guilty as everyone else. Sadly, I have counseled people into situations that had very expensive consequences. That’s why Jesus said to Count the Costs… not to avoid doing things, but understand that when you are demanding someone to do something with their lives, that there will be costs and consequences.  As Christians, we are obliged to help them.  I usually try to make good when I put people into bad situations financially, but sometimes I can’t.   I took the post down, because I didn’t want my brothers to sin by e-cussing me out. It always amazes me though,  how people can get so hot and bothered by things that involve the Prince of Peace.

Have you ever noticed that when you are stressing, everything bothers you?  you notice the heat, you notice the mosquitoes, you are bothered by  things that don’t normally bother you when the ‘heat’ is turned up in your life.

This week I learned that WE control the ‘heat’ in our lives. When we give advice, or take on duties or responsibilities, although there is more tension, and pressure. there doesn’t have to be HEAT.. God told the old testament priests to wear cotton underwear,, no joke!  You shouldn’t sweat doing God’s work. *sweat as in panic *.   WE have our hand on the thermostat.  If we have placed all our faith and trust in God, we are not stressing.  The Bible says the we should have perfect peace as long as our minds are stayed upon Him.  My problem is a lot of times I forget to keep my mind stayed on him, and everyone suffers.

The other day we had a time crunch, I had had to do the week’s worth of shopping in like 10 minutes… the tyranny of the urgent.  Like I said,  when I start stressing,  my wife starts humming christian songs.  At first, this habit of her’s really didn’t help my bad mood at all, but now it kind of makes me giggle inside in spite of my grumpy expression on my face.  Well it was one of THOSE days,,,so I am hectically shopping and Winnie starts her humming. A lady that was working in the aisle where Winnie was humming, liked the christian  worship song, so she started humming it too.   I cracked up laughing and had a  had a GREAT rest of the day.

Moral of the story?

When you want to turn down the thermostat in your life, worship God!  when you do that, you bring down the heat in the lives around you as well.
Here is Winnie in the KITCHEN turning down the heat
1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.