Jeremiah 7:23-24
...but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
This is the consistent word of God since the beginning. Do what I tell you: worship me and only me; treat each other well, according to my rules; and I will make a place for you. It was the success formula given to Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Josep, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, and, in this passage, Jeremiah. It was basically Jesus’ message also. Jesus applied it to everyone and made it personal. Even Jesus did not promise that your life will be a bed of roses, but that no matter how hard it is, if you do this (and believe in him), God will be with you, there will be a place for you through eternity. This is not complicated! It’s also not easy. It takes work, it takes diligence, it takes faith that God is great, even when your life – or the life of someone you love – is not. Praising God, when you aren’t really “thankful,” can seem dishonest. We still need to try. Putting others first, when you feel like having a pity party, also seems dishonest, and darn inconvenient!
About 30 years ago I was in a bad car accident. I had made partner at a large firm in Richmond, and our first daughter was six weeks old. On the way home from work, on the interstate, my car was bumped by an out-of-control driver, my car flipped many times. I had minor injuries all over, a concussion, and a “traumatic brain injury.” I was even more difficult than usual for months. With all that, Jaye gently suggested that I should return to being active in church, starting with choir. I did not feel like it! Someone had to watch Hannah Ruth ..., no, the church will hire a babysitter for choir members. I couldn’t drive …, you will ride with me. I couldn’t walk …, we’ll get you to your seat. I don’t feel well enough …, well, the singing won’t make you feel much worse. My brain doesn’t work …, okay, but you hear very well, so we will put you in the middle of the basses, and you will hear your part all around you. I hated going to choir for months. Until I didn’t. Jaye was right, my condition did not give me a pass. I needed to find what I could do and do it. I needed to be with God’s people. Eventually, that helped me!
I’ve had other times I was too busy, too under stress, too injured, etc. Take five if you need to, don’t overcommit, but get moving! God feels our pain, but in the final view, he also does not abide slackers. The two greatest commandments, according to Christ, are to love God with all your heart, and to love one another. If we do that, God has a place for us!
-Hugh Wellons
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