He's Not From Around Here
The Christian life is a call to become a follower and imitator of Christ. No matter when or where, the faithful believer has always been counter-cultural. When we live like Jesus lived, we leave people wondering where we might be from.
"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own." (Hebrews 11:13-14).
Missed It By 'That' Much
Different directional compasses bear different markings. Some compasses are marked off to display a full 360 degrees, and some are marked in gradations of 20 degrees. Some also display a "declination." The declination is a means of showing the difference between magnetic north and true north.
Have you ever been on a cruise ship out in the middle of the ocean and wondered how in the world the captain and crew knew which way to go? We know they use, among many navigational tools, a compass, but how does it work?
If you've ever looked at a compass, you know that there are hundreds of little hash marks — 360 to be exact — that mark off each separate degree of direction.
When a captain sets course, they know exactly to which little degree mark they need to set the compass. As long as they stay on that course, they will reach their destination.
But what would happen if someone moved the compass one little tiny degree to the left? At first it would look like you were still going in the same direction, on course for your destination. But in reality, as the vessel proceeded en route, the ship would be moving ever so slightly 1° away from the original course.
Before you know it, that ship would be miles away from its planned destination, all because it was one little tiny degree off course.
It is the same way in our spiritual experience ...
We set the course for our life, our day, our relationships, our work experience, etc., with the intention of focusing on Jesus, but we are fighting an enemy who wants to get us off course.
Of course our enemy — ol' Beezlebub — knows we won't likely make a 180° turn away from God, or even a 45° move away from Him. But if he can get us to compromise just one little degree, all he need do is just be patient.
While we think we are right on course, slowly but surely, we drift, until one day we wake up and wonder how in the world we got so far from the Lord's will for our lives.
We are wise to keep checking the compass. Keep charting our course in alignment with His will and His word.
Psalms 119:1-8 (MSG):
1 You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
2 You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.
3 That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.
4 You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
5 Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set;
6 Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.
7 I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
8 I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Don't Throw In The Towel (Errr, The Sock)
Did you know that China produces, markets, and distributes more socks than any other country in the world?TheFlag.com reports:
When you put on your socks in the morning, there’s a good chance that unless you knit them yourself they came from somewhere outside of the United States. Roughly one-third of the time the socks came from China. In fact, the Datang District in eastern China is one of the top sock producers in the world and has been aptly named, “Sock City.”
Because they are produced in such volume, and by means of cheap labor and often inferior materials, these socks are more affordable, often pushing other manuafacturers right out of the market. Listen to one man's experience:
A number of years ago, around 2008, sock manufacturers in South Africa faced a huge challenge in their business of selling socks. Extremely cheap and of poor quality ... Chinese imports were flooding the market, making it difficult for local sock companies to survive. These companies were in distress ... and as a result, most closed down. Our very own Millennium Socks was one of those companies. Those were extremely trying times in the industry.
One company though refused to throw in the towel ... [knowing] that to compete they had to do something different. Falke South Africa realized that they had to respond strategically to the challenge they faced, or their business would die. They made the decision [to] continue in business, but to change the way they approached the market.
They developed a niche market for their product by deciding not to compromise on the quality of their product. They took the step and committed themselves to the task at hand … Falke South Africa, over the last 10yrs has increased its staff by 50%, and in 2017 sold 17 million pairs of socks and fine hosiery. They are now planning to expand into Australia, all because, in a hard time of distress and despair, they made the decision to focus on what was to be done, without compromise, and they have more than survived, they have become a great success.
As Christians, we must know that a time of distress or despair is NOT the time to throw in the towel. It is the time to take decisive action and shore up our resolve to "focus on what must be done without compromise." Only in this way will we not just survive, but thrive.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV).
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (I Corinthians 16:13, ESV).