"The person who is diligent in small things will also be trusted with much; and the person who is dishonest with little will also be dishonest with a great deal. If you cannot be trusted with earthly riches, how shall you be trusted with spiritual treasures? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to others, how shall you be trusted with riches of your own?"
--Jesus
Trust.
In that instant, however, I experienced a flashback of sorts. Back to the days of riding the school bus together, of protecting her from the cruelty of the ignorant. Of the unfairness of being thrust into such responsibility, of growing up without a dad, the losing and finding and losing...
Along with the memories came overwhelming feelings of resentment.
It was at that point, in my 55th time around the sun, I realized just how much the ugly attitude of resentment had been woven into the fabric of my being. Little could I comprehend the damage done in eroding my ability to trust others. Little could I feel how un-lovely my response to those I even thought would hurt or fail me. Little could I measure the indifference or insulation from the affection of others. Little could I understand the sense of loathing towards obligation. Little could I connect it and my struggles to finish things.
In the gentleness and wonder of His power, Jesus saved me that moment from the destructive, unloveliness of resentment. With the loveliest of smiles...
We can only wince at the thought of the physical pain he endured for those few short
hours, but we truly can not comprehend the spiritual and emotional pain He endured in experiencing the utter rejection of and malevolent attempt to annihilate Goodness.
The treasures He died for are not the material things the world offers to entice us into certain behaviors. They are the treasures of love, loyalty, truth, forgiveness, affection, honesty, compassion, generosity, simplicity, purity, kindness, devotion, faith, hope, oneness, fellowship, laughter, joy, bliss, wisdom and all that is worth becoming--eternally. All that Jesus embodied on earth--and, praise God, now in heaven!
In the gentleness and wonder of His power, Jesus saved me that moment from the destructive, unloveliness of resentment. With the loveliest of smiles...
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Watching the movie The Passion of the Christ, I was moved, deeply, at the visual, physical brutality Jesus' endured at the hands of men. - Hands He created for us to use for good,
- Hearts He created that we might share in his love,
- Will He created that we might choose righteousness,
We can only wince at the thought of the physical pain he endured for those few short
The treasures He died for are not the material things the world offers to entice us into certain behaviors. They are the treasures of love, loyalty, truth, forgiveness, affection, honesty, compassion, generosity, simplicity, purity, kindness, devotion, faith, hope, oneness, fellowship, laughter, joy, bliss, wisdom and all that is worth becoming--eternally. All that Jesus embodied on earth--and, praise God, now in heaven!
All that He entrusts to us to treasure
and live for while we await our entrance into His kingdom.
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Comments are welcome. You can post them here or send me an email: clyon2msu@gmail.com. Thanks for reading, hope you are encouraged, blessed, challenged and grow stronger in your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Charlie