This morning’s
entry reminded me of something I had forgotten or had not applied as widely as
I should have. God takes care of those
things I sacrifice to Him. Those things
that are unfit for His service are destroyed, and those things that are He
transforms, making them holy. So, even
the good that is of me that I must sacrifice to my Master is transformed into
something better. Some of that good goes
away, to be replaced by something better.
In Galatians 4:22 Paul uses the account of Sarah and Haggar to
differentiate between the two natures of God’s people.
An element
of this account not stated but rather implied in its use is that Ishmael was
still kept and blessed by God. So, while
Abraham cast Haggar and Ishmael out in obedience to God, God still provided for
Haggar and Ismael in the desert. I hadn’t
thought about that part. I get so
worried about giving stuff up, like my Master can’t take care of something
precious to me. If what I give to Him is
useful to the purpose He has for me then He will transform it so that it will
be from and about Him, rather than from and about me. That’s what I really need.
So, playing
computer games, blogging, my preoccupation with my family, church, ministry,
and all the other things I wonder about can be surrendered to my Master without
fear. Those things He wants for me (like
my family) He will transform into something that glorifies Him (like making me
a godly husband and father). What I need
to accept is that this transformation only happens as I surrender these things
to Him. I can’t hang on to them and
expect Him to bless them.
I suppose
that this means I have to let go of my returning customers. I have to be willing to accept from my Master
whatever He decides to bring me rather than what I can earn (and therefore
control) through my own effort. That’s
not something I want to give up. But,
here again, I see that I must. It must
become enough that I glorify my Master in my work rather than seek my own
glory. Ironically, I despise the
grandiose attitudes in other sales people, but seem willing to accept it to a lesser
degree in myself. Oh, hypocrite, thy
name is Matt. Hey, Who put this mirror
here? Is that what I really look
like? Bad-hair day, or time for a
paradigm shift?
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