Good Job
“I’m proud of you” … “Don’t worry, I won’t shame you” … “ You sure make us proud “ … I bet you’ve either heard, or said one of these statements, at one time or another; right ? I can remember as a kid, cuttin and haulin firewood with my daddy and brother. After he’d saw the tree down and “limb” it, me and my brother’s job was to load the trailer or back of the van ( daddy’s work van doubled as our everyday transportation vehicle, slash, vacation “camper” 🤣 ). I wasn’t one to be outdone, so I’d stack as many limbs as i could across my upturned arms, then I’d tell my dad or brother to keep it coming till i said “that’s good.” I’m one o them people that tries to make as few trips as possible … so the more i carried, the less back-and-forth was required … plus, i wanted to make my daddy proud and maybe hear him say it… or at the least, to see his expression of admiration . We participate in all manner of extracurricular activities, whether voluntarily or forced, and are expected to excel, so as to meet someone else’s approval. We may or may never hear,” Good job, I’m proud of you”…therefore, we will lose heart and tend to feel as if we don’t measure up … like our efforts weren’t good enough. This ain’t nothin new … it’s been a common characteristic of way too many people over time. It evolves out of an innate desire for “more”… more output…more money. They can never find contentment because they’re searching for it with the wrong mindset. When we’re “prideful”, we’ll never be satisfied. That’s why so many people bounce from one job to the next … it ain’t about the money ( even though it’s used as an excuse quite often )…it’s a “pride” issue…and it ain’t of God, by God or from God. It’s sinful and it’s holding folks back every single day ! It’s not, nor will it ever be, a “fruit of the Spirit”… and until we repent of this sin and invite Christ to be our Savior and Lord, we’re never gonna find the peace we’re after…in our work, in our relationships, in our performance or even in our own hearts. You’ll never hear God say, “ Son / Daughter, I’m so proud of all that you’ve accomplished… I’m proud of all the money that you’ve made”. What you WILL hear him say is, “ I oppose the proud, but I give grace to the humble” … “ Money is the root of all evil; pride, the root of all sin.” Unless we adopt the mindset of GOD, holding it to the highest standard of living, we can never find contentment and we’ll always be searching for that elusive pot o’ gold at the end of that rainbow. By HIS power, HE provides the Savior, the Spirit and an endless supply of wisdom and knowledge. All we’ve gotta do is accept it and use it to bring HIM glory ! GOD didn’t create you or me to fail. HE wants us to be righteous and live lives that bring glory to His name. When we choose His ways, we’ll hear Him say things like, “ Hey Satan, wha choo think about my servant, Job ? There’s no one on earth like him; he’s blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” ( Job 1:8 ) … “ I delight in MY people and I crown the humble with salvation”( Psalm 149:4 ) … “ I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope” ( Jeremiah 29:11 ) … and “ This is my son / daughter, who I love; with him / her I am well pleased” ( Matthew 3:17 ). Down here, some will never be pleased or satisfied with our efforts… but if our desire is to please our Creator, GOD Almighty, we can rest assured that He is well pleased with us. And that oughta be enough.
2:26 PM