I have been away from writing for a few weeks, some of it being contemplation, some of it being "yeah - no school!", some of it just not knowing what to write...
I was inspired tonight by something that happened at the metro station. While with a friend who was taking me to the metro, we saw three people running like mad from the station.
"Maybe," my friend quipped, "they are running for a bus."
"They sure are running fast," I responded.
We watched, shrugged our shoulders, and I got out of her car and walked towards the station.
People were still standing there watch the people run. I walked closer to a woman who was talking on her cell phone.
"Girl, it was like something out a movie scene. This man grabbed her purse jumped over the gate and she ran after him screaming "HELP!"...then some guy started running after them too."
My first thought - the woman who got her purse snatched should just let it go, that man could have a knife...a gun -it's so not worth it. Then my next thought - there were a lot of people who saw it happen, continued to watch it unfold, and did nothing.
I kept thinking about this and while I got off the metro, God spoke to me...
How often do you watch someone's spiritual purse get snatched and do nothing?
~God, I don't think I have ever heard of a spiritual purse...
Then this scripture in James 5 came to me...
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (NLT)
I am reading a book that contends that in looking at behaviors of the generation that includes ages 16-early thirties, behavior patterns are virtually indistinguishable between born-again Christians and those in this age group who claim no religious affiliation at all. For example, in looking at the two groups, percentages in viewing pornography are similar and percentages in the number of curse words a person uses in conversation are indistiguishable.
As Christians there are times when we may struggle with certain areas in our life and it is a daily battle to conform our will to Godly living. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to truly live Christ-like. Yet, what are we really doing to help our own self and others to live in this power? It's so easy to wander from the truth. How many people do we know (even ourselves) who the enemy is trying to snatch the very life out of and we watch and say nothing? I am not saying we should judge anyone. It's not our place, and we all have issues and struggles that we deal with by the second. However, we should find it a privilege and responsibility to help someone get their "purse" back.
- How do we help a friend who claim says they really know the love of Christ, yet we know is hitting the bottle every time they want to "relax?"
- How often do we ignore the fact that we ourselves may be really struggling with something, yet refuse to seek help or counsel, because it's really not that bad?
- How do we stop glossing over behavior that is not Christ-like because we don't want to hurt somebody's feelings?
I don't think these answers come easily or quickly. I think it takes a lot of prayer. A lot of love. A lot of hope. And a lot of sheer determination that we won't let the enemy get away with our purse or anybody else's.
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3 comments:
I pray today I live in God's fullness for my life too!
Spiritual purse...wow. That is so good. I've never thought of that. I've been thinking of that lady and the situation too. I hope I do stand for the truth, and that I would be a "faithful witness" just like Christ (Rev. 1).
traer (to bring), L
I too like the concept of a "spiritual purse". Looking back on my life, I can think of numerous times when the enemy tried to snatch my own 'spiritual purse'.The enemy is alive and real, and he's out out to steal our faith, our love, our trust, our peace of mind--our spiritual belongings.
In terms of watching others getting their 'spiritual purses' snatched and doing nothing...well it happens all too often. Perhaps this is where accountability partners come in to play. God intended for us to be relational--to help each other and to lift one another up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads: "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." I just pray that I don't allow the enemy to steal my faith or trust or anything else I hold in my spiritual purse.In addition, I just pray that I can establish a relationship based on love, trust, and accountability with the ones I love.
When the enemy trys to steal our purse he may want our money(finances) or our make-up(our looks/image) or even our cell phone(ability to speak/communicate)...But I really thinks he is after those things that we use as identification...License, Social Security card etc. He want's us to take in question our identify...who we belong to and where we truly reside...This timely message has caused me to reflect on how careless we can be with our purse (belongings) as well. This morning a student shared the following...My girlfriend and some other friends went to an amusement park and when we got on a ride we left our things in a cubby/locker...(without any locks:() and when they returned from the ride all of there belongings were gone...gone was the purse filled with cell phones, cameras, wallets, an i-pod and more. Are we sometime careless with our purse...leaving it unattended(lack of worship, prayer etc.) and then we get so excited about other things that we forget the value of what we have and leave it to chance!
So, what are we supposed to do in our walk with God?
Hebrews 10:23.
Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)
Frenika, I don't know about you but in Phila. I've learned to hold by purse close, guarding it...for life!
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