A Lesson at the Car Wash

Went to a full service car wash today.  This one advertises many things but two stand out for me: 1) biblical values as guiding principles (plaques and signs with verses and quotes from the Bible are readily visible) and, 2) your car wash in 18 minutes or the next one is free.

It had been nearly 25 minutes since I surrendered my car at the vacuum station.  I was considering whether to collect on the freebie or just let it slide.  After all, I was not in any real hurry.  Then I heard a voice, "Sir, is your car one of them that's held up back there?"  "I guess so; it's been over 18 minutes." (that was subtle, wasn't it?)  "That's why I'm here; to make good on our promise."  He handed me a card entitling me to a free wash TWO LEVELS above the one I just received!  I thanked him for being so considerate (I should have thanked him for his faithful witness)!

This young manager could have waited to see if I would come to him and lay claim to their advertised commitment.  But he didn't.  He did the right thing; he did what all those signs and plaques said he should do.

Most people know that when the Bible talks about the bad things we do it calls it 'sin'.  But the Bible also says, Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. James 4:17 (NIV).

Righteous living isn't just about avoiding the bad stuff; it's about proactive goodness too.  I'll make a serious effort to be better at that in the future.  How about you?

The Investment of Your Life

Home values in many markets are on the rise after significant losses over the past several years and sales are up; good news for homeowners and sellers, not so much for buyers.  Good deals to be had in a buyer's market disappear quickly when values come back, demand increases and inventory goes down.

I was in the real estate business for many years and saw the whole range of losses and gains as markets changed.  But I never saw anything like the experience of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 32).  For him and the people of Israel, property values had to be totally in the tank.  Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians and all that people could think about was getting through the occupation and exile alive, much less what would happen to their property values.

Then God showed up and told Jeremiah that his cousin was going to approach him to sell Jeremiah a piece of property and Jeremiah was buy it.  I know what I would of thought about that idea!  Lord, we're just trying to hold life together here and you're brokering a real estate deal!  What's up with that?

Here's what God was up to.  God had promised His people through the prophet Jeremiah that 70 years after the invasion and exile, God would bring His people home and would rebuild their community, their identity and their lives.  The day would come when property would be bought and sold again, crops would be harvested and joy would return for the Israelites.  God wanted Jeremiah to buy this property at the very worst time, under the worst of conditions as a SIGN that God would keep His promise.  It was to be a sign of hope to a people in despair and it came through the life of one man willing to obey God regardless of how ridiculous it looked.

God has made a promise to the human race.  We all live in 'fallen Babylon'; a world contaminated by sin, selfishness, violence and depravity.  But God has promised that those who would trust and obey Him would have a home with God for all eternity; a home free from sin and its destructive effects.

And every time another person obeys God and surrenders their future to the lordship of Jesus, it's a sign that God will keep His promise.  It's a sign that God has a future worth investing in and we invest by placing faith in Jesus.  Follower of Jesus, you are a sign to others that there is hope; hope that is worth the investment of your life.

Know the Signs, Heed the Warnings

We teed off before 8 a.m. this week.  The temperature was in the high 80's and there was a nice breeze.  I was playing better than usual through the first nine holes.  We made the turn to the tenth hole and my game took a gradual turn for the worse.  By the fourteenth hole I figured out why.  Although I had been drinking what I thought was plenty of water, the insidious effects of the increasing heat and humidity had begun to overtake me.  When it happened, it seemed sudden; the increased heart rate, dizziness.  But heat exhaustion had been creeping up on me and I didn't know it.  That is, until the warning signs appeared.  I stopped playing immediately, took action to cool down with a wet, cold towel and headed for home. 

The Bible warns followers of Jesus, "Keep watch over yourselves. . .be on your guard. . ." (Acts 20:28, 31).  Our spiritual lives are vulnerable to the insidious influence of the devil and of sinful human nature.  We are susceptible to drifting away from our core spiritual values and from Christ.  We must remain vigilant; recognize the warning signs and take immediate corrective action before we slide into a break in our relationship with God.

When relationships with others are breaking down; when it's becoming easier to compromise your core values, when time with the Lord is becoming less and less important to you, take heed.  These are signs that something very serious is unfolding.

I recovered quickly from the heat that day because I heeded the warning and took immediate corrective action.  I shudder to think of what could have happened if I had continued playing thinking the symptoms would pass soon and all would be well.  Don't be tricked into thinking that drift in your spiritual life will just go away.  It won't; it will only get worse.  Heed the warning signs and take action immediately.  The cost is too high.