You Can Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward was a PG-13 movie that stuck with me. If you think one person can't make a difference, this movie will prove you wrong.

The premise is this: A social studies teacher challenges his junior high students to *pay it forward. The movie follows one student’s efforts to fulfill the assignment.

The unexpected result was that it blossomed into a national phenomenon. The basic idea is to do something for someone they can’t do for themselves. Then, instead of paying you back, they are to pay it forward.

Did you know there’s also a spiritual way to pay it forward? It’s found in Ephesians 4:32 NIV: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

One of my favorite books is by Zondervan Publishing called **Sometimes the Stones Are Very Lively. The stone reference can be found in 1 Peter 2:5, and the subtitle of this humorous little paperback is “The Visible Church Develops Christian Grace.”

Jean Shaw’s humorous book was written long before “pay it forward” became a slogan. Having been in church all my life, I found her stories delightful. I’ve lived through some of them. This little 121-page book now sits on my shelf held together with a rubber band.

People, in church and out, need to give each other grace. Very simply that would mean “unmerited favor.” You can’t earn it; it’s given out of the goodness of the giver’s heart.

Think about this: Be kind---and compassionate---to one another---forgiving each other---just as in Christ---God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32 NIV).

We could never repay God for His loving, forgiving grace toward us, but, rest assured, He’s happy to see us pay it forward.

*If you want to know the basic rules of the “Pay It Forward” movement, check it out on Wikipedia under the movie title.

**Sometimes the Stones Are Very Lively: The Visible Church Develops Christian Grace; Jean Shaw; Zondervan Publishing, 1976; can be found as a used book online.

The Blame Game

Comedian Flip Wilson could always get a laugh by saying, “The devil made me do it.” It’s a line as old as the Garden of Eden.

When God confronted Adam and Eve for eating what was forbidden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the Serpent . . . so the blame game began . . . and continues to this day.

Instead of blame, we are cautioned to think for ourselves. Ancient wisdom says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Proverbs 4:23 GNT)

The Apostle James plunges right into straight talk: “We are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.”

But there’s more! “Our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15 GNT)

One of the best examples of this is King David, in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. When he saw Bathsheba, he was tempted, sent messengers to find out who she was, sent more messengers to bring her to him, and after they slept together, she returned home.

But David got trapped by his wrongful desire. He had slept with another man’s wife; now she was pregnant. One sin led to another . . . next he planned a coverup.

Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, was in the military, so David called for his return. Twice he talked with Uriah and told him to go home to his wife. More honorable than David, Uriah slept at the palace with the servants.

David then moved further into sin by giving Uriah a letter ordering Commander Joab to place this soldier on the front lines.  

Sin is selfish. David gave no thought to other men being killed. He wanted Uriah gone! After Bathsheba’s days of mourning, David took her as his wife, but God did not let their baby live.

He sent Nathan the prophet to confront David about his sin. He told David a parable of a rich man with many flocks who took a poor man’s only ewe lamb. When David’s righteous indignation flared up at the rich man, Nathan said, “You are that man!”

Hearing that, David humbled himself and said, “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Samuel 12:13 NKJV)

Acknowledging personal responsibility was the end of his blame game. It can also be the end of ours. 

Consider this prayer of David: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NKJV)                                                                                                                          

A Wonderful Day

I’ll share with you what I shared with some longtime friends today. It’s about a song my husband used to open Sunday morning services. Perhaps you know it: This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.

The song was very upbeat and people even clapped their hands. After a few years, my husband tried opening with different songs, but people kept requesting “This Is the Day.”

This song has always been a favorite of mine. I associated it with Lamentations 3:22-26 which speaks of the Lord’s mercies being new every morning!  Tie this in with His compassions and faithfulness, also mentioned there, and how could you not have hope daily?

When I became a caregiver, first for my father, and later for my husband, my first morning thoughts were about God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness. Even before getting out of bed, I said a prayer:

Lord, thank you that Your mercies are new today.

They didn’t run out yesterday,

and I don’t have to use up any leftovers!

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Amen.

But today in Psalm 118, I saw a bigger picture. Verse 20-23 basically says: (1) the righteous enter the gate of the Lord through salvation, (2) Jesus, the capstone, though rejected by many, is marvelous in our eyes, so . . . we sing the verse that caps it off (verse 24): This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Now I have two reasons to enjoy that song. First, I rejoice because God’s mercies are new every morning, and second, I rejoice because of the wonderful day of salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son (John 3:16).

Here’s a prayer to thank God for a wonderful day. (Based on Psalm 118:8-9, 14, 28-29):

You, Lord, are my strength, song, and salvation.

I want to praise and exalt You by giving thanks.

Because You are good,

And Your love endures forever,

I choose to put my trust in You.

Because of You,

I have reason to rejoice and be glad. 

All Good Gifts

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for this food.” That’s OK for a child’s prayer, but there is much more to His goodness than the provision of our daily bread. 

Not all of my friends offer a prayer of thanks before they eat. I always miss that, but I try to give God thanks. After all, He created all kinds of wonderful things we can eat and gave us bodies to see, taste, touch, smell, and digest them, too. 

All good gifts come from above (James 1:17). To me, good gifts include 1) Jesus Christ, God’s Son, (2) the Holy Spirit, and (3) God’s written word, the Bible. But we all rank many other good gifts differently, based on our needs and experiences. 

Have you considered thanking God for His steadfast love and faithfulness that extend to all generations and people groups? These two gifts are mentioned over and over in the Book of Psalms. 

What about other good gifts like healing, peace, energy, and a will to persevere through good times and bad? Or, how about mentors and good examples of how to live positively in a negative world. 

Jesus spoke of peace. Consider John 14:25-29, for example. Also, in John 16 He warned of hard days ahead, but said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT).  

When Jesus walked this earth, He was moved with compassion. He forgave sins and healed people. He still does, but now He is seated in a place of honor at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19).  

God is good. In this blog, I’ve mentioned about fifteen good gifts from our heavenly Father. It should be easy to thank Him for more than our daily bread.

  

The People Connection

Barbara Streisand is known for a popular song about a people connection. It’s still a pleasure to hear her singing, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.”

I recently ran across an article about *working from home. The author listed several positives but closed with one drawback: social isolation.

Mr. Schindler wrote, “While we can meet virtually, you really need face-to-face interaction with other humans. People need people. You can’t really do that on a phone or computer.”

COVID updates also reflect this theory. Would you believe children were slower in learning to talk? The cause? For months caregivers wore a mask and children could not observe lip movements.

Also reported were setbacks in education due to online classes. Adults may do well with such options, but it seems children still need personal classroom interaction.

People needing people is nothing new. I heard a teaching today on Acts 2:42 that caught my attention. After Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, verse 41 says about 3,000 people believed his message and were added to the church.

That’s what makes verse 42 (NKJV) fascinating:  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

I grew up with the idea of “fellowship meetings” where people gathered from churches in our district for a morning service, followed by a potluck meal. Years later, the district aspect was gone, but fellowship continued locally.

Is fellowship the same as the breaking of bread? “The breaking of bread” always meant communion to me, but Acts 2:42 lists 4 separate activities, so I took a deeper look. 

Fellowship indicates a friendly association of people with shared interests. There is a feeling of companionship, conviviality, and concern for one another. Their fellowship included a shared meal, followed by communion and prayers.  

People need people. But even when Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, church attendance dipped. One reason may be that many churches developed online ministries. Another reason may be our affluent lifestyles create no felt need for one another.

Loneliness, suicide, and depression are sometimes due to isolation. A people connection is important, and fellowship in a church is a viable option.

When we change our ways, good things can happen.

*Arizona Rated Eighth Best State for Working from Home, Kevin Schindler, QCBN; Quad Cities Business News, Prescott, AZ, June 2023, p. 4.