Ready to Eat

 

Ready to Eat

1 Corinthians 3: As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith. ² I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it, ³ because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn't this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards? ⁴ When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos”—aren't you acting like worldly people?

 

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Saying “I don’t know” was forbidden in my immature mind. I needed to be special and have the answers and be right. Even when slightly wrong, I was right. I got jealous at those who “did” have the answers and was quick to argue. My questions were from a place of envy and combativeness rather than love and peace. I was still a child.

 

Many times I wanted to be ready and was not.

Many times I wanted to be mature and was not.

Many times I wanted to be able to hear deep truths, but could not because I was jealous and quarrelsome.

 

Paul eased into an issue he saw with the believers in Corinth. While they were excited about GOD and were ready to preach about JESUS, they were still acting immature in the faith. The world could not see anything different from the Corinth believers than from itself. By being divisive, they acted just as bad, if not worse than those who did not believe in JESUS.

 

GOD wants me to grow up and drop my jealousy of others.

GOD wants me to grow up and stop being ready to argue at the drop of a hat.

GOD wants me to grow up so I can hear deeper truths HE wants to give me.

 

Acting like the world closes my ears. I mean, when I follow the world’s ways, I cannot hear the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT. I will be too busy trying to please the world. BUT GOD is a forgiver. HE sees my immaturity and understands I need help to grow/

 

HE places me in situations where I have to believe in HIM and seek HIS food. When I stop following the world, I get hungry for GOD’s food. I am glad HE forgives me and desires to feed me daily.

 

Are you ready to fight at a moment’s notice?

Does “that” person make you think of combat or partnership?

Will you examine yourself to see if you are jealous or combative and stop looking to live by the world’s standards and seek GOD so HE can grow you today?

Money Eyes

Luke 16: Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. ² So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. ⁹ I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

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• GOD wants me to be honest.
• GOD wants me to be just.
• GOD wants me to see money as a tool, not a life saver.

Three were times when I sunk very low and would almost do anything for money. When creditors were calling and no money was headed my way, I felt miserable. BUT GOD showed me something different. HE showed me that I am made of much more than money. HE gave me HIS mercy so I could love others. GOD’s mercy is worth more than riches to me.

• Are you stuck?
• Do you spend most of your time talking about or thinking about money or the lack thereof?
• Can you examine your heart to see how much of a hold does money have on you?
• Will you serve GOD over money today?