Stick And Stones

Sometimes we forget that the things of real value have no physical equivalent. 

They are not things of which we can hold in our hands and display to others. Yet they define our life, and more importantly, our walk with God. So while we are so ardently pursuing the material gains of this world, it might be a good idea to grasp the concepts of what those “gains” really consist of.

So we must change our perspective of what is important, and what value those things really have to us. We also need to understand what is realy important to our lives as Christians. In other words, what value do the Sticks And Stones of our society have outside of what we give them? Can they really measure up to the things of true value? What do I mean by Sticks And Stones? 

Well, let’s consider a few points here. Paper money, stocks, deeds and other financial instruments are printed on paper. Paper comes from trees, or more specifically bark. These are the Sticks (items made from bark) that I am referring to. However, let’s say that you are into precious metals and gemstones, in another life these are simply the Stones and rocks found in the ground. 

So you see, all this pursuit of vast material wealth, is in actuality a ravenous greed for the simple elements of earth, or more to the point—the Sticks And Stones.

We as a society, and as Christians in this society, are still struggling with the same old behavior of ages past. We strive to “make a living” or to “advance in our jobs” and so forth. These have been the physical pursuits of mankind from the beginning. It becomes our focus, and therefor our pitfall. We ignore the message of which Jesus Christ gave concerning these things;

“And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” Luke 12:22-24 (KJV).

It reminds me of that saying, “man with all thy getting, get understanding!” And how true that is. We put the cart before the horse all the time, constantly and consistently. It is in pursuing God and living a godly life that all these things are “added unto us”. And what are these things that have more value in our lives? 

God was so kind to give us a list, and this list is called the “Fruits of the Spirit”. They are as follows;

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” Galations 5:22&23 (KJV)

These are what have lasting value, these are what bring quality to our lives, these are the blessings God bestows within us when we walk with Him, and these are the life changing fruits that gives us all the wonderful treasures of heaven ! How so? Consider, since God admonishes us to have these self-same fruits, He will also give us the conditions that will engender developing these fruits. 

Think of these as character traits that become imbued into the fiber of our being, and then realize that all great gains come from great sacrifices and trials of life, the lessons of God, if you will. However, and this is the telling point, once the lesson is learned and that character trait acquired, then the lesson is over and we have passed the test! In this, we walk a path of glory with God, and in this, we acquire the treasures both of heaven and earth. 

It is quite wonderful in its beauty and simplicity.

For example, let’s say that you are learning the lessons of peace, joy and patience (longsuffering) and therefore God has allowed the bills to pile up, the job to be lost, and other avenues of financial relief to be closed off. Then when all is at it’s worse, instead of giving up and blaming God for your troubles, you start praising Him and giving Him the glory for your situation and the answer to your problems! 

You begin to solely put your faith and trust in Him, and to endeavor to hear His voice and to obey His unctions and finally coming to a place of peace, joy and patience knowing God has it all in hand. And this must happen before the other things of life correct themselves by His Grace. He becomes the standard by which life happens, because when you make Him first, then all else must follow.

This change of mindset is not in some “take-care-of-me” capitulation, but rather in a dynamic trust that you have done all you can and now God will do the rest. At this point you have gained the victory and acquired those mighty character traits in your life. The lesson is over, or at least the current one (smile). As God continues to build your life in the image of His Son.

And in that instant of victory, all will be changed, and more than, restored in your life.

When the trials and tribulations come, and believe me they will come, don’t look to the lack but rather the lesson and it’s solution. Invariably, if you are walking with God, (and this IS our Walk Of Faith), it will be a godly lesson to build a Fruit Of The Spirit, or character trait within your spirit. 

Look to working on you first! Yes, we should always strive to meet the challenges placed in our lives, but we should look to what lesson God is bringing us, and what we need to work on, within OURSELVES! This is the power of a Christian life. This is the mechanism of change that God uses in refining His children. 

And this is the glory of God, within us, and keeps His promise that“all that the Father has is ours!” Because it brings about those changes within us that shuts down the need for the “life lessons” of the world, and brings us the “life abundance” of God’s heavenly rewards.

So the next time you find yourself pursuing the Sticks And Stones of life, and everything seems to be going awry, turn to God and find the lesson in the situation. For once you past the test and acquire the fruit(s) of your labors, all will change and conform to the glory of God. 
  
It is this, that places the power of God squarely in the center of our lives.

Be blessed, be loved and be at peace. May the light of God's glory and presence fire the brilliance of your souls. You are greatly loved.