Gather or Scatter

Matthew 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

I love playing games, not all the time but sometimes. It's easy to get burned out playing them too much so I try to only play them once in a while.

One game I never want to play again is 52 pick up. I'm sure most of us are familiar with 52 pick up. We probably learned it from our mean older brother or sister who one day approached us all nice and friendly. For a moment it seemed like they were your best friend as they asked you if you would like to play a game. Sure you said, what shall we play? How does 52 pick up sound they reply? You're just so happy that they would even ask that you let down your guard and you say "yes". That's when you find out just how rotten older siblings can be. They take the whole deck of cards, all 52 and they throw them into the air scattering them all over the floor in a huge mess. As they walk away they say with a grin, "okay pick them up".

You know as Christians we have to be careful of making messes with our lives. Jesus said "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." There are lots of times in our lives when we think we've finally got it together. We swear that this time it's going to be different, I'm going to live for God no matter what. But what happens? In a couple of days or weeks we find that were right back in a rut.

Why? I think the most important reason is because we fail to act on what we claim is true. In other words, we say we believe in God but it's not evident in the way we live our lives. I mean how many times have we heard that lust is wrong? Yet we look for images on the web or the television that cause us to lust. What about swearing? We know from God's word that it's wrong to swear so why do we do it? And what about coveting? We know that it's wrong too yet still we want what we want and we act as though we could never be happy till we get it.

We're supposed to be the light of the world, the ones who carry the message of hope and love to the lost. When we tell them we're saved and that they need what we've got do you think it's going to mean anything when they see how we really live? You don't act any better than them and you're going to tell them they need what you've got. Hey don't blame them if they don't take you seriously because honestly neither do you.

When Christians live this way they aren't helping they're hurting, they're not gathering instead they're scattering. In order to truly change we need to stop playing the same old games with our faith. Quit doing what you know from God's Word is wrong and do what is right. Is it easy? No! is it hard? Sometimes, but that's the cost of sacrifice. Until you're willing to truly give up the junk in your life. Until you're willing to put your life under God's microscope and say Lord help me to hate what you hate and love what you love. How much gathering do you really expect to get done? How much change should you really expect?

The reason we struggle so much is because deep down inside we really don't want to change. Our sinful nature is at war with the Spirit inside us trying to get us to do what we know is wrong. It's the voice inside that says it will make you feel good if you just give it a try. Your faith is what gives you the strength to live above your emotions though. It's what should drive you to do whats right not because it feels good or because it feels right but because you know it's right and it's what God wants you to do. If by faith you can't live above your emotions then I ask you how strong is your faith?

2 Corinthians 5:7-10 "We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. "

Contributed by Rob Heverling (robhev@yahoo.com>