While I am not a voracious reader of books, mainly fiction books, I do like to read non-fiction writings and right now, the Forward in Christ magazine. When you hear about people devouring a book, that is what you should picture when I read this FIC when it comes each month. January's issue had wonderful articles regarding the death of a child as well as how a pastor is called upon to offer comfort when a man is killed working on machinery. In the same issue is a question/answer portion where someone asks about the sin of abortion, the deliberate end of a child's life, in harsh contrast to the loss the families of the accident victims are experiencing, mentioned elsewhere in this periodical.
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This month's issue is chock full of articles regarding creation and our Creator, as this is the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. The short column which really got my attention and stirred my heart was called "Don't Worry About Tomorrow" and is on a page decorated with sunflowers and daisies. Some of the items suggested for dealing with stress and worry is to "do something you love", where we are encouraged to participate in a hobby or put our talents to good use----Yes! "Strengthen relationships"---Yes! "Work on the things you CAN control"---Yes! "Spend time in the Word and in prayer"---Yes! Good stuff!
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Another interesting article is written about stealing. The author wrote about how easy it would have been for him to walk out of the bookstore, where the discount books are located between two sets of exterior doors. What kept him from taking something what did not belong to him? "Thou shalt not steal". The simple answer is the 7th commandment but then the author relates about his stealing when in kindergarten and then formulating huge, extravagant lies about how he actually got the coins. He was punished, in his recollection, for the sin of stealing by his parents, but did not recall being punished for the elaborate set of lies he used to try and cover the crime. Interesting....
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Last week as Linda and I were heading for the door to take her to the airport, Justin called me in frantic-mode. He wanted to know if I was home becasue he needed me to leave him a check for the rent plus a late fee. This was nearly 9 days after it was due. Somehow or another the rent was not paid directly through my checking account, so he excitedly was telling me how there was a note on the door that morning about the rent, etc. I asked him the reason for his waiting until the end of the day to tell this to me and he said he thought it might clear up before he needed to call me. Right, it would clear up on its own.....I hastily wrote a check for the rent and late fee and left it on the counter for him to pick up. Whew! A rush of stress before leaving for the airport---again!
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After dropping Linda off and heading back home, I gave him a call to make sure he got the check and paid the rent. I asked about the decision to wait to let me know, when earlier I could have simply paid it on-line and been done with it. After some hemming and hawing, he finally said he did not want to get me upset or whatever. Well, waiting until the "last minute" accomplished that quite nicely, thank you. Once more we had the discussion about how NOT telling me stuff to avoid "upsetting me" (a.k.a."accountability") is very close to lying to me.....withholding important information like this, which affects my well-being, is border-line lying. He is, in fact, postponing or trying to avoid, the discussion in the first place. DON'T DO THAT! Just tell me what is going on, let me handle it in a timely fashion, etc. He told me was looking for his rental agreement to see if there was a loophole "we" could use to get out of paying the late fees. Of course not! We owed the late fees, fair and square. Certainly I was not pleased about it, but that was deal we signed when we completed the paperwork. I used to encourage him to be a lawyer, a politician, or a writer for the New York Times because he was such an able prevaricator. I like how this author in FIC points out the connection between the thievery and lying.
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Did I just throw Justin under the bus? I hope not. I used him because of our familiarity with each other. We have "reasons" or "excuses" for doing the things we do, some more noble reasons than others. Who among us is not guilty of similar sins? This article adequately helped me to consider these things such as the temptation to take what is not mine, to tell the simple lie to get out of some mess, or the thoughts of ill-will I have toward other people. Even my "anger" (a.k.a. dismay) with Justin for withholding valuable information! The author reminds us that we are saved from these sins through the death and resurrection of our Savior, and that we are to be Christlike in our living, "partakers of the divine nature". Good stuff!
