Morning Moments

What does your opinion matter?

Hmmm, sounds a little strange, but after contending with his 3 friends, righteous Job discovered a bit of self-righteousness of his own.

My friend was in the hospital and had just discovered that he had a brain tumor. If I ever knew a faithful, dedicated, and devoted man of God, it was he. I was there when he received the news and as soon as the doctor left, practical me asked, "Do you have a will?"

Here was a very successful educator, a personal friend with a mentally challenged family and his response to my question was "no." Well the old take the bull by the horns guy (that would be me) picks up the phone, calls my lawyer and asked that he come to the hospital room as soon as possible and get this will thing done. He did.

I remember my friend Fred Driggers said to me once, Austin, one who is truly spiritual is practical. I would like to think I am not a bull in a china shop, but I consider myself somewhat resourceful. "Get 'er done" is my philosophy.

But here is my point concerning my friend and "others opinions." Lying in the hospital bed with a terminal brain tumor, one of his teachers (he was principal), visited his room and said, "Why Mr. Smith, Surely you have enough faith to claim your healing."

He was cut to the core. My response was (practical response), "Tell her if she has enough faith, she can heal you, that will shut her up. After all it is the pray of faith that saves the sick." I'm sorry but I have had my fill of Job's friends with their phony and superficial spiritually who demand of others that which they cannot produce.

There laid Job, scraping scabs from her weary and worn body, beyond recognition and having lost it all yet trusted God completely having to face those who prized their own opinions about why he was suffering.

You see, it is important that we not allow the opinions of others to either dump us in the dirt or push us to pride and self righteousness. Job did not suffer because he had sinned, but in suffering he declared and demanded his own righteousness.

The two extremes are unrighteouness and self righteousness and in the middle there is truth - The Righteousness of God. Chirst is made unto us RIGHTEOUSNESS.

to be continued