The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
August 17, 2003
In
This Issue:
Good
Oats
By
Gilbert Alexander
The
Second Mile
by
Steve Klein
Good Oats
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will, of the flesh, reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will, of the Spirit, reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7,8). We are all surely sowing something, and, just as surely, there is a reaping time coming. We ought, therefore, to be sowing good deeds, "for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).
We have seen and known that many young people, and older ones as well, sow wild oats, without giving consideration to the reaping time and the certainty of God's principle of sowing and reaping. Some destroy their brains and their bodies with drug abuse and become mere shadows of their former selves. Some recklessly engage in immoral conduct, contract sexually transmitted diseases, have children out of wedlock, and, by foolish choices in marriage and divorce, ruin their opportunity for a happy married life. Some get a criminal record for themselves by irresponsible and illegal behavior.
There is a way to avoid this tragedy. "Remember thy Creator &ldots;" is solid advice (Eccl. 12). "Be an example to those who believe" (I Tim. 4:12). Young people need to learn how to serve in order to be good servants of the Lord (II Tim. 4:12). Both young and old need to heed the teaching of God's word about living "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Tit. 2:11-14). Parents need to instruct their children in practicing righteousness, and children need to listen to their parents' advice and warnings (Eph. 6:1-4; Proverbs 1:8,9; 13:1). We must not rebel against authority (Deut. 21:18-20). We must have our values properly established, recognize what is valuable, and have patience to wait for things in life that we must patiently wait for and for which we must work.
We must learn to recognize and face dangers in the right way. If we intend to be sowing good things, we must flee youthful lusts (II Tim. 2:22). We must learn to recognize lascivious behavior and avoid it (Gal. 5:19-21; I Pet. 2:11,12). We must believe that God's word is right and His way is always the proper way to live, and we must believe these things strongly enough that we are impelled to obey them and to keep ourselves pure. We must believe that we will reap what we have sown, for "God is not mocked." Let us be holy saints.
By Gilbert Alexander
"And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two." (Matthew 5:41).
All of us have demands made upon us by others. People require us to do things for them, to share things with them, and to help them accomplish what they want done. Bosses, co-workers, teachers, students, husbands, wives, parents, children, siblings and even strangers can and do compel us to go a mile with them.
Human nature typically rebels against being compelled to do anything. Normally, it is with reluctance that the student does his assignments, the employee runs an out-of-the-way errand for his boss, or the husband fixes the dripping faucet that the wife has been nagging him about. This is human nature, but it is not to be the nature of a disciple of Christ. Those who are truly following the teachings of Jesus will do not only what is demanded, but will gladly do even more.
Each of us is faced daily with the challenge of going the second mile. In practical terms, going the second mile means that a child will not only clean his room, but his closet too. One sister will not only let the other borrow the blouse, but also offer to lend the matching skirt. An employee will help his co-worker finish the job at hand and then ask if there is something else he can do for him. A wife will not just fix supper, but also go to the trouble of making a favorite dessert.
As pleasant as all that sounds, the reality is that the second mile is a hard mile to travel. It is hard because it wasn't our idea to go the first mile to begin with. It is hard because we are already tired from the first mile. It is hard because it demands of us more than what is required.
How can we become better motivated to go the second mile? It might help us to remember that God went the second mile for us, and then some! He sent His Son to the cross for us. He didn't have to do it. It was more than anyone could demand or expect. Since God did this for you and me, we should be more than willing to go above and beyond for others. As the Scripture says, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
My friends, our religion is a second mile religion. Let us each determine to seek ways to be of more service to our fellowman, not less. Let us walk in the footsteps of Jesus and glorify God through service and sacrifice.
by Steve Klein