You shall know them by their...

So I was thinking the other morning on my commute to work, yes I am actually employed now, while watching the people drive through the rain and sleet, or rather try to drive. I'm always dismayed by the amazing lack of winter driving ability found among the denizens of Southern New England. I mean come on we grew up here didn't we. Well, no some of them didn't, which is obvious when you are stuck in traffic. I have always said that you can tell a real New Englander by how well they drive in the snow.

This reminded me of something Jesus said, you may be familiar with it, you shall know them by their fruit. That caught my attention. Would people know I belong to Jesus by looking at my fruit, or rather by the way I live my life. Do I show love to others, do I exhibit joy in all circumstance, do I enjoy a peace that can't be explained.etc., Well do I? Do we? Does my life reflect my status as one of the redeemed or do I look just like all the other strangers around me. Could another Christian pick me out in a crowd, simply by observing the way I interact with the people in my life and how I react to the circumstances of my life?

Christmas is an easy time for most people to act like Christians. So what can we do to set us apart from the crow? How can we let the Son of Glory, which dwells in our hearts, shine brighter than the tinsel this year? It's more than saying Merry Christmas, though I will happily greet everyone I meet with the traditional Yuletide cheer. For me it's about seeing beyond the natural and loving humanity the way God does. Even a simple act of kindness like holding a door for someone can speak volumes in a world where such basic social manners have been lost.

We've been given the greatest gift from God above, so this year I'm going to share it with others and let it shine!

Guilty of Being Blessed

I'm guilty.

yes you heard me, I'm guilty...

guilty of being blessed that is.

Those of you out there who are also guilty know exactly what I am talking about, for the rest let me explain.

When my wife and I bought our first home we were extremely excited, almost too excited. We wanted to show everyone all the work we had done on our little fixer upper. I would beam when explaining how I had hung the cabinets myself and installed the dishwasher without getting electrocuted. I was working a very nice paying job that afforded us the luxury of owning a home. We were in a word, "blessed."

We were in a word, "blessed."

So why did I feel awkward talking about our new home in front of people that I knew were barely putting bread on the table? I wasn't bragging about how much money I made, on the contrary my wife and I fully acknowledge the fact that we had been blessed with just the right circumstances to buy a home. We gave all the credit to God, so why did I feel guilty for being successful, or in other words guilty for being blessed?

I really think it stemmed from us being young in the Lord. We had been convinced that if a Christian was successful then they needed to act like they weren't so people wouldn't think they were prideful. Wow, just thinking about that gives me a headache, no wonder so many Christians fall away from the faith. They are so tied up in knots that they can't figure out how they are supposed to have the "Joy of the Lord"

They are so tied up in knots that they can't figure out how they are supposed to have the "Joy of the Lord" 

I realize now that this is crazy, after all why shouldn't we boast about all the good things God has done for us. How else will others see how great he is if we keep trying to dowse the light of His glory in our lives. The flip side is to not try so hard to be "happy" when things aren't going well. I'm not talking about joy, we should always be joyful in spite of any difficulties we are going through. What we don't need, and what others don't need to see, is the plastered fake smiles that hide our true feelings.

Don't feel guilty about how much God has blessed you.

Life can be a roller coaster at times and if we let it can take us along for the ride and leave us bewildered and confused but if we approach everything with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving we can ride out life's ups and downs on an even keel. We should hold on to joy when times are tough but by the same token shouldn't stifle it when times are good or even great.

Don't feel guilty about how much God has blessed you. Embrace it, own it, and boast about it. Shout it from the roof tops just how great our God is and How much he has done for you and me.