Survival Of The Fitest

I know everyone gets down and a little depressed at times and I’ve got to tell you I’m no different, so if this week’s writing is not as uplifting as I try to make them you’ll know why. Probably the greatest thing bothering me today is the ever-increasing cost of purchasing goods. The true shame of it is, those increases revolve around oil and our ever-increasing reliance on it. Greed came home to roost at the gasoline pump again last week, driving the price of a gallon up over $3 again and diesel fuel is nearly $3.60. Those increases start a new spin cycle of passing the cost of business on to the consumer until the consumer is stretched so thin they need a cost of living raise from their employer to survive. So, the cost of doing business goes up or people lose jobs because companies can’t afford to keep all their employees at the price their willing to work. Then, corporate America notices an increase of spending power in the pockets of the consumer spawning new ideas of how to get that money for themselves. And guess what? We’re silly enough to go out and buy that next new product fad, just to brag about having the latest in this or that. My glass is always half full, but it’s getting harder to keep someone else from sticking their straw in it and taking a little drink, causing me to slip into a pessimistic recession every now and then. I pray, tomorrow will be better.
A preacher was asked to speak for a charitable organization’s annual meeting. After the meeting the chairperson handed the preacher a check. “Oh, I couldn’t take this,” the preacher said with some embarrassment. “You have better uses for this money than I do. You keep it and use it for the organization.” The chairperson then asked “Well, do you mind if I put it in our special fund?” “Of course not,” replied the preacher. “What is the special fund for?” The chairperson said, “It’s so we can get a better speaker next year.”
After the morning worship service a brother approached the preacher and said, “That was the most inspiring sermon I ever heard …I believe a real turning point in my life …but did you have to keep us ten minutes overtime?”
[Matthew 16: 26] “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Where are we all going? I’ll tell you. We’re all speeding toward the grave, dragging the world behind us. Consider this. Our whole life, we create the environment in which we want to live in. Our whole life, we survive by adapting to our environment. Except for natural disasters, we, individually, tend to be in the life situation we created. Why do we live as though we’re going to be in this world forever? Is it bad to enjoy life? NO! Is it bad to have nice things? NO! Deep down, do we know where all good things come from? YES! (James 1: 17) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.” God has never raised the cost of salvation. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ paid the price in full, once for all. (Hebrews 7:27) A spiritual environment of perfection has been created for each and every one of us, so we don’t go to the grave disobedient to our creator. Are we bringing too much of the world into our worship of thanks to God? We need to think about what it means to worship in spirit and in truth, then adapt to survive judgment.