Are You Searching For Lazy Summer Days?

Summer is in full swing, and this summer is a little different. Through chance and circumstance I have been essentially grounded. I hurt my hand a couple weeks ago and I've been stuck at home waiting for my hand to heal before I can go back to work. It's been a challenge to say the least, but it's also been interesting because I've been able to view my teenage son's summer as he transitions from junior high to high school. He's at that stage where he wants to play all day long like a little boy but he wants the privileges of an adult. I remember this time of my life it was it was a challenge. So I go through each day and I ask God for lots of patience, so that I can teach him how to be the wonderful man I know he can become. When I was about his age there was a band that was kind of popular. I'm not really going to recommend that anyone listen to their album because it's not very Christian. The band was called House of Pain, they were a rap group. There was an opening line off their record Shamrocks and Shenanigans that for some reason is stuck in my mind this morning.

"The time has come for everyone to start picking up what's in their own backyard instead of looking at their neighbors yard."

I remember when I was a teenager  that line just seem so poignant. I just wanted to tell everyone to get out of my face because they had no idea what I was going through or what I was trying to do.  That line off the record and reminds me of some of the things that Jesus said. Jesus came to teach us to love it's as simple as that, and through the act of love, Jesus wanted us to try and suspend our judgment of others. When you judge someone you not loving them. When you judge someone, especially in the open, it puts tension between you and whoever you're judging. Now say you see someone and they're headed down the wrong path, God does not want you to just stand idly by. Jesus taught that we should go confront that person but that it should be out of love and it should be done with compassion. In his time here on earth Jesus met with a wide variety of people. Reading the Gospels one thing that you will see very noticeable is that Jesus spends a lot of time with sinners, however he would reach out to those in pain, whether it was physical, emotional or mental, he would cure them and encourage them to sin no more. To the average ordinary sinner he would show compassion and that's what he wants us to do. The only people that Jesus ever really chastised for their transgressions were the Sadducees and Pharisees.  These were powerful people that would impose strong laws on their people, and then act as if they themselves were sinless. They would chastise those who were sinners. They would show no compassion. Essentially the Pharisees and Sadducees acted as hypocrites and Jesus called them out as such. 

You are not perfect, I am not perfect, there is no one on this planet that is perfect. We are all sinners. I am sure there are those out there who will think that since we are all sinners it's pointless to try and get to heaven or to try and follow God's word. Keep this in mind, no matter how old you are on this planet, you are still merely a child. You could be 90 years old, but put that against eternity and you are merely a child. In all reality we have a very short time on this earth so it's important to choose our path wisely. God knows that you are broken and that you are a sinner, but you're his child and he loves you. God wants to help you to grow and to be wise. God knows all of your talents and your abilities because he gave them to you. God loves you and he simply wants you to become the best you possibly can be. He loves you so much he gave you the greatest gift of all.

God gave you free will.

You get to choose. You can choose to follow God's will, listen to Jesus is good word and allow the Holy Spirit to into your life, and go to Heaven or you can turn your back on all of that. You can choose to follow your will. You can choose to live a life of sin. You can choose that sin will be your master and through which you will become a slave to it, chasing pleasure after pleasure.  God will always love you but don't expect him to magically create a stress-free existence for you if you choose to not follow him. In a way a relationship with God is like a relationship with anyone else. 

Close your eyes and think of your best friend. Think about the fun times you spend with each other. Think about your common interests. Now imagine your best friend stops spending time with you. How would you react? You call them time and time again to spend time with you but they always say, "no". How would you feel? On top of that, every time that your best friend does call they are always wanting you to help them get out of a jam. They call when they need help moving. They call when they need to borrow money. They call when they need you to bail him out of jail. They call when they want you to be a babysitter. Would that person still be your best friend? 

How long would it take for you to start saying, "no"?

God is much the same. He wants to spend time with you. He loves you, but if you treat him like a servant instead of a friend don't be surprised when he stops answering your calls. There is a reoccurring cycle in the Old Testament. The Jews, God's chosen people, would prosper and do well when they heeded the Commandments of God. Problem was, that after several years of prosperity, the Jews would take God for granted. They would fall away from his commandments they would start worshiping other gods even. God sent prophets to warn them hoping that they would get back on track and once again create a strong relationship with him.  Unfortunately they would not and because they chose to walk away from him, because they exercised their free will, God let them have what they wanted. All would be well for a short period of time but then they would become invaded. Because the Jews chose to turn their back on God, they no longer had Gods protection. They would be conquered by rival nations and put into slavery. The Jews would realize they're folly and they would cry out to God and ask for forgiveness. God would return, help them, unfortunately though the cycle would start over. 

God loves you and he can help you to do amazing things. If you choose to follow God's way you will have peace serenity even in your most turbulent times, but you have to choose to follow God's will. You have to walk through your life with love and compassion. You have to be willing to hold your judgment of others. If you love God with all your mind body and soul. He will be your God and he will help you with anything that you desire. 

2 KGS 17:5-8, 13-15A, 18

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land
and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel
the king of Assyria took Samaria,
and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,
setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,
and the cities of the Medes.

This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,
their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,
from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and because they venerated other gods.
They followed the rites of the nations
whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel
and the kings of Israel whom they set up.

So summer break is here, and it's time to grow up. Will you choose to be ever a child and just seek momentary pleasures and enjoy a lazy summer days, or will you choose to be an adult? Will ou take on responsibilities and freedom and happiness and pleasure in heaven

And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah
by every prophet and seer,
“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,
in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers
and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”
they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,
who had not believed in the LORD, their God.
They rejected his statutes,
the covenant which he had made with their fathers,
and the warnings which he had given them, till,
in his great anger against Israel,
the LORD put them away out of his sight.
Only the tribe of Judah was left.

MT 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”