Devotion 9.17.15

There was a group who did business with our education entity in the early 2000s, a software company, and they would come to Lubbock periodically to review how business was going.  We would then adjourn our business for the day and go out to eat at night.  During a discussion of the state of education in Texas, public education to be specific, one man I worked with used the phrase "carpe diem" or "seize the day."  Further along in the discussion, one man from the company looked at us and said, "I think it is as you say.  We have to seize the void!"  One of his colleagues said, "I think you mean day Bill."  Oh, was all he said.

Point made.  Fill the void and seize the day because if you don't, someone or something else will.  While educators are by and large ignorant politically, hence they take ritual beatings from politicians, the profession of education is a fine profession (minus a few bad actors as with any profession or job).  Yet sometimes the opportunity is right there, and educators don't seize it.

Unfortunately, that is true for everyone reading this at this point.  Opportunities missed.  Some opportunities missed are significant enough in God's eyes to be sin.  Specifically they are called "sins of omission."  "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17)  Christ says it this way, "For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink.  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." (Matthew 25:42, 43)  You know the rest.  The crowd asks when did that happen?  To which Christ answers, "...as you did not do it to the least of these, you did not do it to me." (45) 

Strong words.  To not act in the moment when something presents itself is a sin.  Yes, we wrestle with this daily.  What about the ... ? is the usual question that is about the man who stands on the corner daily asking for money or says he will work for food or other questions along those line.  The only thing I can say is, "Yes, we have to wrestle with that and pray we make the right decision."  Those in need may be right under your roof and circle their way into other circles of influence you may have. They may be strangers.  They may be people in other people's areas of influence, not yours.

Yet we know that if we don't seize that moment, someone or something else will, and it may not be a Christ-filled message.

The first we can do is pray for those situations and those people specifically.  The second thing we can do is be familiar with services that might assist those in need to direct people in need.  Maybe we can get directly involved if the opportunity unfolds.

Pray we seize those moments so that Christ's light can shine through us to others.

Hope Men's Ministry