Time Away

Some of my high schooler’s may have noticed my absence at school on Monday, and probably an equal number didn’t give a single thought (that’s alright, guys, I love you anyway). I got word to some folks on Sunday pm but not everyone was there to hear. Anyways, this week is fall break at LCCS and I have a couple more vacation days to use up so I used one and spent a couple days with Laura over in Athens. We went shopping, baby sat for a friend, and ate with her parents on Monday, and spent most of Tuesday preparing for her Mary Kay party that evening (she did very well, btw). It was time well spent. I just wish I had more of it!

Proverbs 27:4 says, “Anger is cruel and fury is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” Three powerful forces. Numbers of people enslaved to each. However, as bad and dangerous as the first two are, the focus here is on the third. Anger can be destructive if it is not dealt with properly. It isn’t a sin to be angry, but for most people it is an open door to it. Fury would seem to be the progression of anger. Anger multiplied, like to the power of ten! Someone in a fury doesn’t think, can’t reason, and really can’t stop. That said, the Bible says jealousy is more controlling than the others. A jealous person is driven by that jealousy. Just like anger or fury, jealousy demands a person’s attention, causes pain, consumes a person’s thoughts, and causes the person to act on it. Jealousy isn’t just a kid problem, although we see it many times in adolescents and teens, but affects adults as well. Most of the time its just on a bigger level, over bigger toys or older boys/girls (or what they do/have/get paid/live in). When David was in the service of King Saul, Saul was jealous of David to the point that he tried to kill him several times (I Samuel 18-30). The Pharisees took Jesus before Pilate because of jealousy (Matt. 2718). This is the extent to which jealousy can be carried when it has someone it its grasp. “Who can stand before jealousy” indeed! What do we do about this destructive force that seems to affect everyone at some point in their lives? Galatians 5:22-23 teaches that we should practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If these things are practices to their natural ends, there will be no room in our lives for jealousy.

Remember:
Rake-N-Run, Saturday @ 3 (WEATHER PERMITTING)
People of Prayer @ 6 (and Pizza @ 5:30) (RAIN OR SHINE)
Youth Sunday is this weekend

Later…