FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

How many of you are going to make a New Years Resolution? And what is it going to be? And then are you going to be able to keep it? Every year people around the world decide that they need to change something in their life and they use this time of year to do it. So, is it a nasty habit that you know you should stop? Or are you vowing to treat an individual better? Do you plan on spending more quality time with some one you love? Or keeping in touch more often with a friend? The list can go on and on and on...

Years ago I read a book, "In His Steps", it was an enlightening book at that time. Recently, I've been given another book to read, "What Would Jesus Do?" It is the same book just revised for our time. It originally was written by Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, the revised edition was written by his grandson Garrett W. Sheldon. I would recommend it highly to everyone that is interested in following Jesus' steps in their everyday life. I would like to briefly tell you about the revised book, to help you understand this Food For Thought article on New Years resolution.

The theme is set in a town called Ashton and is centered on the congregation of the First Church of Ashton. A desperate, lonely, young, pregnant woman with a small child is looking for help. She has been to many daycares, and churches throughout the town. She winds up at the doorstep of the pastor of the First Church of Ashton, pleading for some help. She finds compassion but does not find the much needed help. At the Sunday morning church service, the two lead vocalists sing "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow" beautifully. The Pastor of this church delivers a stimulating and entertaining sermon. As the Pastor was concluding the service, a shout from the audience brought the church to a standstill. Approaching the podium was the young woman with her small child.

She turned towards the congregation and sorrowfully tells her sad and pitiful tale. How her husband left her after he found out she was pregnant again, she had to drop out of night classes to work to support her child, how when she got sick she lost her job, then her apartment, then without funds, food and shelter how she was destitute and living in her car. She had been everywhere to ask for help, but turned away at every stop. Then she mournfully tells the congregation, "I thought church people were supposed to act like Jesus" All she had asked for was for someone to watch her small child so she could go to work, give her child a hot meal, a hand up not a hand out. Now she didn't know what she was going to do, then she asked the congregation, "What Would Jesus Do?"

At this point she collapsed on the carpet and is rushed to the hospital. There she and her stillborn baby die from hemorrhaging. This is the wakeup call to the people of First Church of Ashton. With heavy heart and guilt laden mind the pastor does some soul searching and at the next church service, he doesn't deliver his usual entertaining and stimulating sermon. Instead, he stumbles over his words and loses his place in thought after attempting to finish his series of sermons from previous weeks. At last, he closes his Bible and from his heart speaks about what happened to this young woman. He admonishes himself and his church for not being the Christians they say they profess to be. And in his next breath he challenges everyone to take a vow for one year--That what ever they do, are asked to do, or intend to do in their private or working life to first ask this question of themselves, "What Would Jesus Do?" and then act according to their knowledge of what the Bible states about Jesus' life and walk on earth. And to do this without regard to the outcome of what the consequences or repercussions would be. At first about fifty people stand with him to take this vow, and over the next few months more people from the congregation join in on the vow.

The book progresses through the lives of those who took this vow and shows in detail their heartaches and their triumphs. You will be blessed by this book and it will also open your eyes for some real soul searching for the reader.

The book gets to root of the problems with the churches/Christians of today. If we all prayed from the heart-"Dear Lord, please take me back to the basics and teach me what it truly means to be Your disciple", the rotten, sweltering sores of the modern churches/Christians would heal and become stronger in their works. How often have we Christians sang and professed to be Christ like? Then as we go through our work week forget to be Christ like? When was the last time you visited the hurting or needy without regard for payment? When was the last time you opened your purse strings to feed the hungry or clothe the poor? When was the last time you gave of your time and energy to help one less fortunate than yourself?

And it doesn't stop there--take a good look at your business dealings, "What Would Jesus Do?" Would He partner up with that person just to make a profit? Would He sell something to the public just to make that extra dollar? Would He bypass rules and regulations to hasten that deal? Would He lie, cheat or cut corners to make money? Would He charge that price for services or product rendered. Would He charge for shoddy work or not make good on the product? What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus made it clear that we demonstrate our love for Him by how we treat those around us in need. We all know the passage in Matthew, chapter 25, versus 31-46:

"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was ahungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee ahungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee:? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, unto everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was ahungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee ahungered, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into left eternal."

This year the Christian world should make this resolution, and ask themselves, "What Would Jesus Do?" before they act on any circumstances, and not take in regard what the outcome/repercussions will be. And I hazard to guess with this one resolution, it would pretty well cover just about all resolutions.

I know if I would stop and ask myself, "What Would Jesus Do" before I opened my mouth or acted on circumstances, the outcome would be a whole lot different in many ways. So I guess I am taking up the challenge with myself. Before I act on doing or saying anything I am going to ask myself this question, "What Would Jesus Do?" I challenge you to do the same.

When it is all said and done in this life--the only thing that really matters is the next life. We can't take anything with us but our souls, and only the ones that are cleansed by the Blood of Jesus have to account for this life. Are you going to be one of the sheep on His right hand or are you going to be a goat on His left hand? The choice is now in this life. Only what you do in the name of Jesus counts for any good. At the end of this age I want to hear my Lord and Savior say to me--"Well done my good and faithful servant."

And what do you want the Lord to say to you?

[FOOD FOR THOUGHT]

Last Updated on 08-Jan-08