Friday, July 17, 2009

replacement

Sometimes we are taken up with something that might be harmful, or more likely for many of us is just not all that profitable. And we find ourselves wanting to get out of it, but it has become a habit, and even way of life nearly, with us. How do we get out of it?

One important way is replacement. We need to replace the one activity with another. Of course that should involve prayer to know what we should do.

This matter can come up in many ways, big and small. Just the same we need to better understand from God what we should do, and what is not really good for us to do, knowing where to draw the lines. Otherwise quite subtly the matter can become a sin issue to us, and can involve sin.

Part of what got David in trouble when he should have been doing, I would think, what kings did.

Anyone have anything you'd like to add to this?

6 comments:

Lanny said...

Idle hands and all that eh?

When Dirt watches the news and sees yet another young man in serious trouble and the aunt or grandma that raised him saying, "but he's a good boy." he, Dirt, always says, "he didn't have enough to do."

Seriously hard, industrious, good for the masses, work, the kind that makes you fall into bed exhausted, is the best thing for a person. Unfortunately that kind of work is seen as demeaning. hmmmmm.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Lanny,
Good point! And reminds me of one of my favorite books, Ecclesiastes. Work is said to be a gift from God, and enjoyable to man, and indeed an occupation, something that occupies us.

Your Dirt is right!! :) Sadly the case, I'm afraid, all too often.

Maalie said...

Ted, I understand what you mean by replacement. Though I would not myself use the word "prayer" (I have no-one to pray to as I am not elected) to do find personal contemplation and reflection (= meditation ?) can be very helpful. Hard work can be helpful if it is available but even getting stuck into a good book (and I don't neceswsarily mean relgious books) can help, in my experience.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Maalie,

Thanks.

Election in Scripture is not at all about choosing some of humankind to the exclusion of others, a serious error Israel of old fell into. It's about being blessed (as we all really are) to be a blessing.

Yes, your point I like because in God's image we're made to reason and think through things, and that implies possible meaning and purpose in everything, I believe.

Amen to that! Yes hard work, and even a book by an atheist can be quite stimulating and edifying to me. But again I believe because we're all made in God's image.

Thanks!

Ted M. Gossard said...

But I should add that the blessing promised to Abraham goes beyond the blessings all humankind receive from God, a blessing that is fulfilled in Christ.

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