James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves, but do what it says
Do what it says and you will be a blessed person, the desires and motives of your hearts will be revealed and come to fruition.
My family. They are my life, they were and are my first priority on this journey to repair and build up after I woke up from my long slumber and pulled my head out. A verse that hit me after I heard a pastor mention it was proverbs 28:19
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
Back in the day, you had to grow your own food to survive, you had to work your land, you couldnt take time off and just dream things would happen, but you had to choose to act, choose to work, choose to reap what you sow. So I took this and applied it to my life. I wanted to repair my family, to build them up, to invest in them. So what did I do, I began to work my "land", my family.
First thing I did was hit up the gardens out front. The house we moved into had been lived in prior by an avid gardener, when we first moved in, the gardens were a couple years out of being taken care of, but they were still beautiful. Then my family multiplied by two, and I began to chase fantasies. "one day this will look good again, one day I will do this and that, one day I will...". I was DONE chasing fantasies, I began to work my land. I spent hours upon hours doing work, digging, weeding, replanting, arranging. I stopped with the mentality of I had to hire it out, I had to have money to make it beautiful. I grabbed a shovel and went to work, I wanted to have a house that my kids were proud of, that my wife was happy to call her HOME. All it took was me to get off my kiester and stop chasing fantasies and work, I only invested about $80 in mulch. Was that it, $80 kept me from doing this? No, the mentality of chasing fantasies kept me from working my land.
After I completed the front, I began to work on the interior. I rented a dumpster and unloaded the basement that had been flooded and flat out gross for over a year. I had the same mentality of the basement, "one day I will...". I was and am done with one days. I am going to work my land and have abundant "food". It took me about three hours, thats it, three hours of work is all...but my fantasies took a year with no results. I then began to paint the interior and do the honey-dos that I had chased. After the interior I went out back, which was literally a jungle. I grabbed a chainsaw and went to town. It looks much better, but it is a work in progress. A work that will be completed by spring. Now that the weather has cooled down it is time to get back out there and finish taming the jungle.
I am now working hard on my families finances, instead of chasing a fantasy that I will get promoted or all of the sudden I will "get" my finances squared away. Nope, it requires work, it requires me having the mindset that I must work whole heartily at it, to sacrifice wants, so I can meet our needs. For the first time in my life I can say I am not merely listening to word and deceiving myself, I am doing what it says...i am working my land to have abundant food
After I began to work my land and not chase fantasies big ol' fruit began to show in our family life. After I began to not merely listen to the word and deceive myself, but did what it said, blessing began to come down upon us. I am full of faith
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
You can apply proverbs 28:19 in many areas. Stop dreaming and start working.
I have a very dear friend who is a perfect example of James 1:22 and Proverbs 28:19. He is one of three people who I can say whole heartily was a major contributor to my walk being back on the path of Christ and giving myself wisdom I needed in the darkest period of my life. He is a true friend who will speak truth when needed and someone who is a great example of a pastor, he practices what he preaches, but also what Christ preached.
He has a big dream, but it isnt a fantasy, it is a reality. Where many people would stay stuck in fantasy land, he is working the land. He is working his plan so his work, his LIFE, and the Kingdom of God will have abundant food. His reality is to plant a church in a modern day Samaria, his dream is becoming reality, his dream is God sized, his dream will require Gods blessing. He is working his land and God was, but will continue to show blessing on him. Why? because he does not merely listen to the word and deceive himself, but he does what it says. His vision is going to become reality, his vision is exactly what is needed in Samaria, his vision came from above, his vision is being blessed from above, his vision is not a fantasy...
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
I urge you, me, them. Lets stop chasing fantasies, and work our land. As I pray for our government to gain wisdom, this verse hits home. Lets stop chasing fantasies, lets do the work that is not only required but the Word of God urges, the blessing of God requires.
It is what it is, and this be it...
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