Down the drain

As apartment manager, I have the duty of cleaning out apartments when tenants leave. This is not as bad as it may sound because sometimes you get some cool stuff. For example, I got a great set of kitchen knives and some tools.

But the liquor went down the drain. So did the funny green leaves.

Sorry, I’m a teetotaler. Even if I did like alcohol, I wouldn’t drink it. It’s a matter of not being a stumbling block to a weak brother. What if someone in my church is a recovering alcoholic and sees me, the Valley Boy Pastor, sipping a glass? If he falls on account of me, I’m hurting him. I’m not walking in love.

Luckily, I have no desire to try liquor. My dad didn’t drink. I never went to parties when I was younger. I believe I get joy from God, not chemicals.

For all I know, that was a lot of money I poured out. But to me, it is of no monetary value. Maybe the devil valued it as a snare to pull people into sin.

Change is good, but eternity is better

Change is good. We shouldn’t stay with the errors of the past. But some change-lovers go too far: they want to change the unchanging Word of God. It’s value lies not in an evolving interpretation subject to winds of change. It’s value lies in its unchanging nature.

You can’t modify God’s injunctions, no matter how much you would wish to see otherwise. There are good, profound and correct reasons that some sins cannot be taken off the sin list. Christianity is not like building code or constitutional updates. God doesn’t need to rewrite the code to patch vulnerabilities.

The beauty of the Word of God is its perfection, its immutability, its eternity. What was true thousands of years ago is still true today. It’s universal. There are things that are difficult for us moderns to understand. I’m sure the ancients felt the same way — maybe towards the things that we really do understand.

It’s pouring out!

Thanks Deviant Art for the stunning photo!

Your life is being poured out.

On what? Paul poured his life out for others… for something of eternal value. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you — Phil. 2:17 NIV.

Today many are pouring their lives out on the pursuit of material goods. Others on the pursuit of health. For partying. For sport. For pleasure. For enjoyment. Lives are constantly being poured out.

Each man chooses to pour out his life on what he esteems most valuable. The number of days are finite. Through improved health, we may extend our lives. Even so, it will eventually end. When you are done, what will your life have been poured out on?

Will it be something worthwhile? Nobody wants to think about the last drop. But wisdom is to think about it before we get there.