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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
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Peelin' Pecans
I’m right in the middle of about five tons—well, maybe five pounds--of pecan hulls, and I have a few pounds to go. As far back as I can remember, it was my job to shell (or “peel," as my Daddy called it) the pecans. My fingers are tender, my fingernails are chipped and my back hurts, but it’s worth it. While I’m sitting here peeling these pecans I sometimes wonder why God put such hard shells on them. Why didn’t He put a soft, easily removed shell on them like a peanut, or like the banana peel?
In the same thought I ask myself why most of the joys of life seem to have that hard “shell” around them. But I have always heard it said that “anything worth having is worth working for,” and we can usually agree on that. If you want to be a good fisherman, farmer, rancher, athlete, salesman or businessman, it will take hard work to get where you want to be. Like it or not, that’s the way life is.
The Cost of Being a Christian
It is a fact that being Jesus’ disciple comes at a high price, and that is borne out by reading the words of Jesus —even secular history. Each generation faces different trials, but every generation of Christians must face the fact that their redemption came at a high price to God. It cost His “only begotten son,” and it takes our total dedication to Him. Jesus told those who wanted to be His disciples, “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple,” Luke 14:33. There is a price to be paid, and it’s not cheap. Too many people regard their being a Christian as just one of many pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of their life. It has its place, but so do their jobs, their hobbies and their friends. To them, none of these take priority over the other, but all have equal significance in their lives. However, Jesus says otherwise. He must be the “center-piece” of our life, not just one of many. It cost Him His life, and it will cost us ours as well (see Luke 18:22-23 and Philippians 3:7-8). Those who want to sit on the sideline and watch the biblical work force will find themselves on the outside of the heavenly home. God demands more than spectators. He expects us to be participants—whole-hearted participants!
A Good Marriage and Well-behaved Children
Most agree that too little has been done to prepare young men and women for marriage. The biological urges may be inborn, but there’s more to being “one flesh” than mere biology. One has written: “A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.” If that sounds like work, you’re catching on. Both partners in a marriage must be willing to give whatever it takes to make that relationship work, and even then it’s not always easy. There is a give-and-take that demands selflessness and love. There are sacrifices which require that we put some of our own wants and wishes aside to make something wonderful out of two people’s decisions to face the world together. It takes work, but it’s well worth it.
Parents are well aware of the financial costs of having children. From the birth all the way through braces and marriage, the costs are there. But the real costs associated with children are those of time and energy. Many are not willing to pay that price, and later find that their children are going in a direction they had not intended. Becoming a father is easier than being a father. Children demand our time, love and attention, and parents, not “substitutes,” must meet those demands. It takes work, but it’s well worth it.
When Jesus tells prospective disciples to “count the cost,” He includes both the costs and the benefits. Yes, the price is high, but the benefits are incomparable. When we purchase an automobile, we pay thousands of dollars for it, but those dollars bring needed transportation that makes the cost worthwhile for us. Being a follower of Christ will cost “all we have,” but it has earthly and heavenly rewards. It takes work, but trust me—it’s worth it.
Of course, it’s also true that evil and wickedness come with a high price tag. All the hospitals, courtrooms, prisons and psychiatrists together cannot house nor give comfort to all those affected by the sins of a lifetime. Somebody had to pay the price for sin. Only Christ could do that.
Don’t fuss about the hardships of life. They make us appreciate what we have. Ouch! There goes another fingernail. But tomorrow—pecan pie!
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“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
“How many hopes and fears, how many ardent wishes and anxious apprehensions are twisted together in the threads that connect the parent with the child!”
“Where parents do too much for their children, the children will not do much for themselves.”
“It is the function of parents to see that their children habitually experience the true consequences of their conduct.”
“Call them rules or call them limits, good ones, I believe, have this in common: they serve reasonable purposes; they are practical and they are an expression of
loving concern.”
“Suffering is the seed from which compassion grows.”
“All sunshine makes a desert."
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A Student of God's Word
One of the first lessons we learned as school children was the importance of study. If we were going to score well on an up-coming exam, we had to study. If we did not study, we did not do well, and perhaps even failed the test completely. The final outcome was determined by our dedication to study.
I wonder if we, as children of God, have forgotten this simple lesson. In a sense, the Bible is a textbook for this life. If we are going to be pleasing to God, we must study the text. How can we obey the will of our God if we don't even know what His will is? In God's word, we are told the importance of study. In 2 Peter 3:18, we find: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The knowledge of our Lord is found in the Bible. We cannot grow if we do not study. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 we are told to: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." This means that we must put things to the test to see if they are good and right. The standard by which we decide is God's word. In the Bible we find what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. We cannot prove all things if we do not study. John wrote in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." In this passage, the "spirits" that John refers to are teachers. Some will stay true to God, preaching the truth, but others will be false prophets, proclaiming error and falsehoods. How can we tell the difference? The truth is determined by a study of God's law. The problem that the church is having with false teachers today is a result of a lack of study. When the heretics of our day begin to spew out false doctrine, the brethren should instantly recognize its contradiction with truth. We must also have the courage to confront the false teacher with his error and show from the scriptures where it is wrong. The false teaching cannot be allowed to continue (Titus 1:10-13).
God will look down upon us with favor when we dedicate ourselves to the study of His word. He is our Father and as good children, we should always listen to His commands. During Paul's second missionary journey, he commended the Bereans for their diligent attitude toward study. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so," Acts 17:11. The implications of this statement are that the Thessalonians were not as receptive to God's word and were not as diligent in their searching of the scriptures. If Paul were to see us today, would he compare us to the Thessalonians or to the noble Bereans? In which category would you place yourself?
It amazes me when I see brethren arrive for services without a Bible. Can you imagine being a student and never bringing your textbook to class? Does our lax attitude meet with God's approval? In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul said, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." If we are going to gain God's approval, we must study. The shame will be ours if we cannot rightly divide the truth. If you have not done so, buy yourself a good study Bible and become a student of God's word.
by Russell Hafner, Trenton, TX
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