By What Standard?Written by Terry Dashner
Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013, 918-451-0270May I ask you a question? Is character important to you? Think about your character for a moment. Most people when asked to consider importance of character agree that everyone should have a good character. And why shouldn’t everyone to have character. Everything benefits from it. However if you aren’t on list, there isn’t much point in preaching character to others. Unless you consider character important in your life, then you can’t demand it of others. For example, suppose you like to “fudge” your integrity. Every now and then, you take home a few items from work. You justify your actions by saying that your employer makes good profits and won’t miss small items you take from his shop. In your mind you are not stealing from your employer, just helping yourself to small items of insignificance. Then one day your son takes $10 from your wallet without your permission. When you discover what he has done, you call him to account for his actions. He tells you it’s no big deal. He tells you that he has seen items you bring home from shop and listens to you justify your actions. Then he says, “Dad if you can take things from your job, then why can’t I take money from you without asking?” This reality hit me hard one day. I’ve always expected others to be honest and upright towards me, but my integrity towards others was relative at best. No, I didn’t cheat or steal from my fellowman, but I did justify “fudging” once and a while. I could justify leaving out some taxable income because I resented IRS. I thought nothing about taking a few items from my employer from time to time. After all he could afford losses. I could always justify what I did, but I was never willing to admit that I was stealing. Then one day, like I said, it hit me. What if I owned a business and I had several employees taking home company property at will. I would feel violated. And rightly so because I would be one taking loss. I began to see my actions as contrary to Biblical ethics, and finally I admitted to myself that I was wrong. That’s when I changed my behavior.
| | The Power of NeglectWritten by Terry Dashner
Faith Fellowship Church, PO Box 1586, Broken Arrow, OK 74013, Pastor Terry DashnerNeglect is a powerful force… What is best way to destroy a garden? You could drown it with too much water, or burn it up with too much fertilizer. You could plow it, chop it, burn it, or pull up all plants by roots. But why all sweat? Just leave it alone, and weeds and insects will do it for you. What is best way to destroy a friendship? You could telephone everyone you know and spread malicious rumors about you friend. You could make false accusations directly to your friend. You could borrow from her and fail to repay. You could write her insulting letters. But why all sweat? Just leave her alone, and neglect will kill friendship. Act as if she doesn’t exist. Forget her telephone number. Look other way when you meet her. What is best way to destroy a church? You could vandalize building by breaking windows, shredding hymnals, painting obscenities on walls. You could disrupt worship services, be rude to visitors, or tell all leaders what a miserable mess they are making. But why all sweat? Just live as if your church doesn’t exist. Ignore it. Don’t go around it. Don’t give to it. Don’t visit it. That part of church which is you will gradually die of itself.
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