By Pat
"If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep!" (Luke 15:4-6).
This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. I love the picture my mind creates when I read it. I have been that lost sheep more times than I care to admit, and no doubt at some point I will be that same silly, lost sheep again and my tireless Savior will come after me, and carry me back on His shoulders.
But I have also been one of the ninety-nine sheep who didn't wander off, remaining faithful, following and obeying my Shepherd. In a perfect world, my reaction as Jesus returns His lost sheep to the flock of us ninety-nine would be one of joy and happiness that my fellow sheep has returned to the fold. In a perfect world, my heart would me right and pure.
However, this is not a perfect world, and I am far from perfect. There have been times, I shamefully admit, that I have reacted poorly, with the pettiness of the famous, faithful brother in the story of the prodigal son. Yes, I admit it. I have whined a bit about blessings others have been given when I have deemed them undeserving...the "W.A.M" syndrome..."But Lord, What About Me? After all, don't I deserve even more, since I have stayed here and been obedient? It's not fair!" Instead of clapping with joy, I have pouted and resented, but as I have grown and gotten older, I have realized how wrong and ugly and childish that reaction has been. Admittedly, it's hasn't been often I have reacted badly to God blessing the ones I felt had not been as faithful as me, but here are a few things I have discovered:
1. One time is too many.
2. Who am I to decide who is faithful? Only God knows our heart.
3. It's not my job to judge...it's God's job.
4. Matthew 20:14-16 (the parable of the workers paid equally), says "Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my money? Or are you envious because I am generous? so the last will be first, and the first will be last."
5. We are all loved equally, and are here to support and rejoice with one another, not compare notes to see who is the "better" Christian. In God's eyes, we're each just as worthy as our brothers and sisters.
6. Jealousy and pettiness are ugly! They are not admirable traits, and they have no place in a Christian's heart.
And so I say thank you, God, for continually convicting me when I need to be corrected and changed. Thank you, God, for allowing me the privilege of being a member of your flock. Help me to always share in the joy of your blessing, whether mine or someone else's. Especially, thank you for the many blessings you have given me, and for loving me. May I always rejoice for others and encourage them as they do for me, and may you continue to cleanse my heart and make it right and pure.
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.