Monday, June 1, 2015

Pastor's Ponderings, June 1, 2015

Honor Those Who Do Good

Recently a professional athlete demonstrated his honesty and goodness when he gave away his new car. On Monday, April 6, 2015, Russell Westbrook took the car he won with his All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award and donated it to a single mother named Kerstin Gonzales.  This was outstanding!  In a world where celebrities are noted for their selfishness and outlandish behavior, one cannot say that all celebrities are the same. Russell showed that he could be an example of exemplary behavior.

The Bible says that we should admire those who are honest and good and expect that they will have a good end (Psalm 37:37).  This is the type of standard that we should honor and publicize. Unfortunately, the acts of kindness do not sell papers or generate a lot of media buzz. Instead, the wicked, ruthless, and rebellious are everywhere luxuriating in their deceit and glorying in their challenges to society.  The Bible says that while they may do well for a while, in the end they will be destroyed (Psalm 37:35, 36, 38).

The world delights in the shocking shenanigans of the celebrated. However, the children of the God should not be upset that the wicked are more popular than the good.  God says they will soon go away (Psalm 37:1-2).

Let us continue to thank God for the known and unknown deeds of the good and honest and encourage others to forsake worldly praise and only seek God’s goodness.

Psalm 37:35-38 (NLT)
35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37 Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.

Psalm 37:1-2 (NIV)
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

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