Dirty or Clean Hands

Does anyone know what a car mechanic looks like? What I mean is when you walk into a car shop, what is one thing that will distinguish a mechanic from the front desk worker? They all may be wearing the same uniform that says Brian’s Auto Shop, but not all of them may be a mechanic. They all will probably be wearing boots to protect their feet from heavy objects. They all may look a certain way, but if you will notice a good mechanic’s hands will be dirty. Their hands will be dirty from the grease, dirt, or oil from a vehicle. The mechanic will get their hands dirty from being underneath the car, changing the oil, working to repair an engine part or changing the tires. If a mechanic claims to be working real hard but has clean hands, then what can you conclude about the mechanic? Either they have some miracle soap or they are lying. My guess is that they are lying. James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The mechanic’s dirty hands are representation of his actions. Dirty hands tell others his actions are following his responsibility. They tell others that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. The mechanic could go in the back of the shop and rub dirt from the ground to get his hands dirty, but then again his actions would not be true. Our faith in God is more than just a belief or idea. It is showing what you believe. If your actions do not accompany your faith, then your faith is not real.

So my question to you is: Are your hands dirty?

Live it,

BB

A Happy Jesus?

On Wednesday night I suggested an idea at The Station that referred back to Beatitude no. 2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Mt 5:4) Each week is building off one another so follow me on this one:

Now the beatitudes are Godly characteristics that we should strive to have in our heart. The first beatitude is "poor in spirit" (dependent upon God). This is placed first because it is the most important characteristic as a follower of Christ and it puts the following beatitudes in perspective. Meaning: they cannot be fulfilled by our own strength, we must be emptied of ourselves and beg for God's help. So, the reaction to poverty in spirit is? Mourning.

Jesus, when speaking of mourning, is not talking about a shallow crying or sadness for a short period. He is speaking of an intense deep sorrow over our sins. Our sins cause us to be separated from God, which should cause us to deeply mourn. So if Jesus is telling us to have a deep intense sorrow over our sins we commit, does that mean that we need to be gloomy and filled with sadness? No. Let me put this way. Think of a friendship or relationship that you have. Think of the closeness that you feel when both of you are communicating well and enjoying each others company (this is a time of enjoyment, laughter, happiness.) Now if you did something wrong against that friend. How would it make that person feel? Horrible, right. Your friend may feel betrayed, let down, or hurt. But hopefully you have a strong enough relationship that you will remain friends. Well that same thing happens to the relationship you have with God when you sin. It hurts God when you sin. And it should cause you to mourn, knowing that you have hurt God. Not just a brief sadness for a couple hours, an intense sorrow.

So to help us understand this better lets look at the times when Jesus was grieving, filled with sorrow, weeping, etc. Then look at what he was mourning over. Compare how many times the Bible tell us of Jesus being joyful versus Him being sorrowful.

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