Devotions for the Day features 100 Scripture-based messages for believers. Some of the stories are serious, some are a little humorous, but they all point to a Biblical truth. This new book is enhanced by 10 guest devotionals written by a cross-section of people, including a local TV personality, some preachers, and others.
Excerpt
Revelation 3:16 “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.”
Actual conversations between me and cashiers:
“Can I have a roast beef sandwich with lettuce only?”
“Um, did you want the roast beef with that?”
“I’d like the Cobb Salad with just the chicken and egg on it.”
“So…did you want lettuce?”
(This next one was at a place where they ask for a name to put with the order):
“My name is Tim, and I ordered the chicken sandwich.”
“Right! You got the sangrias.”
“No…My name is Tim, and I ordered the chicken sandwich.”
“Oh.”
Finally, here’s something a little different: I gave my order to the cashier. She rang it up, and then we had the conversation described below.
“Huh. If I had rung that up as a dinner, you’d get one more side, and it would still be cheaper.”
Me…
Her…
“Well, if you wouldn’t mind ringing it up that way, I’d be happy to pay less.”
“Oh. Okay, sure.”
I could go on and on.
I will own some of this. My dietary preferences can tend to be exotic.* But some of that has to be on them. If they were really thinking about it, they would have known the answers to those questions. We have all encountered employees who are not one hundred percent invested in their work. They want the full wages and benefits of being an employee, but they aren’t completely locked in on their job physically and/or mentally.
That’s just human nature. How often do we—how often do I—want the benefits of Christianity without putting the work in? We want what our faith promises: eternal life, a sense of purpose while we are here, and a loving God who takes care of us. But we don’t seize the opportunities to do the work of the Kingdom of God. We’re distracted from the Lord’s work. We don’t go and do, because we busy ourselves with questions and activities that we don’t really need to focus on sometimes.
Let us pray today that the Lord will renew our commitment to doing His work.
*That was code for “I’m a picky eater.”