12.2-My parents work and play life.

12.2-
My parents work and play life.

Romans 8.
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose.

How does that work?  He guides us to a good work life and play life.

Jesus reminded me today that His way of life is the best for several reasons.

His way of life provides jobs for people to work hard and be honest and see that money when used well grows.  The Economic pie is unlimited in its expansion power.    Hard work at a good business causes an inner feeling of productivity and opens the door to meet new people.  Some will be just good clients or customers.  Some will become friends, close friends or even adopted family members.

I saw this on my dad’s farm and with his relationship with people in the grocery store where he worked.  He was friends with his bosses, the owners of the business as well as the co-workers and the customers.  His family also traded at the store and meat market where he worked.

My mother and father worked hard on their farm as well as the grocery store and meat market.  (Jesse Smith Grocery, Piggly Wiggly, Woody's). 

 They wanted to get to know Jesus Christ.  I saw this in their habit of meeting with the people who worshipped Jesus Christ each week at the Oak Ridge Church of Christ.  

They invited the people of Jesus into their home.  It was common for them to have visiting preachers and other members to come home with them after church for lunch.  On a good day it would be fried chicken and okra and mashed potatoes and gravy.  On a day where there was not so much available there might be scrambled eggs and a few other items.  Always with joy and love and excitement about having company whether family members or friends.

Jesus taught my parents to be great hosts and great workers and managers of their business matters.  They demanded of themselves a life of integrity.  I never remember in all of my over seventy years a time when they were shady in business.

You can use your business to make a good experience for you and your customers and more goods and services are shared.

You should not hoard your things and be afraid that God will not bless you because He will.

You certainly should not waste your life and resources by cheating people in business, not paying your debts, not being true to your word, ripping people off, cheating people or gambling away money in a wasteful way. 

When there was an attempt to do something shady or something that was not good business for the long and short term they would say “No”.

Jesus way of life for them was to work hard and enjoy your life at work and in times of rest be sure and enjoy your life. 

When something went wrong in their town or their nation they feel sad.  Our little town of 700 people in Northeast Texas, Ladonia, Texas was located in what was known as a “dry county”.   We lived in the county in the country.  The town where we went to school, Ladonia, had an election to allow alcohol to be sold in our town, the only one to become “wet” in the county at the time.  They didn’t want it to go “wet”.  It made them sad when it did.  They felt it would hurt the town more than make the town better from the taxes received.  When it become “wet” they were sad but didn’t quit their love for their town.

Those who follow Jesus will have things that happen in their community that cause them to be temporarily “sad”, but the tenor of their life is “Joy”.  The most joyous life is a life of hard, honest work and being true to your word. 

 

Jesus people are those who worship a man who drove out evil from the temple.  There was supposed to praise and love and prayer going on there.  There was supposed to be good things happening there.  When Jesus saw buying and selling and cheating going on in the temple He drove them out.  My parents worshipped Jesus as the ultimate example of standing against things which hurt people and standing for things that helped people.

 

Jesus was not liked by people who wanted to cheat others and wanted to get by with it.  Jesus stood for justice and righteousness.  Those who wanted to cheat others in business wanted to kill Jesus.

What is neat is that a person who has been a cheater of people can change his/her mind and decided to stop this and correct what they have done.  Once a man came to Jesus and his change included giving by four times the money he had cheated people out of.  Jesus has a transformational effect on how people work and live.

Luke 19.

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Acts 2.
³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.


⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Larry Wishard