Doug Van Pelt

"No Comment!"

Those words, along with "the Heisman" pose are a real letdown. And it really stinks that our comments function on our website is broken! Arrgh! I am endeavoring to install a new shopping cart system on our website today and maybe I can figure out how to fix this comment thing, too.

Jesus' teaching in Luke 6 are like those in Matthew 4-6, commonly called the "Sermon on the Mount." His Words convict me. I have a friend who borrowed something of mine and he's had it since May or so. It's frustrating, but His Words basically tell me to chill out and not demand it back. These are practical guidelines to help break us and keep us free from the bondage of materialism.

I couldn't stay asleep last night, and so sometime around 3-something am I started talking to God. It seems I've had a string of bad luck lately, and I determined to do the one thing I had a choice of -- my response. It's pretty easy to get depressed and throw my own pity party (usually those invitations get politely turned down, hehe), and get angry. But I could choose to praise the Lord in spite of my circumstances and just "deal with it" that way -- with joy. If any of my recent negative circumstances (the most recent of which is breaking the sideview mirror on my VW bug backing into my empty trash can in the street) have anything to do with an unseen enemy (which totally might not be the case), then my response is the one thing that would defeat them and keep my head in a good place.

Perhaps this is like building on a good, firm foundation. I really made a concerted effort and commitment to praise the Lord in the middle of bad circumstances. For example: Swinging a hammer and hitting my thumb, making it throb with pain. Saying, "Praise You, Lord" instead of something negative. "But why?" a voice might protest. "That's lying. That's not what you feel in your heart. You are just faking a response out of guilt or religious duty!" I would say, "Not true! While my heart or emotions might be ready to react in anger and pain, I can choose to say whatever I want. If I so choose to praise God, then my heart and emotions will actually learn to obey my decisions and soon my heart will be right there, too." It might seem weird, but I full-on believe that and trained myself to act that way. Maybe I've gotten a little rusty in my training lately, because I see the cares of life and whatnot getting to me more than I think they should. I'd sure rather be a little more joy-filled and easy going. Perhaps re-applying this lesson to my life will help.

If I have some complaining to do, I know that God welcomes me and I can "bend His ear" any old time. Usually the outcome of those conversations is I end up seeing how narrow-minded, self-centered, and foolish I am. Hehe.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at October 21, 2005 09:18 AM