Mothball Christians

I recently went on a vacation to go hunting with my brothers in Missouri. They have a piece of property south of Rolla, Missouri. They have set up tree stands and made roads only 4-wheelers can travel. There is also a Winnebago type camper for us to eat and sleep in complete with electricity, but little else.

Out of a concern for mice the camper is decorated with mothballs. I noticed the smell right away but got used to it quickly. Better that than mice, right? I brought all my gear in and spent the better part of a week living in the camper.

I came home and began unpacking my gear when I noticed something that should have caught my attention earlier. Everything smelled like mothballs. I had carefully kept my dirty and clean clothes separate but now realized that everything needed to be washed. The smell of mothballs had permeated everything I had kept in the camper with me.

Jesus used yeast in parables because it has the characteristic of permeating completely a dough mixture when bread is made. He said, “the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until is spread through all of it.” (Matthew 13:33, HCSB) I enjoy the way the house smells when Joyce bakes bread. The fragrance of her labor fills the house and makes us all feel good.

Jesus wants all of us to be like a substance that touches and changes everything around us. Jesus example was yeast but the point of the parable could also be illustrated with mothballs.

I did not intend for everything to smell like mothballs. The mothballs did what mothballs are made to do. As Christians we too should do what God made us to do. Paul said, “For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2 Cor. 2:15, HCSB)

Jesus should show through your life in a way that touches lives and makes people want what you have.

Brother Robin

Perspective

There was a tree in our yard that I climbed almost every day of my childhood. It wasn’t so much the tree that was important; it was the perspective it gave me. I liked the idea of looking out on the world and seeing the bigger picture. From my tree I could see all around the house. I felt safe above it all.

I like the sign at the mall with the arrow that says, “You are here.” It is a picture that gives me visual perspective. It tells me where I am in relation to everywhere else including where I want to go from here. It would be nice if there were signs like that for life. Instead of signs we have several ways that God speaks to us to give us perspective.

God speaks to us through His Word. As we make a daily habit of reading and studying God’s Word we will often hear from God. God also speaks personally, as in a call to ministry or a specific call to minister to someone. His still small voice always agrees with scripture. The blessing comes when we agree with Him.

God also speaks through people. Friends help us see the bigger picture and give us godly advice. God places people in our lives who walk with Him and can help us on the journey. Our vision can become blocked or blurred by our circumstances and we need a friend to give us perspective and help us see ourselves the way they see us.

The poet Robert Burns sat in church behind a noble lady when he noticed a louse roaming around her bonnet. As a result he penned the poem, “To a Louse,” which ends with the lines,

“And would some Power the small gift give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!”

Sometimes I miss my Tree and the perspective I gained there. Mostly I am thankful for friends and the counsel they give. Jesus called His disciples friends, (John 15:13-14). Call a friend today and be thankful for the gift God gave you through them.

Bro. Robin