Over the last little while, I have been thinking rather intently on the character of Christ and that the Lords’ desire is that we move into new realms of His character. That we purposefully put off the former man or no longer walk in the former man but in the new creation. This only requires His enabling grace and mercy and that it is up to us to walk in His fullness once His grace has been poured out for us. The work has already been done for us and it is up to us to walk in the power that enables. I feel this is for those reading this today, maybe it is you. Over and over in my mind, I can hear these words, keeper, taker, giver, keeper, taker, giver. Below is the product of my meditation on these three words. A Keeper, A Taker, or a Giver What shall we be? Each and every day we make a decision which of the three we will be. Over the span of our lives, the choices we make every day define the character that we become. The interesting thing we must consider is that at some point past decisions almost decree future decisions because we are molded and flavored to a certain way of thinking that for us to make a different decision, requires us to bust a gut and break the mold interceding and travailing for hours just to make the smallest change in our patterns of behavior.
I remember being on a holiday and we ran across a couple and the wife mentioned that she was constantly plagued by guilt over her former lifestyle before she became a Christian. This rang a chord within me and I searched my own heart and I could honestly say that to my knowledge to that point in time, I had never felt guilty. Maybe I am a little dense but literally, I can not remember guilt in my life and I thank the Lord for that. (Acts 13:39). I believe in a profound principle that allows me to continually bring my sin, inadequacies, and virtually everything to the Lord in repentance. The point is that the cross covers us and that we can be whole in Him no longer plagued by the former things that condemn us to destruction. A Keeper? Jonah was the first character that came to my mind as I turned this over in my mind. Though he was a receiver of the mercy of God, he did not want others to have this shared experience. He was spared and that was enough for him. We see how God feels about such people. Jonah's biblical story ended with him mad and God telling him he was wrong being mad and his book abruptly ended. Jonah 1:3, 4:9-11. Don't forget, Annais and Saphira in the new testament, who decided to act like they were giving all when they had in fact kept back a portion. Acts 5:1-5. The life of a keeper leads to death and death only. "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light." Luke 8:16 A Taker Absolom is the person that came to my mind about being a taker. It would seem if Absolom would have bided his time, there was a good chance his Father would have given him the crown. We know that he favored David and the Nation saw his dad in him. However Absalom was not happy serving his father, he was determined to wrestle the Kingdom away and take it for himself. David left the Palace under the cover of darkness because he would rather someone else have the whole Kingdom than destroy the unity of the nation. King David left rather than causing division. His decision insured the outcome, his giving way ensured he did not lose it and I believe sealed the fate and judgment of Absalom. 2 Samuel 15:10-12, 2 Samuel 18:33, 19:1-4. A taker will always meet with death spiritual or otherwise. The other character to consider is the Prodigal Son. He took his inheritance that was his, but it was not time. This improper and untimely inheritance precipitated a downward spiral of morality and wisdom to the point that he squandered his substance in a wicked and immoral way. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matt 16:25 . A Giver The Scripture is brimming full of examples of people with these qualities. It is this quality of a giver that so often qualified the jewels of humanity to be found in the pages of Scripture. The Widow woman was baking the last cake for her and her son, but she gave the last to God and this caused them to be preserved through the famine. Some would say that the prophet was cruel to do this in advance of the miracle. His action was totally and completely motivated by being a gift knowing Gods’ favor will rest on the sacrifice given.
Another lady in scripture built a room to provide a place for a prophet to stay when he was passing through and the result was that she received what her heart desired. Yet another woman (who some would label with great character issues), who came and took the most precious thing she had and poured it over the Lord's feet in an act of worship. This act so caught the eye of the Lord that he decreed that this act would cause her to be memorialized for time and eternity. Your life will be defined in very simple ways. They will not remember your long speeches or beautiful clothes or well you preached. You will not be remembered for what you would choose. However those lives you come in contact with, they will remember you in simple and unforgettable ways because of the attitude of your heart. Jonah did do the Lord’s will but it took a tremendous move of God to propel him to do so. Our attitudes and motives must be continually challenged to avoid darkness from entering in. There is a spiritual battle that is continually going on and we must recognize that the warfare is in our hearts. We can choose to be a giver or we can have the other two attributes.
Be like Jesus and they will not forget you!
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