Ahoy there me mates on the good ship Scrip-Bit! How goes it on the unpredictable seas of life? I hope you all are in fine fettle, moving along smoothly on calm waters, under a fair wind, our Good Lord having blessed you abundantly, even more than you can ask or imagine, for that’s His modus operandi with those who LOVE, serve and revere Him. (smile) So I’m not a comedian, but here are some words reputedly spoken by a great one, Charlie Chaplin, holding forth on the subject of life, astutely claiming that ‘Life can be wonderful if you’re not afraid of it. All it takes is courage, imagination…and a little dough.’ And though it sounds comedic, coming from a comedian, it is the absolute truth my Friends! I know many people would be quick to dispute that, claiming that life is anything but wonderful. Why? Because they’re looking at it the wrong way. For even in the deepest, darkest hour of despair, it is possible to see the beauty of life if we come at it with the right attitude. As Charlie says, the first thing is not to be afraid of it, try and take it in stride, don’t let it overwhelm you, for life can be very advantageous, and if it discovers it can beat you down, it surely will. Yes mih people, life is a bully boy, so we have to stand up strong to it, and also use some of our God given imagination against it; fight back, take preventative measures, wrangle with it like a cowboy wrangles with a bucking bronco or stirred up steer, wrestle with life the way Jacob wrestled with the angel, refusing to let him go until he blessed him. (Gen.32:24-32) And of course money helps, but only to a certain extent, just look at the many unhappy folks with money, and the many happy ones without it. But that doesn’t deter plenty of us from preferring the money and unhappiness to the poverty and happiness. The important thing though my brethren, is that we simply cannot afford to be passive where life is concerned, we need to actively live it. You know the saying life is meant for living? Well that’s gospel, and it’s right there where many of us falter. We err by shying away from life, by making excuses, saying if only this, or if only that, instead of getting actively involved in all that it encompasses. Unfortunately Friends, we can’t live life on ifs’ or excuses, we have to wake up and face the hard, cold reality, even as we envision the possibilities. That’s why Bruh Paul declared: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ He had learned the valuable lesson of life that teaches us to be spiritually comfortable regardless of our outward state. And this world would be such a better place if the many of us who constantly clamour for more and better would learn that lesson. That’s because much of our turmoil is caused by overwhelming greed (gravaliciousness) where we’re never satisfied with our state, be it a lot or a little. As Bruh Paul warned Timothy: ‘Perverse disputings of men (useless wranglings) of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness (godliness is a means of gain) from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1Tim.6:5-10) Oh mih people, truer words were never spoken, for some of us have had that sad experience, or know of someone who has, where we’ve run down money only to find ourselves led astray by the evil lusts of the world and not living the faith. Oh Friends, if only we’d learn to be contented with what we have at the moment, we’d be much less unhappy. Now that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to improve our daily lives, but it should not be our end all and be all, our sole focus. Our correct end all and be all is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and it’s on Him our focus should be concentrated. When we live to serve Him, He first provides the necessities of life and then the exceedingly abundant blessings. But we have to do our part; be in the world, but not of it, die to the lusts of the flesh, don’t pant hungrily after worldly things, for that disrupts our equilibrium and throws us out of sync with the Saviour. And the most fitting end for Today’s Bit is with Bruh Paul’s famous words. ‘I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:12-13) Oh Friends, that says it all. It’s now up to us to put it into practice. Much LOVE!…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear..
SCRIP-BITS 