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| Vol. 13 No. 12 December 2011 | Page 8 |
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| Vol. 13 No. 12 December 2011 | Page 8 |
Tim Childs
God has created us with the capacity to create and store memories. Memories may be of such a nature they are cherished, and they are considered a wonderful treasure that cannot be taken away. On the other hand, they may be so negative that we may be haunted by them, and we just wish that somehow they would go away.
Memory is so important in the daily life of the Christian. There are things our Heavenly Father wants us to remember. You and I need to remember the eternal God is our Father and that we rightfully belong to him by adoption (Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:5). We need to remember we are responsible and accountable as “stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). We should remember that He is the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). We must remember we have been purged from our old sins (2 Peter 1:9), and that being dead to sin, we are alive unto God and servants of righteousness (Romans 6:11, 18). We need to remember that Jesus is coming again, possibly even today, to take his faithful followers to their glorious heavenly home.
What kind of memories are you creating for others to hold? What will be the nature of the memories that will be shared by your family, church family, neighbors, friends and coworkers when you have passed from the scene of life? Perhaps there is yet time to create memories that are more wonderful. How will you be remembered by others? How will you be remembered by God?
Alan Smith
I heard recently about a stay-at-home mom. One evening she went to a PTA meeting and her husband and her oldest daughter got together and decided they would clean up the kitchen for her. They put up all the food, wiped all the counters, washed all the pots and put them away, put the dishes in the dishwasher and ran it. They swept and mopped the floors and then sat down, and awaited her arrival.
Two hours later, she returned from the meeting, took off her coat, hung it up, walked through the kitchen into the den, grabbed the remote control and began watching television. They followed her over to her chair and stood by her side. Finally she felt them looking over her shoulder and looked up at them and said, “What?”
Her husband said, “The kitchen.”
“The kitchen. What?”
“The kitchen. We cleaned up the kitchen. Didn’t you notice? It’s sparkling clean. We cleaned it for you.”
The woman replied, “Yes, I noticed. Thankless job, isn’t it?”
It is so true that much of what our wives and mothers do goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Please do not let that happen in your home! However, the same thing can happen at work or around the church. My guess is that there are many people around you who do important tasks, but they go unnoticed and unappreciated.
For example, when is the last time you thanked one of your elders for the work that they do? These men have a very difficult job that involves a great deal of responsibility (and they likely are not paid a dime for their efforts). They spend countless hours leading, guiding and shepherding the flock. Take a moment to let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.
Most churches do not give much thought about the teachers for their children’s Bible classes (except when they are absent!). We just assume they will just show up and do their job, without considering the hours of preparation each week, not to mention their willingness to deal with a room full of active (and sometimes unruly) children week after week. Take a moment to let your children’s teachers know how much you appreciate them.
The list could go on and on because there are so many people around you who serve in so many ways, and many of them do not want the spotlight. They prefer to work behind the scenes. Yet, please do not take the efforts of others for granted. Keep your eyes open to the good work that others are doing and “Render therefore to all their due… honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7). Thank you to all of you who serve in a variety of “thankless jobs.”