A spirit of fear?

The pastor at the church I attend challenged us to adopt only one New Year's resolution, to in all things do it to honor God. If we accomplish this one thing, all other things we strive for will be accomplished.
So now I'm looking at some things I do that don't honor God. My hands are a mess because I have a habit of chewing on my fingernails. You might wonder how chewing my nails dishonors God. I believe that this particular habit shows a spirit of fear or anxiety two things the bible specifically says we have no reason to have. It's not the only reason my hands are a mess but I sincerely believe that the dings etc. show that my hands have gotten a lot of use. They've cooled feverish foreheads, changed diapers, washed dishes, dug in the garden, pulled weeds and a million other honorable pursuits. The fact that my hands show a lifetime of work and service gives honor to God, just not the nails so that I am working on. To so all to honor God...I'm sure every day I will come up with things big and small that I didn't do that I had the chance to do and of course the things I should not have done that I did...But instead of letting them slide if I keep that resolution always on my mind, always in front of me more will get done in the honor column and less will be left undone or wrongly done in the "shame" column.

Messes

I was shoveling snow out of the driveway and off the sidewalk this morning knowing it was supposed to snow more tonight. So what was the use you might think (and I have sometimes wondered myself). The use is that if it does snow tonight I will have only that snowfall to contend with not that plus what fell before. It got me thinking how that applies to the rest of my life. Have you ever dug yourself out of a mess, often of your own making only to later fall into another mess. Sometimes you just want to throw your hands up in the air and walk away. Think about it though, if you deal with each “mess” as it comes along you don’t end up being buried by the messes stacking up one on top of the other.  God doesn’t expect us to be victorious over all the sin in our lives but he does expect us to deal with it as best as we can on a daily basis. You remember that hated expression your mom used to throw out at you “practice makes perfect”, by working daily on our piles of snow we get better at it and eventually Spring comes along and you find there’s at least one less mess to deal with. When you get to be as proficient as I am with a snow shovel, I have had previous experience, not only can you deal with your own snow but you have the skill and stamina to go help a neighbor with theirs. It’s always easier to accept help with a mess from someone who has had to deal with a mess of their own so don’t be afraid to let people see who you are. You have been brought through trials not only to strengthen your faith but to reach out a hand to someone facing a similar trial. Go on, put your gloves on and get your shovel out.

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