"What? No Bagels?"

Matthew 5:14-16 (New Living Translation; emphasis mine)
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

God has given me so much throughout the years. He saved me at the age of 35, blessed me with the baptism in the Holy Ghost at the age of 45, and has given me the best wife in the world along with five children and EIGHT grandchildren! There's more, but suffice it to say, I'M BLESSED FAR BEYOND WHAT I DESERVE.

Which brings me to today's blog. I have, on a few occasions, bought bagels for the office. I've been blessed, so I pass those blessings on. But a few days ago I hadn't brought in bagels for the office, but instead bought one for myself, and was eating it in the breakroom. One of my coworkers entered, and his first statement to me was "So Scotty, no bagels?" I immediately got defensive. I said that I had bought bagels 4-5 times, so it seemed fair that someone else could buy the bagels this time. My snippy response was sensible, logical, well-reasoned, and FAIR.

But the Holy Spirit reminded me that the Lord doesn't play "fair", according to man's standards. He sent His only son to earth to walk among us and teach us about his Dad, and then to suffer the most humiliating of deaths as an absolutely innocent victim, in payment for the sins we brought on ourselves by our sinful nature. Fair? Absolutely not. But Godly? Yes, indeed!

Today's scripture taken from Jesus' "sermon on the mount" reminds me that my actions don't need to be fair, don't need to be balanced, and don't need to be appropriate. The Lord has been unfailingly GENEROUS to us, far beyond what any human could possibly call FAIR. And if I'm to be that "city on a hilltop" Jesus spoke about, shining God's light to the darkness all around me, human fairness shouldn't drive my speech or my actions. People are supposed to see Christians in action, and what these people observe is supposed to be so UNbalanced and so UNfair, that it causes them to spontaneously thank God themselves!

Next time, the bagels are on me. Perhaps I'll bring a bowl of fruit as well. And thanks for the lesson, Lord!

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© 2009 Scotty Ward