“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out” Matthew 6:1-4 (The Message).
We talked last time how at the end of the summer my family put together an impromptu garage sale. We had been planning to hold a garage sale since the spring, but our schedules were so busy, there hadn’t been a good opportunity. Finally, toward the end of the summer, God opened up my schedule and I felt like He was saying, “Now is the best time…go for it!” Since I was sure God was giving me the green light, I obeyed. Humanly speaking, though, my schedule was still quite busy and I wasn’t sure how I would add a garage sale without going insane. God had taught me over the summer that when He speaks, He also provides…down to the smallest detail.
That point was proven multiple times all week. First, the weather was predicted to be gorgeous – not to hot, low humidity, and no rain. We don’t have a garage, so weather is a huge factor when scheduling the date. Second, my workload was lighter. That in itself was huge, and unusual, because it provided more time to organize, set up, tear down, and run the sale when I normally would’ve been working. Third, my parents and aunt willingly offered to come help set up and price so it was done in half the time, with more laughter and visiting than if I had the chore to accomplish myself.
Come back tomorrow to find out other ways in which my obedience was blessed.
Have you had times in your life when things seemed impossible, but you felt God speaking to obey? If you obeyed, were there specific ways you saw God working on your behalf? I would love to hear about them.
© 2013 Cheri Swalwell