Stained

 This weekend was a work day at my church.  As a pastor's wife, whatever my husband asks me to do, I do.  One of the projects allotted to me was staining the picnic tables.  I'm usually pretty meticulous, but as the temperature rose and my arms ached, I morphed into sloppy.  If you've never painted or stained, the Karate Kid work-out really does work!  My sloppiness reflected on my clothes and my body.  One dear lady at church worried that I had cut myself and was bleeding badly.  No, I was covered in stain.  My daughters were so supportive as they pointed out that I looked like Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  That was so helpful.  But this got me thinking.  You can't work with stain and remain spotless.  Eventually, it's going to transfer onto you.  What about spiritually?  Whatever you surround yourself with will eventually transfer on you.  Have you ever spent time with a negative person?  You may have started in a great mood, but before you know it, you find yourself joining into their complaining.  When I'm around a positive person, I feel great and encouraged.  II Timothy mentions what our world is going to become.  If you read the list, you can't help but see it even now.  

2 Timothy 3:1-4 NIV But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

In a world like this, we have to be even more careful to surround ourselves with Godly things; otherwise, this negative mindset will transfer onto us.  What does that look like?  You find yourself getting offended and putting your rights above your neighbor.  You find yourself joining in with complainers and being ungrateful instead of thankful for what God has given you.  You find yourself chasing what's comfortable and what feels good rather than what God says is right.  Jesus set us free from sin, not to sin.  So as we watch the world get darker, don't let the stain of this darkness transfer onto you.  Surround yourselves with God's goodness and evaluate your life daily.  If you already see stains on yourself, accept Jesus' forgiveness and start fresh.  Let's strive to be free of stains!

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!