Thoughts for another day

November 10, 2011

Today's verse: James 4:17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Many times, we make excuses for the wrongs we do even as we say we're worshipping the Lord and communing with Him.  At prayer meeting, under the same roof, am I and a person who I'm in strife with and we're both intensely worshipping!  What kind of worship could this be where, two members of the same body are at loggerheads with each other?

When faced with a situation where I've got to dig into my pockets to come up with money to alleviate the intense and urgent need of a fellow brother in the Lord, I make excuses and tell myself, 'it's ok if I don't give, as the people in this congregation will give anyway?'  But what if everyone thinks alike?  In these situations we know what we need to do, but we shy away from doing it because we don't want to do the good we're called to do.  That's why our Scripture tells us, "To us who know to do good, if we don't do that good, then it's a sin."  There's no exception to the rule and all are under it whether you're a priest, a pastor or a bishop or whatever in the church of God.  This gives birth to the sin of omission as termed by the Catholic Church and it still is a sin.

You may remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man Lk. 16:19ff, where we find the rich man in hell.  What sin, are we told was committed by the rich man?  Except that the rich man didn't bother about Lazarus who sat at his gate expecting some crumbs from him, but didn't get any.  That's why, as Jesus mentions, the rich man goes to hell.  Therefore, today if we see a situation where we're needed to do good, let us hearken to it and do the good we're called to do.  It will be a blessing for our souls.