Gas Prices – from the obscene to the painful – Oct. 12, 2008

Isn’t it amazing how great it is to buy gas at $2.69 a gallon? A couple of weeks ago, I was happy to fill my tank at $3.09 a gallon. Now, I’m sitting here wishing I could have waited a couple of weeks. But – when you only have 1/3 of a gallon left – you can’t wait too long.
What’s the price of gas have to do with the Gospel and the Bible? Simply this: how we view a situation depends on what we have just experienced and what we focus on. Two years ago, gas at the current price would have been outrageous. Now, we’re thrilled that it’s dropped over a dollar. One article I read used the phrase I borrowed for this title – but it is still a pretty negative view.
How do you view your circumstances? Are you groaning about how bad you have it or are you looking at the blessings you do have? I was reading recently about a missionary at a leper colony. They were songs to the Lord and letting the people pick the songs. One lady raised her hand, with 4 fingers gone from her disease and wanted to sing, “Count Your Blessings!”
Paul wrote one of his most joyful letters sitting in the cold damp of a jail cell – in chains. In this letter told us to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” He said to think on what ever things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy. In his letter to the Corinthians, he told us that we are comforted in our affliction so that we can comfort others who are going through the same thing.
Are you using the experiences that you are going through to help anyone? There are people that ONLY YOU are qualified to minister to because you’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt.
Are you looking at tough times and painful circumstances as a chance to grow or a chance to groan? Think on the right things and Paul promises that the peace of God will overflow in your hearts. That’s neither obscene or painful – it’s just grace.
God Bless You – Pastor John