Pound and Thump

"No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly before Him."

Sure, it's a Bible verse (Psalm 84:11).  So what. Firstly, it's a verse Pastor Mark at NCC expounded on beautifully last Sunday and I'm happy to pass on (Listen or watch at the NCC web site if you want some inspiration). Secondly, it works on many different levels for many different people.

I'm talking about living a life with positive intentions and positive feelings. Something few people choose to do.  As the Beatles song goes, the love you take is the love you make. Or, if music ain't your thing, what goes around comes around.

I'm not a blasphemer. (Or a philosopher.) Even when I was a nonbeliever I was careful to show respect for all religions.  But take God out of the verse and insert your choice of inspiration. *Some would argue any substitution for God is still God, but I digress.

Think about it.  How many of you can say you walk uprightly before anything?  Or maybe you do, but don't realize it or don't know it.  I'm not talking about pride.  I'm talking about conviction.  Many years I spent doubting many things.  I distrusted people and was wary of lies and ulterior motives, but I never once thought that maybe people actually wished good things for me.  I never once thought that I deserved to be prayed for.  In my life I feel many things must be earned, so it's still difficult for me to accept that God hasn't attached any strings to His gifts.  I can't deny the possibility that there are no strings.

What if I love people and serve people and give gifts to people with no strings attached?  What if I forgave people their wrongs and continued to welcome them and give them love?  Would my actions have a ripple effect in my tiny world?  What if I let go of the animosities that I so used to love holding onto?  What would happen?  What would happen if I ignored the routines and patterns of negativity that we find so much comfort in?  Would people come closer to me?  Or slowly move away?

I've been trying to live this way for a few months now and I haven't lost any friends yet.  In fact, I have gained some.  Our life is a gift.  Consciousness is no accident. We ARE supernatural.  It wasn't until I decided to walk uprightly before God that I realized this.

Our life is a gift.