WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2023 - EARNING HEAVEN

 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2023 - EARNING HEAVEN

Since I was a young teenager, I’ve had a job.  I delivered the Cedar Rapids Gazette (when the Gazette was still an evening newspaper).  Rain, shine, snow, heat, tired, cold - I cut the wire that held the papers together and put them in my bag, and went down the street to deliver the papers.  Maybe the toughest part of the job wasn’t delivering the papers, it was collecting the money for the papers (45 cents for the week).  There was one house that got their paper free frequently.  I didn’t like stopping there.  Frequently nobody would answer the door, or if somebody came to the door, they didn’t have any money and could I stop back tomorrow night.  I know that it was just a stupid mistake on my part. And I saved my money.  (My sister accuses me of having my first dime tucked away someplace).  

Then flipping burgers, a bus boy at the Hotel Roosevelt, working at the swimming pool during the summer, working on a furniture delivery truck, and working at Metropolitan Supply Company.  (As I’m writing this, I’ve got a grin - so now at age 75 I’m still working.)  

When I graduated from college, I was debt free (not all my friends turned out that way).  Many college students graduate with a lot of debt - that they hope to pay off before they retire!!!

And when I did my master’s degree, I graduated with more money than when I started as I was a dorm director and a graduate assistant.  (And, of course, very frugal (cheap) with my money.

When I married, I worked summer jobs to keep us afloat so my wife didn’t have to work (some kind of noble thinking was going on - my wife was a princess and I wanted to support her).  

I did consulting and drove two hours a day in the summer to get to my summer job (and back).  

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I think a lot of Americans are like that - workaholics.  

And, being a workaholic built up my ego big time.  I wasn’t a slacker, I was a good worker!!!

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So, as I have written on spiritual things and the discussion sometimes comes up about working your way into heaven.  One denomination is famous for college-aged men going on missions and working as evangelists.  They get denounced as “trying to earn their way into heaven”.  

I’ve heard Ephesians 2:8-9 for years. “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Salvation is a free gift.  Of course, when I read that verse, I know it was written by Paul (or St. Paul) who worked tirelessly.  (Definitely a workaholic!!).

FREE GIFT - WOW!!!

But, then James comments - (James 2:14-17)

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

Okay - faith isn’t enough James says.  You need good deeds.  

There seems to be a dichotomy here.  All you need is faith (Ephesians 2:8), If you have faith but don’t show it by your actions, it doesn’t do any good (James 2)

I remember a quote “Love God and do what you want to do”.   Hey, that makes it easy - if I love you, I can go out and get drunk, party, be lazy, etc.  But, if I understand the intent of “Love God and do what you want to do”, if you REALLY love God, you will want to serve him - give food to the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison.  Down inside you love God so much that you can’t just sit idly on the sidelines.  

I sense that is different from “earning” heaven.  I’m doing things because I want to - an inner compulsion is driving me to volunteer, to serve, to keep going.  I just can’t sit around and watch television.  I have to write, I have to love. I have to serve.

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I’m not working to build up my ‘brownie points’ so when I die, God will look at the balance sheet and say “Hey, Karen has a positive balance sheet, let her in.”   Hopefully, it will go the other way, “Karen has a servant’s heart.  Well done, good and faithful servant”.

So, my thought is “Love God and do what you want to do”.  If I really love God, I will want to do things pleasing to Him (Her/It/ The Force/ Ahh).

That is an attitude change - LOVE WINS.  

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So, what is your attitude?

LOVE WINS
LOVE TRANSFORMS
KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, APRIL 12, 2023