One of These Things is Not Like the Other!

One of These Things is Not Like the Other!

[Image]
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!
Do you remember Cookie Monster singing this song?
I loved watching Sesame Street when I was growing up. Every morning it would be on GPTV (Georgia Public Television) at 7:00 am. I would watch the show while Mom and Dad got ready for work and I was waiting to go to pre-school. I thought of this song today when I ventured outside to find this... See Below.
[Image]
muhahahhaha!!!! Okay! Breath! I just had to take a moment to laugh. We had a table and TV set up in our front yard! The table came complete with A1 sauce and Heinz Ketchup. :) Disclaimer: In the defense of the residents of McDowell, the table was being moved to a storage unit and the condiments were left from last nights cookout. The TV... well that I can not explain.
The table, the TV, and the condiments all stick out like a satellite dish mounted to a dump truck. (True Hunter Family Story, I will save for a future blog)
As a Christian do you ever test your faith by asking the question, "Which one of these things is not like the other?" Simply put our actions, our thoughts, and our words should not be like the others. Every one of our actions is to bring glory, honor, and praise to the Father. Our lives are to be lived as continual worship.
Our question should be...Which one of our actions is not like the Father?
This means we put our hearts to the test; to align more closely with the heart of our Father. In doing this, we begin to live lives that look differently than others around us. We choose different goals. We speak to each other differently. We have different thoughts than what we had before. Why does this occur? This happens because of our obedience to the Lord. The Lord who so graciously saved us from our sinful state. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, the helper, to empower us to make these changes in our lives. We can only live in a manner that reflects the glory of God because of Christ working through us.
The cookie monster most often eats the cookie on the differing plate to make the plate match the other plates. Recently on Wednesday nights our Pastor has been taking us through Acts 2.
In Acts 2:42-45, we read the following, "And they devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common." (emphasis mine)
We are also called to have unity within the fellowship of believers. Notice that they all "devoted themselves" to "teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers". They were devoting themselves to things that would uplift and edify the body. The result was they "were together and had all things in common." If the body of Christ, you and I, decide to devote ourselves to the teaching of the word, dinning together in reflection of the word, and times of prayer together, then the result will bring unity in the body. This brings glory to the Father.
What are we devoting ourselves too? TV, Internet, relationships that don't bring God honor, work, or our own pleasures and desires. A good way to find the devotion of your heart is to write out your own daily schedule and see where you are spending your time.
I once heard this story of a pastor counseling a church member. The story is as follows...
Pastor: "In light of your problem, how much time have you spent in the word?"Church Member: "Pastor, I just can't find time. I work all day, the kids and my husband need me at home, and there is just no time left!."Pastor: "Oh I see." pause "Hey did you see last nights episode of American Idol? I can't believe Adam got kicked off?"Church Member: "Oh I am a Chris fan on American Idol. Did you watch Dancing with the stars? And what about Survivor? Oh! Oh! Good Morning America had such a great recipe this morning!"Pastor: "Hmm..well according to what you just said you probably spent 15 hours or more watching TV. hmmm" silence. "I wonder if Lord might have wanted that time?"
What are you devoted to? Does your devotions closely align with Acts 2? Are you helping bring unity to the body?
We may not be called to look like the world, but we are called to be in unity with other believers, so that honor is brought to our Heavenly Father. When you wake up in the morning ask yourself this question, "Which one of these things is not like the Father?"