Mike’s Musings …
It’s Fair Week
County fairs have served as enjoyed social events for decades. Entire families find themselves engrossed in the events, from livestock shows and auctions to home cooking, sewing, crafts, etc. to simply being together for the week. For those of us who have experienced the climax of 4-H projects and/or other means of competition with our peers in the county, we know the hard work involved for a year to ready both the project and ourselves for its judgment before the eyes of the professionals. We know the hot, long days, and the sleepless nights as we tend to our responsibilities at the fair. We also know the enjoyment of the work and the competition, and yes, we have experienced the heartaches when our best efforts are found to be not quite enough for the blue ribbon. When it’s over, there are no hard feelings, and congratulations are shared all around. Life lessons have been learned, and the next year’s competition starts the day the fair closes!
While there are some similarities, preparing for that day of judgment (Acts 17:31) isn’t like preparing for the county fair. We begin by reading the requirements of our project – the improvement of our soul. As we read, we learn and step by step make improve our souls. From believing, to repenting, to confessing Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, to being immersed for the remission of our sins, we find we’ve grown from the “beginners” stage to the “junior leadership” and find the requirements are still improving our soul. We continue to add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, and every day, praying fervently and studying diligently to see that we have done properly, and our soul is progressing in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
But unlike the county fair, we are NOT competing with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, we are exhorting and admonishing each other in the most holy faith. We want no losers, but as our Father in heaven, we are desirous that all come to the knowledge of truth and righteousness and obey it in love and sincerity! When Jesus comes to gather His kingdom to the Father, we all will stand before His judgment seat, giving an account of the deeds done in this body. Only those who have completed their project of saving themselves from this untoward generation in compliance with His instructions will receive the crown of life!
I muse on the fantastic lessons learned in 4-H and the county fairs. But I am much more grateful for the eternal lessons learned from God’s word, and I muse on the daily task of making the required improvements to my soul. I desire heaven … and anything less is simply lost!