KEEP HIM DOWN!

A group of tourists was strolling along the oceanfront when they saw a group of young boys catching crabs.

They became curious when they saw that the baskets they placed the captured crabs in had no top. As a crab was being put into one of the baskets, one of the men said, “You’d better cover the basket, or all of the crabs will climb out!”

“Oh no, sir,” said one of the boys. “That’ll never happen. If one of them tries to climb out, the others will pull him down.”

Unfortunately, many who attend church each Sunday and call themselves “Christians” behave like those crabs. Whenever they hear of a colleague getting a promotion, or another person receiving an unusual gift or special recognition for a “job well done,” or a competitor receiving a reward for their outstanding performance at work, they are unable to rejoice with the one whom God has blessed. They look for reasons to pull that one down as they try to build themselves up. How sad that gossip, jealousy, and envy rules their lives!

Paul wrote that “Love is not jealous!” In other words, if I genuinely love others as God wants me to love them, I do not become jealous when God blesses them. Instead, I rejoice at His goodness to them. Whatever we have or what others have comes from God. They are His blessings on their lives for what they have done. It’s His opinion that matters, not ours!

The love that Paul writes about is not a love that comes from a human heart. It is a God-love that comes from the heart of God, and Christ dwelling in us. Only if we willingly surrender our hearts to Him will we live His love. Only then will others see Him in the way we live.

Prayer:  Help us, Lord, to rejoice and be happy when You bless and honor others. Fill our hearts with so much of Your love that we will be delighted for their success. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:     Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7