Fred Rogers

Life

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I think Fred Rogers had it right.

I think I can speak for some of you when I say that sometimes I think I have my life all worked out and working in perfect order, and then I look back and think, “Well, that was a really nice 45 seconds.”

In some ways, mastering life is like trying to learn a game where the rules and parameters are constantly changing. Just when you think you’ve got a certain part down, it all changes and you have to start all over figuring it out again.

I used to think that there was such a thing as a good or bad Christian, depending on external circumstances. I do think that real faith shows itself in manifesting the fruit of the Spirit by means of obedience to Christ, but I also know that even the best of believers are still deeply flawed (and will be until Jesus calls them home or makes His triumphant return).

Faith is not about how good you are at praying, at Bible reading, at fasting, or in any of the spiritual disciplines. Faith means that every day you show up and trust that God will do something in you and through you. You wait expectantly for God to show up in your life.

Sometimes faith means that no batter how badly you’ve messed up for the past day or week or month, you still get up the next morning knowing that it’s a brand new 24 hours with a clean slate and new mercies.

So how’s my life? How’s my faith? I’m not very good at it, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I keep waking up, showing up, and believing God for His promises for me and for the world. God will take care of the rest.

 

Look for the Helpers

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world” (Fred Rogers).

When disaster strikes and when injustice occurs, it’s one thing to criticize and bemoan the injustice, but it’s quite another to take positive steps of action toward ensuring that the world becomes a better place where injustices happen less and less.

Jesus said that there would be trouble in the world but to take heart for He has overcome the world. Those who help best are the ones who not only meet the physical needs of those who hurt but also offer the hope of the overcoming Jesus.

The Whole Gospel that Jesus commanded us to take into all the world, especially to the hurting, is to give a cup of cold water AND the living water of life in Jesus. It’s to offer not only bread to the hungry but the Bread of Life as well.

I believe more than ever that those who constantly criticize the state of the world and those who are in it are the ones sitting on the sidelines. The ones helping are usually far too busy to have time for any kind of criticisms. They are the ones who know that it’s far better to light a candle than to curse the darkness (as the old cliche goes).

I believe that we will more than likely see more and more tragedy, injustice, and sadness. Abba’s children know that darkness and evil will not have the upper hand or the last word. They know that every single act of kindness done in the face of evil actions makes a lasting difference for the kingdom of Heaven.