TODAY'S SWEAT

I work for a company that provides a service. And like so many companies in such industries the one thing you know is that your customers never have long memories. If they have a problem it doesn't matter how long you provided them good service, the thing they remember the most is that problem.

So you can never bank on past effort to spare you from the consequences of a current problem. It might give you a slight degree of bargaining when they are upset, but you can live on passed glories.

Fame in this life is fleeting for the most part regardless of your career path. We are always more inclined to remember the current winner of some championship than the past. Former heroes will always take a back seat to the present. This is a fact of life that I doubt will ever change.

The good news is that God does remember yesterday. Not the sin, for that is forgiven in Christ, but our acts of faith are always recorded by the recording angel.

It doesn't matter if nobody sees what you do, it doesn't matter who knows or doesn't know, for the Lord knows and that is really what counts. Only human pride doesn't always look at it that way.

How often does our pride get in the way of our faithfulness? We allow the need for approval and attention to interfere with the focus of our real vision.

So we get trapped in the vicious cycle of trying to do what God wants, but at the same time craving some form of reward. Such in the reality of human existence.

As of late I have begun this new venture of obedience where what I am doing is not seen by others. Yet, I know God sees it. And for me at this point it is enough.

I can't say I wouldn't appreciate the occasional pat on the back, but I just find it comforting to know that God is witness to my labor, both good and bad. Grace abounds, but so does the simple joy of knowing I did what I felt the Lord asked me to do.

I can't say I do it perfectly, just that I try to be faithful in the charge. Does that mean I never have the moments when I get discouraged by the absence of any witnesses. No, it doesn't mean that.

Somehow though, there is a strange sense of contentment that sweeps over the soul when one is feeling a balance in terms of obedience and the distractions of life. I just have seen the times when people out of balance have a whole in their heart from such problems.

They seldom seem to connect the relationship between the doing for the Lord and doing for approval. Without seeing what is eternal clearly how can you really know what is only meant for this life and means nothing in Heaven?