DEPOSITS

When was the last time you made a deposit in the bank of Heaven and didn't not look for a withdrawal? Is God more of a Santa Claus to you than a Father?

That can be a hard thing to answer at times. We may not even wish to. For it can be so hard to accept how selfish we can be.

It is great that God doesn't treat us the way that we treat him. He is far more generous an loving thank goodness.

But that is the hard thing to remember. We can get so spoiled that we think just asking and never serving is fine.

Which then turns into this mindset at times of subtly thinking what have you done for me lately? No thank you, just expecting more.

And along the way if we do manage to serve him that idea still lingers in the mind at times, like hey I'm doing all this when do I get a reward? This does not exactly impress the Lord.

One of the hints that this is our attitude can be off is if we insist on bragging a lot. If we can't do a thing without everyone knowing.

When we do that there is no eternal reward. At least if that was our goal. For we got our reward in the attention we got from others.

Beyond the issue of our attitude is the fact that we do have the problem of expectation. We place ourselves in the mold of seeing life as if we are special.

Our actions always say a lot about our image. They can be positive or negative, but they always convey what we are to others.

This doesn't mean we are like that inside. Just that it is how we are perceived. And if that is an image we are trying to create, then it affects our attitude.

Course none of us is perfect. And as long as we don't forget that part it helps to keep us balanced.

For to see ourselves as other than sinners can become a crisis when we fail in the eyes of others. Doesn't mean we will ever be perfect, just we can be honest.

This doesn't mean we can keep others from their opinions. But it doesn't mean we have to get stuck accepting the box somebody wants to make for us.

That can make a very nice coffin for our minds if we let it become that way. Which will never bless.