“How old is your little boy?” I asked the man sitting in front of me at the Bruins’ game a few weeks ago.
“Nine months” was the reply. The reason I asked was that this little guy was putting on quite a show. First he would lean over his dad’s left shoulder, look at Sara and me and smile. Then he would look the other way at my daughters and their friends and laugh. Then, back to us. Then back to them. He was having a great time. In fact, he was not the only one having fun. I think we missed an entire period of the game making faces at this happy little boy.
Three rows down sat a row of older boys. None of them were smiling. In fact, most of them were angry, yelling and throwing things at the visiting team.
It was an interesting contrast. The happy, smiley person in our section received smiles and laughs from those around him. All the not so happy people got was a warning from the security guards.
It is a simple truism, but one worth thinking about: You get what you are!
Notice that does not say, “You get what you think about”, or “what you like” or “what you believe”. Thoughts, desires, beliefs (even spiritual ones) are great. However, until we do something about them, until we put them into action and live them, they have no real effect on our days or our interactions with others. One of the easiest traps to fall into is to think the right thing, but still act the wrong way. Having the answer is good. Doing something about it is better.
As Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45).
To change what is being produced in my life, I have to be changed at the source. An apple tree is going to produce apples. If I want cherries, I need a different tree.
The good news: God is an excellent gardener. In fact, he specializes in “replanting” and bringing about new life.
“Nine months” was the reply. The reason I asked was that this little guy was putting on quite a show. First he would lean over his dad’s left shoulder, look at Sara and me and smile. Then he would look the other way at my daughters and their friends and laugh. Then, back to us. Then back to them. He was having a great time. In fact, he was not the only one having fun. I think we missed an entire period of the game making faces at this happy little boy.
Three rows down sat a row of older boys. None of them were smiling. In fact, most of them were angry, yelling and throwing things at the visiting team.
It was an interesting contrast. The happy, smiley person in our section received smiles and laughs from those around him. All the not so happy people got was a warning from the security guards.
It is a simple truism, but one worth thinking about: You get what you are!
Notice that does not say, “You get what you think about”, or “what you like” or “what you believe”. Thoughts, desires, beliefs (even spiritual ones) are great. However, until we do something about them, until we put them into action and live them, they have no real effect on our days or our interactions with others. One of the easiest traps to fall into is to think the right thing, but still act the wrong way. Having the answer is good. Doing something about it is better.
As Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45).
To change what is being produced in my life, I have to be changed at the source. An apple tree is going to produce apples. If I want cherries, I need a different tree.
The good news: God is an excellent gardener. In fact, he specializes in “replanting” and bringing about new life.
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