Skip to main content

Counting



One of my least favorite things I had to do in my former line of work was inventory. I worked for several restaurants that had to do monthly inventories which would fall on days like December 24th the day before the entire company was closed and that was not fun. I worked for one company where inventory was done once a year but it took until 4:30 in the morning. I worked for another company where we did inventory every Monday where I had to get up to count at 5:00 in the morning. Needless to say, I got tired of counting and I certainly do not miss counting, weighing, tagging, and all the things that went along with it. Yet, counting is still part of my life and it is part of the lives of every New Testament Christian. 

Counting not his life dear unto himself  

“But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 

Could we count our lifes’ so dear that we could not live the life of faith we are called to?  Paul did not focus on his physical life, but the spiritual mission of Christ. How can we testify of the Gospel of God, or preach the kingdom (cf Acts 20:25) if we will do not have the zeal or courage to do so. We must be ready in the good times and the times of persecution. In season and out. We have to stop making excuses about why our physical lives will not allow us to do so.


Counting all things loss to gain Christ. 

“Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,” Philippians 3:8 

Could we count all things loss for the purpose of gaining Christ? If we lived as Paul we would. For the Apostle gave up his old way of thinking to become a servant of the Lord. He gave up his freedom to be the Lord’s minister unto kings and emperors. He lived a life that was focused on Christ and did not care what he had to give up because his focus was to live for Christ even if it killed him because death was a gain (cf. Phil.1:21). 


Count it All Joy in Temptations 

“Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.  And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.” Jas 1:2-4

Could we count it all joy when we were sold into slavery, tempted by our master's wife, falsely accused, and thrown into prison? Joseph must have counted it all joy as he remained faithful through it all, and God stuck with him.  

I did not like counting before but I truly appreciate and value what the inspired Word of God has to say about counting. The mission of the church is to carry the Gospel to all creatures (Mark 16:15-16). Can the Lord count on you to fulfill His will? 


Grace and Peace, 

R.D. Beavers 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Raise an Ahaz

           Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel.   And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree . 2 Kings 16:2-4                   When was the first time you drove a car? What about the first time you jumped off a diving board or gave a speech? After that first time, it certainly became easier. What about the first lie you told? Did it become easier? King Ahaz of Judah was evil and far from the example of David. Ahaz was the first to offer child sacrifices to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

At the Feet of Jesus

          How amazing it must have been to sit at the feet of Jesus. Have you thought much about that? What would it have been like to be around the Master? It was obviously life altering for His disciples, the majority of which (by historical accounts) would go on to violent deaths. Christians would go on to be persecuted throughout the centuries. Why? Jesus is worth the shame (Acts 5:41). Jesus is worth it all, because “there is no other name, under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). It is for this very reason we think about how amazing it would have been to personally sit at the feet of Jesus. To Talk to Him Must Have Been Tender           Talking to Jesus must have been so tender. We know that He would tell people what they needed to hear, and sometimes that was rather forthright (see Matt. 23), but he was loving and compassionate to those who wanted to learn from Him. Remember when parents were b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hanging On

Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God  Hebrews 12:1-2      In order to hang on, you must let go. This seems counterproductive at first glance. If we let go, we might fall and get hurt. If we let go, we might hurt someone else, and we might even hurt ourselves. Yet, letting go can also allow us to hang on to what matters.       We can hang onto the righteousness of God. This helps us to run with patience. When the race is long and arduous, and when life doesn’t end up as we planned, we can look forward to letting go of the doubts and sins that tell us to quit, give up, and stop running...
Post a Comment
Read more