Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life.
Someone gave me this picture several years ago. It shows two trucks, heavily laden with people and their goods, in a desert region of Sudan. The drivers are obviously entrepreneurs. They make as much money as they can on this trip. But, perhaps they are not wise?
People often carry unnecessary burdens in their lives!
Make no mistake. Some “burdens” are necessary. They are facts of life. We might better call these “responsibilities” not burdens.
Examples are a wife or a husband, our children, our widowed parents.
These dear people are responsibilities we carry, given to us by God.
They are not – or should not be – burdens.
We have chosen to accept these people with the circumstances life has brought to them.
When we married them remember, it was “for better or for worse”.
Providing housing, schooling, healthcare, and even marriage for our children, plus paying the daily food and water bills, is our rightful role. We have the privilege and responsibility of doing this for those we deeply love.
Family is God’s idea. Family is not man’s invention, Genesis 2:15-‐25; Matthew 19:1-‐15.
Wisdom in the family (and elsewhere, in all of life) begins by choosing to live life in the fear of God Psalm 111:10. The fear of God, which is giving to Him and His word proper reverence and respect, brings with it spiritual understanding and wisdom, far beyond the mere accumulation of years.
Charcoal burns hot, giving itself away,
to boil water. Water containing ground coffee beans simmers to produce a good drink in minutes. Notice there is some heat, plus pressure and pain which must be gone through before the pleasure of a thirst quenching drink.
Marriage is for a lifetime.
It is NOT unreasonable that working
at the success of marriage
is costly and
takes much time.
February 2012.
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