E-NCOURAGEMENT FOR MARCH 5, 2010
Is it time to cut your hair?
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James 1:17
Can a gift from God ever go bad? All of God's gifts are good, but can we distort their goodness into something evil?
About King David's son Absalom, God writes: "In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. Whenever he cut the hair of his head -- he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him -- he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard." 2 Samuel 14:25,26
God made Absalom that way. Perfect giftedness.
But something happens tragically when we forget from Whom we received the gifts.
Prince Absalom murders a fellow prince, sets up a monument to himself in the King's valley (18:18), rebels against his father, attempts to steal the Kingdom, and provokes his fleeing father to a large scale battle.
"Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going." 18:9
That would actually be funny (from this bald guy's perspective), if not so tragic. Absalom became a hanging duck and Joab finished him off with three javelins.
Weighty hair. Perfect appearance. Obvious charisma. All given to him by God.
When does a gift become an albatross over a thick branch of an oak tree? Or around your neck?
When perfect gifts are used to bring glory to us, not the Giver. When the zoom lens is focused on us and not God. When the good becomes an idol.
When God-given beauty becomes vanity and a license to flaunt it.
When God-given resources become a love of money and a snare that "pierces you with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10
When God-given influence leads to pride and then to a fall.
When God-given wisdom is used for selfish means or exalts oneself over others. Philippians 2:3
When Spirit-given faith and enthusiasm for Christ become a hammer that drives people away from Jesus, rather than to Him.
When God-given creativity, leadership ability, charisma, or position becomes a stumbling block in our relationship with the One who gave us the gifts. They were granted so we could affect the world for His Son, not horde them for the praise and admiration of ourselves.
Is it time to cut your hair?
What "gift from above", if anything, would God convict you of misusing?
Don't beat yourself up. Ask for forgiveness and then surrender that gift to your Savior again and tell him you want to use it for His Kingdom, not your own.
He'll show you how. The gift will have greater effect than it had before. And you will be fulfilled.
Oh, that I had hair that weighed just one shekel,
PPaul
