I was looking at my cup of yogurt today. I wanted to check out and make sure
of the sale by date or expiration date and it made me think. I am going to a
home going service of a young lady today. I am sure that no one thought that
her date would come so soon. We can only hope that she was serving (pouring
herself out for the Lord) until her date arrived. I don't know when my
expiration date is but I need to be serving up to that very moment. So many
of us serve up to a certain point and feel that then comes a much deserved
retirement. Maybe because of being physically tired.. Tired of the way folks
are treating you.. You may feel that you have done enough to earn a
permanent rest period. I talk to my kids about how we train. It just makes
me so mad when I am training them and they stop or slow down before reaching
the finishing point of a drill or exercise. So many races have been won by
runners who refused to pull up before running through the finish line. I was
preaching to both of my girls about playing the game one possession at a
time but never letting up until the final buzzer has sounded off. We are
still working on that part. But we all are. In this race we like to take
breaks and vacations. I looked at the life of Paul and had to check myself.
I will get plenty of rest in God's arms. Until then, I have to serve until
the expiration date. Be a working vessel, flowing with living waters. No
longer shall we post the" Out of service" sign up. We are to run until we
reach HIS arms at the finish line. If you are reading this, your expiration
date has not been reached. Keep on worshipping. Keep on believing.. Keep on
praying. Keep on ministering. Through tests, trials, smiles, cries, the
questions why. Through heartache, pains, rejection, lies being spread on
you, friends forsaking you. Keep on pouring yourself out and letting HIM
refill you, over and over again. For 30 years, Paul served.Gave all he had
to give and even at that point he was willing to give more if God said so..
Let me remind you of some of his words.. "I am being poured out like a drink
offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." This is for the one
who says " I don't have time to serve. I am too busy trying to keep my head
above water, in this economy." I don't know what the average life expectancy
of man is these days but to be honest, even if we served 70 years, it's a
drop in the bucket in comparison to eternity. So let's stop acting like we
have reached our expiration date and are no longer good or needed. What if
Christ were to return today and find out that you have spent the last few
years with a false expiration date on? For the front line soldiers, we may
retire from a particular location but we can never leave the front lines..
Let's let God pick us up there. I am determined to show a freshness
sticker.. It aint over till God says it's over for me. Not letting up..
Bless you,
Rev. Bee