Soul Food Revolution

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am humble in heart. Here, you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We have been asking the question the last few days of ‘Where do you go?’ So have you truly thought much about it? Everytime I read the statement that Jesus made above I just have to simply smile……and breathe. Don’t you? To know that there is a place of rest! To know that there is no burden of living life the right way…..at least there isn’t supposed to be! Maybe you’re feeling stressed and out of whack right now. The job has you going crazy. The debt keeps growing larger by the minute. Your health certainly isn’t where you hoped it would be! The kids are growing up and you and your spouse are growing apart…whatever it is, guess what friend! It doesn’t have to be there! Did you hear me? The stress, hurt, pain, agony….none of it has to be there! But it all comes down to ‘Where do you go?’ When you celebrate? Where do you go? When you’re sad? Where do you go? When you hurt? Where do you go? You know the amazing thing about what Jesus does with his words in that message is that he actually calls us to action. Not only is it an invitation to find a resting place and a place of healing, but it is also a call to action! It’s a call to get rid of the junk and rest in HIS way of living. He said it! It’s not a burden and it’s not a yoke of slavery, no, instead it’s a call to truly living. So as you wrap up the day and face a new week, I guess the question is no longer ‘where do you go’ but instead is simply this: ‘Come.’ Friend, simply let go and come. Come rest in the house of your Father. Come sit down on the couch of love and recline with the foot stool of peace. Eat at the table of celebration and then lay on the bed of promise. Wherever you are, good or bad, tough or easy, happy or sad…the invitation is to simply come.

So my brain…um…….computer got a virus the other day. Yes, it seems like it is my brain! Most of you I’m sure know how frustrating it can be when this happens to our world of electronics. Everything I do is on my computer! My schedule, email, phone numbers, websites, etc. are all on my computer! So I took it to the computer doctor to see what he can do. In the midst of all this excitement, I begin to think about how in the world I got a virus! Possibly a website I went on. Maybe an email I recieved from someone. Could it be a hacker? Well, I’ll probably never know but I do know that my computer is messed up and I need it fixed. Aren’t my computer problems alot like life?

We may be going through this life, day by day, getting things done through our normal routine and all of a sudden it hits us! The color of life seems to be fading. The mouse of energy is running slower. The screen of attitude can’t keep up with the people we deal with constantly and so we carry ourselves, all messed up, to the doctor. ‘Doc, what’s wrong?’ We say. ‘Well Mr. Gray, you have a virus.’ So the good doctor takes his pen out and scribbles down some unlegable something on a little sheet of paper and off we go to get the medicine he thinks we need.

Physically, electronically, mechanically, we understand how to read the signs most of the time and we usually know where to go. The doctor, tech guy or mechanic can heal our wounds and most of the time our diseases in these areas but friend, what about spiritually? Where do you go? I want to leave you today pondering this question because this week we are going to focus on where you go when the spiritual viruses begin to take over. My laptop should be fixed by tomorrow, and hopefully those sorry viruses will be gone.

I want to remind all of us to strive to constantly respect, love and do good to others. We live in a society that has fostered the mind set of selfishness and doing whatever you have to do to anyone to make it to where you want to be. We step on each other and lie to each other and abuse each other so much that it has simply become second nature to not care…”as long as I get what I want.”

Friends, this is not the kind of people we were meant to be. Maybe I just explained your situation. Maybe some could care less about what others feel or see or how they are treated. Well, allow me to challenge you to change that thinking. Human kind is meant to live life together, not separate. The human race was meant to get along and treat each other the right way, not to abuse one another. It is high time we stop the insanity and begin to realize that life is so much better lived in the company of others. So if you are one that turns away from treating others with respect and love and are only out for #1, then allow these words to sink deep. And with this allow me to warn you, being on top only lasts for so long and while you’re there it’s a pretty lonely place. Maybe you are someone that strives to respect and treat others the right way….then keep it up! In turn others will treat you this way also. Again, may you be challenged by these thoughts and may you be inspired to live a life that is filled with respect, love and mercy towards our fellow man. It’s not the American way…no, it’s the RIGHT way.