1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian 2 - Blessed are the poor in spirit | Page 11

Enemy NINE: Righteousness gone wrong. This is a follow on from yesterday’s
devotion and highlights for us again the destruction that comes with
judgemental attitudes. These judgemental attitudes are the attitudes that judge
people across many different lines; gender, economic, racial, social strata and
I’m sure many others. They climax with the idea that if you’re in trouble that’s
your fault, I’m not responsible. The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this
so well. The priest and the elder in the story would have shaken their head at the
demise of the Jewish man in the gutter and I’m sure under their breath they
would have muttered, “If only you’d listened.” Or, “You are to blame, so I’m not
responsible.” How wonderful to see in Jesus’ story the goodness of the Good
Samaritan who probably would have agreed that the reason the man was in the
gutter was his fault, but that didn’t make it any less important for him to meet
that man at the point of his need. It is so easy today to point fingers at others and
isolate ourselves from their needs all under the pretence “It’s not my fault”.
Folks, it may not be your fault, but it is your responsibility to portray the heart of
Jesus in doing what the Good Samaritan did.
Enemy TEN: The silver spoon. There are some amongst who have been born
into the position of privilege, whether it is in education, in wealth, or in
opportunity. The temptation here is to believe that you are owed these
privileges, even though you may never have had to sacrifice in order to get them.
Some people are blessed because they have made certain sacrifices, but others
are blessed because someone else made sacrifices before them. These are the
ones who enjoy the privilege that comes from somebody else’s sacrifice. In the
book of Genesis we have the story of Joseph who was one such person. He was
the youngest son at the time, of his father Jacob. He was the favoured one and
this was seen in the robe that he wore. His older brothers were resentful of this,
but Joseph, it would have appeared, flaunted his position before his brothers. He
shared dreams he had where they all bowed down to him and, even though
these dreams were true, I cannot help but see the flavour of arrogance coming
through him. It was this that drove his brothers to sell him as a slave. During his
years as a slave, Joseph had to eat some humble-pie. But out of this grew a man
who was more greatly used of God than most others in the Old Testament. I
suppose at the end of the day it is important for us to take responsibility for the
position in life that we have. To those who have been given much, God warns us
to say that much will be required. I hope that as you read this devotion, that God
may touch your heart as you give thanks to Him for the position of privilege that