Job...

Job.

I'm not talking about a way of making money. I'm talking about Job, the guy in the Bible that went through completely and utter poop. I really don't know a lot of what happens in Job's life after the first few chapters. I stopped reading it because I couldn't handle how much he had to deal with. I can't even imagine what I would have done if I was his neighbor or even if I was his wife. 

Just as a side note. I just did the most acrobatic move to lean over my bed and reach for my Bible off my desk. I'm pretty impressed with my flexibility. 

So let's open up this holy book up and see what's going on...

If we look at Job 2:9 you hear a very strange quote from his wife. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Part of me thinks that I might have reacted this way. It's the thing that all people tell you. People will bring you down faster than you can bring them up. My heart is a weird place in my life. I knew that some people were bad influences on, but I just couldn't step away. I felt like I was supposed to stay with them and show them God's love. Or is that really what I was thinking? Show them God's love? Help them understand God's will for them? NO. It wasn't that at all. I wanted to fix them. I wanted to be their personal savior, to bad I didn't realize that at the time. Hindsight is 20/20! 

So what is our job as not only Christians, but influences and most importantly, friends. Do we leave when things get bad? I really want to believe that we are supposed to be there for the people that don't know Christ. Isn't that what Jesus did? 

I've got to be honest with you. God just surprised me. I was looking up a particular scripture and discovered a new one. It's called "The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids." (Matthew 25: 1-13) In a nutshell, Jesus is telling people about his return and that we should be prepared for when it comes. There was five brides that brought extra oil, and then five foolish brides that did not. When the grooms came, they left to get more oil and lost their chance of seeing the grooms. The scripture ended with, "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return." 

Yes, we need to live prepared for Jesus to come. What all does that entail? Let's keep reading this scripture.. going down to verse 34.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"

It's almost like we forget this. I'm just as guilty as anyone else in this world. Again, it's easy to ignore the "bad influences" so we won't get dragged down, but would there be any bad influences if we wore the armor of God and continued to do what that exact scripture says? We are automatically letting those bad influences defeat us when we ignore them. 

Where did Job's wife go when she left? What would have happened if she would have stayed? She would have been in an environment of praise for everything good and bad.  Sometimes it takes standing in the "rain" for us to learn how to praise God. Even if that means discovering what is making it rain for your acquaintances. Praying for God's will to happen and visiting those who are trapped in their personal prisons is something we should all be doing. Meeting them at their level doesn't mean changing our morals or attitude, it means allowing them to see God in a way that allows them to take the first step. 

No, it will not happen on day one of prayer because we are ultimately wanting God's will, not our view of how they should live. 

By the way... You can comment on here. Nothing is stopping you! Spice it up, ask questions, make me do some more digging in my Bible! I want to learn new things!