Monday Morning Devotion-August 14, 2006
 

Diamonds against Black Velvet

Your beauty should not come from outward

                                        adornment, such as braided hair and the

   wearing of gold jewelry.  Instead, it should be

                 that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle

         quiet spirit, which is of great worth in Godfs sight.

                                         1 Peter 3:3,4

            Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher, once said when a jeweler shows his best diamonds he sets them against a black velvet backdrop.  The contrast of the jewels against the dark velvet brings out the luster. 

            Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church says in his book:"Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" says it in similar fashion, "God does his most stunning work when things seem hopeless.  Wherever there is pain, suffering and desperation, Jesus is.  And that's where his people belong---among those who are vulnerable, who think nobody cares."

            Cymbala should know a lot about that.  He established a church in an old rundown building in one of America's meanest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York, 25 years ago.  They started out with 20 people in a Sunday morning service.  Now they have six-thousand members.

            What Cymbala did was go into that neighborhood which was as dark as black velvet.  It was a hopeless and foreboding impossible task he faced in a section of town rampant with male and female prostitution, drugs of all kinds, alcoholics, homeless. Just about every life-altering problem was represented there. 

            The way they accomplished this remarkable growth was by just showing love to those who were starved for love.  To those folks Brooklyn Tabernacle was a "parkling diamond against the blackness of  their life situations."

            One person who I think sparkles like a diamond against black velvet is a football coach, Bobby Bowden of Florida State University.  I don't want to hold him up as some kind of super-saint, because he has his faults like we all do.  His players have had some of the same kinds of problems in recent years that society in general seems to encounter.

            Once at a Powerpoint Luncheon, a Christian Business Persons group that meets once a month for lunch at the Civic Center in Tallahasse, Coach Bowden was the speaker.  One of the things he said was "You have to be so careful what you say these days.  If you say this you might offend this group.  If you say that you might offend that group.  There always seems to be some group that will take offense at what you say. He said, you know about the only group you can bash and get away with it is Christians.  Seems like its all right to bash Christians.  You can bash them for wanting prayer in schools.  You can bash them for wanting to have Bibles in public places.  Bash them for not separating church and state.  You can bash Christians for just about anything and not get in trouble for it." 

            Coach Bowden said he writes a letter to the parents of his incoming players and says that with their permission he will be taking their son to church, he will be sharing scriptures with the players, he will be praying with the players, and they will be having daily devotions. He then asks the parents if they have any problem with that.  He said only 2 player's parents in 40 years have said "no, don't include my son."  He said in those cases he thinks those parents were Christians, but didn't want the boys converted away from their denomination.  Bowden says, that's why he doesn't take them to his home church, lest anyone think he is drumming up business---so to speak for his own church.  Actually, he is drumming up business for the Lord.  Yes, I'd say Coach Bowden is a sparkling diamond against a black velvet backdrop.

            A lady in one of the Bible studies I taught was flying to Chicago on business and she wanted to study her lesson for the "Trusting God" class.  She had the book and the study guide, but forgot to pack her Bible.  A lot of the questions we discussed in the class referred to specific scriptures.  So, she asked the stewardess if they had a Gideon Bible on the plane.  She said, "No we used to, but some people complained that they were offended by it."

            You know what offends me?  A Christian wanting to have access to a Bible and not being able to because it might offend somebody.  Wasn't this country founded on the principle of religious freedom? 

            Our pastor Bob Tindale talked, in a sermon,  about going to hear a fellow preach who and been imprisoned and tortured for his belief in God.  He said that as degrading and difficult as it was, he actually had been able to show love for those who tortured him.  Bob said he was able to talk to the man after the sermon and asked him how he was able to do that.  The man said, "Have you ever stepped on a rose? If you had you would notice when the rose is crushed there is a sweet smell that escapes.  In other words, the rose is as beautiful inside as it is outside.  The way I was able to love my tormentors was by filling myself with God.  When you are completely filled inside with God's love, you become a beautiful person inside.  Then, what comes out of you in situations with others is going to be goodness.  You will be like a sparkling diamond.  You'll be able to soar like an eagle even amongst the turkeys

            You know it really doesn't cost a bit more to be nice than it does to be grumpy, or mean-spirited.  It is a matter of choice.  I think we get in ruts and fall into routines we can become so
self-absorbed that we sometimes don't give ourselves a chance to be the sparkling diamond.

            One thing I have been really trying to do lately and have had some success, as minimal as it might be at this point, is try to always look for a positive among the negatives.  There are so many negatives out there and so many negative people..that it's tough.  Somebody the other day was complaining and I figured I'd try my old "be positive approach" and I said, "Well, I think we could find something positive in that.  She said, "What do you mean.  I said, "It's my new approach, I'm going to try to make positives out of negatives. Her answer was, "I think I'll throw up."

            So you see, it ain't easy to be a sparkling diamond against a black velvet backdrop.  Sometimes that backdrop threatens to cover over the sparkle of the diamond.

But, I just believe if we really work on discerning God's Will in all things and concentrate on making the inner self asa thing of beautywe will sparkle like diamonds on black velvet.

Monday Prayer: Lord help us fill our lives with the beauty of your love so we will, indeed, stand out like a diamond on a black velvet cloth.   Amen!

Author's note:  Make an extra effort this week to look for the positives in every situation.  You may experience some frustration, but notice how many negatives you are able to turn in your favor.  Have a great week.