cheap gas and your testimony before a lost world

today i got a text message and voicemail that told me about cheap gas.

apparently a gas station on the east side made a serious error on their machine and was selling premium gas at $1.24 a gallon.

the first thing that popped into my mind was, "BRYCE! GET TO THAT GAS STATION!!"

the next thing that popped into my mind was how easy it is to take advantage of people's mistakes and misfortune by our selfish actions.

i remember reading an article about gas stations not long ago. in it, the writer made the interesting point that gas stations really don't make much money on selling gas. they make their money selling other things. cokes, candy, milk, cigarettes, etc.

the point the author was making was that although we do pay high prices at the pump, the main money makers are the oil men and industry; not the stations.

i decided not to go. although it was an interesting thought process getting to that conclusion.

one friend told me that he got a half tank of gas for 7 bucks. right now, half a tank for me costs 21 bucks. thats 3 times 7. ouch.

i'm sitting at my house, searching the bible, looking for a way to be, "as shrewd as snakes" like Jesus commands in Matthew 10. i'm trying to convince myself that saving money on gas by the mistake of some gas station worker is really a shrewd way of making more money available for the work of the Lord. "I can give more if i save more" i tell myself. its a very good argument.

as im looking for my keys, the rest of that great command of our Lord comes to my mind..."but be as innocent as doves." SMACK! POW!

in Matthew 10, the Lord Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples to do some ministry. in verse 16 He says He's sending them out as sheep among wolves. thats when He makes the statement, "be as shrewd (wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves."

the Lord knew and was telling them about the hard times to come. persecution. beatings. arrests. betrayals. all for one reason, "to bear witness."

they were being sent to suffer so others could hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

there was a point to the sins of others against them: the glory of God.

in Romans 12 paul says, "repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all."

christians are called to live righteously for the sake of the Gospel being preached. we are called to be above reproach in all things. even when no one will find out. we don't steal when we're hungry. we don't lie when it gets us out of trouble. we don't date or marry non-christians.

and we certainly don't take advantage of someone's mistake to save some money on gas. the world does those things. we're not the world. whats sad is that SOMEONE will have to pay the difference in cost: the owner of the gas station.

but thats ok right? you saved some money as you drove to church tonight. i wonder if the Lord will say, "well done." i don't wonder; He won't.

our testimony is based on Christ's righteousness within us. we are called to live blamelessly before the world. we do sin. we fall short. but willful disobedience requires rebuke and correction and repentance.

be as innocent as doves, repay what you've stolen and in doing so, honor the Lord Jesus.

bryce