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Outdoor Truths: Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ Feb 14, 2019

The temperature hit seventy degrees the other day in my area. It was during the first week of February! It was a cruel tease to make me think Spring is just around the corner. It's not. It's just around the next three corners, and then it will have to make a sharp left. At least Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow. Instead of six more weeks of winter, we only have five and a half. If my sarcasm is showing, it's because I am so tired of our record wet, and cold weather. Please Lord, send a drought. I miss my dry and parched lawn. Does it seem I'm complaining? I am. And it's easy to do. Really easy. Probably the easiest thing I could ever do. Most complaining is.
If you think about it, our world is in pretty bad shape. Look far enough, and one can see hunger, homelessness, and hurting people. Cancer is rampant, and now sex trafficking is a major issue, even in our United States. Add to all of that, there are bad bosses, bad employees, crooked businessmen and lying politicians. And we've not even mentioned the drug epidemic in our own neighborhoods. So, if I need a reason to complain; I have some easy picking. So, that's what I, and most of us do. We reach for the low-lying fruit. After all, it tastes good as well. There's just something about speaking our mind, or giving our two-cents worth, or setting the record straight, that feeds an instinct. The problem is, it feeds an instinct that needs to be starved out of existence. The instinct is to complain without giving a ray of hope. It is the offspring of hopelessness. It is the antitheses of good news. Why does it matter? It doesn't, unless you consider yourself a Christian. If you do, you are not to be known as the bearer of bad news, but of good news. Good news defines what we call the gospel. And while we are perfectly within our rights to complain; our conversation is to always end with good news. The grace of God for the worst of sinners, is good news. The final answer to all the needs of man is good news. Justice for injustice might not come in this life, but the good news is, it will come. So, what are you known for? Is it just for what you're against? Are you known as the complainer of bad news, or the proclaimer of good news? Are you the one whose conversation ends with hope? Or hopelessness? Don't take the low-lying fruit of constant complaining. Anyone can reach that. Rise above all of that and find that one morsel of hope. Because that is what a hard and hurting world needs.

gary@outdoortruths.org ~ www.outdoortruths.org


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