ARE YOU FAT ?

I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by he mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service;
And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1,2

Recently, thousands watched a funeral on television while a couple of thousand people actually attended the service in honor of Billy Graham. It was a sweet, refreshing and encouraging time. Billy Graham was very much a part of the planning of it all, but I never got the feeling that he himself was the guest of honor. Everything was about Jesus from start to finish. He would have had it no other way.

Each of the Graham adult children had something to say during the service, each from different angles, but each, warm and informative as only those close to their father could do. The last to speak was Ned, the youngest of the five children. He got up with a coy smile on his face and announced quietly that his Dad was a FAT man. I thought quickly that I had never pegged Mr. Graham as having a problem with obesity. However, Ned was quick to explain in a very few words what he meant. He gave three words he saw defining who and what his dad was:

F-faithful....A-available....T-teachable.

What a blessing to hear an adult son be able to say those things about his father who had just gone to Heaven, three wonderful characteristics for any of us to attain to. A son could honestly say of his father, now gone to Heaven that his father was spiritually FAT.

When I think of faithfulness, I think of being true to those things one knows to be right and then consistently do them. Those guidelines come to us from the Bible, God's word. It means adhering to those things no matter what our culture dictates. It means being true to relationships and responsibilities. It also means being people of our word in transparency, living openly with nothing to hide.

Availability is a problem for most living in this very busy world. Time seems so limited to give to others whether family and friends or in serving the Lord in those ways God has gifted us. We've become so used to hearing “Call me anytime you need me” that we hardly pay any attention to those words anymore even though we might mean them if we say them. Our culture has isolated us to some extent with our running to and fro. Growing up, we knew the names of people on our street two blocks up and two blocks down. We may not have been close to everyone in a personal way, but I think I could guarantee folks would be available to those on that street. Worse yet is our lack of availability to our Lord when He calls on us to the smallest of tasks for Him. Availability is based on taking eyes off of self. Jesus was always available to people no matter where he traveled.

Then there is that quality of being a teachable person. I have taught ladies for years. When I come into a new group of ladies to teach in a class session, I can just about tell if there is someone who looks at me almost daring me to teach them something. There isn't a one of us who knows everything about everything, especially in the spiritual realm. Being teachable is a very personal thing...something we determine to be. I think of times from high school through college when I just put in time in the classroom, biding time until the 50 minutes was over. I don't think I even tried to look teachable let alone be teachable. I'm sure I've still at times refused to sit up and learn, even if by observation only. Even at the age of twelve, do we honestly think the boy Jesus in the temple really needed to ask the elders any questions? He set an example for us even then to be teachable.

Spiritually speaking, how FAT are we...how faithful, available and teachable in the things of Christ? How wonderful it would be for people to view us in these ways, not for self glory but for God's glory alone.

Father, I fall so short in my dedication and devotion to You and am so sorry. In Your power and in Your power alone, I want to be more for You than I've ever been up to the present. I am grateful for Your every kindness and blessing in my life. Above all, I thank You for Jesus and it's in His precious name I pray....Amen