For The Love Of Man (III)

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
(Genesis 1:28 KJV)

THE law of life, both spiritual and physical is that there must be increase, growth, fruitfulness – life. If something stops being fruitful it has no right to exist; it is destroyed. We see this in decay that naturally occurs in mortal flesh. If it is true in the physical realm, it is also as true in the spiritual. That is why the scriptures say that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks. (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4) If a man is to live as he should and grow as a leader – as God purposed, then he must live by the Scripture. This is plain, right and reasonable. If he is not loyal the word of God in living by its wisdom, then he will have neither strength nor victory.

Men whose loyalties are pledged to themselves are as morally fickle as the next temptation. Regardless of his best intensions, victory in life is not about willpower but about grace. Let me explain this with an illustration; If a man is faithful to a woman because of the way He feels about her then the chances are high that he will fail in that loyalty as surely emotions change and flicker. Oh, he might still love her but there is always room in for other emotions like lust.

However, if he is loyal because he fears God, Who remains constant and never changes, then he will have the power to stand. It is through Godly fear that a man is given the grace to overcome temptation and through the same that he is strengthened.

HIS OCCUPATION – Learning Responsibility
And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
(Genesis 2:15 ASV)
Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.  For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
(Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NKJV)

It is necessary that a man work with his hands, doing something productive. As the scriptures say, an idle man is the devils workshop. A fine appetite and impatience are recipes for disaster. Now, I see nothing wrong with a fine appetite in itself, but it of necessities needs to be tempered with patience and moderation; with patience and moderation without which a man is becomes a fraudster and a waster.

No man can appreciate what he has not worked for; It takes sweat to know that value of money. It is the responsibility of parents to first teach their children the value of hard work, patience and diligence, otherwise they might grow to depend on them like a fixed thorn in the flesh. On the other hand, when the child has grown in the skill of reasoning, it is his responsibility to search out the truth and when he has found the truth (for truth is plain to those who seek it), he must forsake the lie.

There are virtues and principles that only diligence and well earned wages can give; it teaches you how to make wealth, it gives you insight and understanding, it teaches you responsibility and uplifts and establishes you when you’re faithful.
His Reputation
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
(Acts 9:26 ESV – of Paul, the persecutor turned disciple)
Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
(Proverbs 20:11 ESV)

A man’s reputation precedes him – good a bad. It’s about his dealings with other men; the way he carries himself, the way he speaks, his choice of words and the way he expresses himself all give clues to what sort of man he is. It tells if he is a juvenile or matured man, if he is trustworthy and dependable or fickle, selfish and impulsive – His overall image makes up his reputation. If a man’s image is questionable it will put a stumbling block in his part. A reputation is not built overnight neither is it changed in a day.
Time decides if he has changed, chance will test him and time will reveal eventually what sort of man he is. This is a good way to try a man’s character. Concerning the man who wishes to redeem his reputation, time and chance will come to him – If he understands the balance of this he will be better prepared to work with it and eventually, to reap the rewards of his faithfulness.