There’s Always Tomorrow

I came across something humorous the other day.  We’ve all seen those “successories” posters around, probably in the place you work in.  This one, however, is a “distressory” which is basically the cynical outlook on life. 

It’s easy to dismiss that as just a piece of humor from the common working man, but that saying stuck with me.  I began to wonder how that might relate not just to my spiritual life, but to my life in general.  As I was mulling this over, I was reminded of the parable Jesus told in Luke 14:16-24 about the rich man’s banquet.

“A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

I began to look around, and it occurred to me that sometimes I was like the rich man’s friends.  I would be asked to help out at church, to go somewhere or do something that maybe I didn’t feel like doing, so I begged off with some excuse.  I have a lot to do with work, school, and trying to spend a few minutes with friends, I just don’t have a lot of free time.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll have less to do and can help out.

We’ve all seen it.  A new ministry is starting at church and a pastor or layperson begins asking for volunteers to help out.  Many people have excuses, or simply don’t say anything at all.  I know for me, asking people to help with a ministry or church function is the hardest thing to do because, even when you ask people individually, there’s always an excuse, or sometimes, sometimes there’s no response at all. 

As I look at my spiritual life, as it is compared to where I would like it to go, I see all the times I’ve said no, coming up with some excuse as to why I can’t do something.  But then I look at some of those times where I don’t have an excuse and have ended up doing something I might otherwise not have, and the funny thing is, those are some of the best memories!  It just seems like God knows what we need, even if we don’t think we do.  Once again I’m comforted by the awesome wonder that is God, and I’m so thankful that He’s infinitely wiser than am I!