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ironically means to take or get,"
killed bis brother Abel. Why? Cain
did not give God bis best. He lived
the way of get and kept the best for
himself. On the other hand, righ–
teous Abel lived the way of give
and gave God the best that he had.
Because of Abel's attitude of give,
God granted him favor. This infu–
riated Cain--:-he was jealous. He
wanted to get favor for himself.
With all the frustration and rage
that the way of get produces, Caín
killed bis brother (Gen. 4:1-8).
And man has been reaping ever
since the bitter fruits that the way
of get produces. The apostle James
wrote this commentary on the way
of get: "Where do wars and fights
come from among
you? ... You lust and do
not have. You murder
and covet and cannot ob–
tain. You fight and war.
Yet you do not have because
you ... ask amiss, that you may
spend it on your pleasures" (James
4:1-3). The way of get does not
work!
Perhaps you are not convinced.
Maybe you still have the idea that
if you had everything you ever
wanted, then you would be happy.
Wise King Solomon tried it. He
got for himself everything a man
could want, but did it satisfy? Let's
hear what Solomon had to say.
"Whatever my eyes desired I did
not keep from them. 1 did not
withhold my heart from any plea–
sure....
I
searched in my heart
how to gratify my flesh with
wine ...
1
made my works great,
1
built myself houses, and planted
myself vineyards....
1
also gath–
ered for myself silver and gold and
the special treasures of kings and
of the provinces ..." (Eccl. 2: 1
O,
3-4,
8).
What was the end re s u1t,
Solomon?
"Then
1
looked on all the works
that my hands had done ... and in–
deed all was vanity and grasping
for the wind.... Therefore 1 hated
life because the work that was done
under the sun was grievous to me,
for all is vanity and grasping for
the wind" (Eccl. 2:11, 17) .
Is there anything that really fills
the emptiness, the void Solomon
speaks of? Of course there is! Let's
listen to King Solomon again.
OctoHr 1D86
"Let us hear tbe conclusion of
the whole matter: Fear God and
keep His commandments, for tbis
is the whole duty of man" (Eccl.
12:13). God gives bis Spirit, bis
mind, to tbose wbo obey him, who
keep bis commandments (Acts
5:32).
But what about you, aren't you
tired of riding on this crazy merry–
go-round of get that always brings
you back to where you started-to
that same old condition of frustra–
tion and unbappiness? Well, you
can get off that merry-go-round.
You do not have to ride it.
Almighty God is showing you a
better way-the only way to wbat
you really want and need in life.
Repent of wbat you are. It is
obvious that something is not quite
right in your life-something is
missing. And now you know wbat's
wrong.
It
is you! The hardest thing
for a person to do is admit tbat he
is wrong.
No matter wbo you are or what
you do, witbout God's Spirit in
your mind you are notbing. · Tbe
psalmist David wrote: "Certainly
every man at bis best is but vapor"
(Ps. 39:5).
·
In terms of human standards,
Job was a man of great accomplish–
ment and moral character, but
when God finisbed showing him
the hole in bis bead Job said, " 1
abhor myself, and repent in dust
and ashes" (Job 42:6).
Go down on your knees before
your Creator and ask him to for-
give you for breaking bis laws and
for having a mind that is selfish
and miserable.
Start Glvlng
Once you repent of trying to fill
that figurative hole in your head
through the get way, you are freed
from your self to go on and be
fulfilled by giving love to others.
Society has many false concepts
about love; you need to understand
what true godly love is.
Love is God inspired. Of course.
God is the source of love. And love
is giving. The apostle Paul said,
"The love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy [Spirit]
which is given unto us"
(Rom. 5:5,
Authorized
Version).
He inspires the
desire to help others
through tbe power of bis
Spirit in your mind.
Then you must choose
to make a commitment to
give. After you decide to
commit yourself to give,
start giving to the other
person without expecting
anything in return-not
even a thank-you. Many
people give and still end
up unhappy with tbe hole
unfulfilled. Why? Be–
cause they give with the
expectation of getting
something in return. Oth–
ers give only when they
feel the other person is
deserving. Neither of these atti–
tudes expresses true love. Love is
unconditional; it requires no de–
posit, no return-just pure giving.
You are incapable of giving this
kind of love; you need God's con–
tinua! help to give in this totally
unselfish way. The apostle Paul re–
alized that "it is God who works in
you both to will and to do for His
good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). So let
God love through you. And since it
is bis love, why should you expect
to get anything in return anyway?
Love is its own reward. When
you .allow God to give through you,
happiness and joy automatically fill
you. On the other hand, wben you
try and get for yourself to fLll that
gnawing hole in your head, unbap–
piness and misery fill your life.
This is why Jesus Christ said, " lt
(Continued on page 25)
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