Letters From Grandpa #77
- LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 77
Dearest Grandchild,
Perhaps you have heard the saying that nature abhors a vacuum. This postulate was attributed to Aristotle and has been debated by philosophers like Plato who argued that “nothing” cannot be rightly said to exist.
Nevertheless, let us listen to this parable of Jesus: “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26)
There is a point to this parable. We need to avoid emptiness. There is nothing wrong with resting. There are times when everyone needs to rest. God made the Sabbath day so His people could rest. God created us in such a way that we need to sleep 8 hours per day, or 1/3 of our lives. Nevertheless, idle hands are often the devil’s workshop. When you have nothing good to do, you are vulnerable. The wicked one may take advantage of this void and tempt you to do something bad.
Consider this wise counsel of Paul to the Ephesians. (See Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2) Note that every time we “quit” something bad, we are to “replace it” with something good.
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Quit lying - but speak truth.
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Quit stealing - but do useful work.
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Don’t tear down people with words - but speak words that will build them up.
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Get rid of bitterness and anger - but be kind and compassionate to one another. #
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:1-2)
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Remember! Jesus went about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). We need to be like Him! #
So, when you stop doing something bad, you need to fill that vacuum with something good!
The late Seth Wilson once observed: “I cannot by my own will, overcome my own will”. That’s why it is essential to invite Jesus into your heart. Jesus can help us fill every void in our lives with something that is good. While the buzzard flies around looking for a dead possum, the butterfly flies around looking for a flower. Your heart determines what kind of a person you are.
In December 2006, 18 year old Katie Davis left her home in Brentwood, Tennessee and traveled to Uganda for a short term mission trip. In the Summer of 2007 she returned to teach Kindergarten at an orphanage. Then God laid it on her heart to do something more permanent for these impoverished children. By January 2008 she had signed up 150 people to provide food, education, and medical care for these orphans. Later in 2008 she established a 5019 c 3 non - profit organization called “Amazima Ministries International”. “Amazima” is their word for “truth”.
Now let us fast forward to 2015. During this year Katie raised over $438,000 to help the poor. She provided over 300,000 meals for the hungry, gave medical care to over 4,000, and helped 64 Ugandan workers to find jobs. She has also adopted 14 children, and written a best selling book titled “Kisses from Katie”. She was recently married to a man who shares her dreams of ministry and service. Her life is so “full” of good things that there is little room for the devil and his angels to move in.
Here is a video about Katie. It is less than 4 minutes. I hope you will have time to watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGyYsA62CxY
As you can see, Katie does not have much “free time” to get into trouble. When the wicked one comes to her, he does not find a lot of “empty space” to fill with demons. Not everyone is called to Africa to take care of orphans, but everyone can be busy doing good. No matter who you are or where you live, you can find something good to do if Jesus is in your heart.
Please remember that we are not to follow Katie, we are to follow Christ. He “may” lead you to serve Him in some foreign country, but He also may lead you to serve Him right where you are. May God open your eyes to see something good to do for Him wherever it may be.
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce