By Hugh Rowe
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January 26, 2025
GOOD WORKS DOESN'T MATTER In the early part of 2000, the excitement generated by the Y2K scare of the world coming to an end had died down and life was returning to normal. For me 2001 held uncertainty as by the end of March of that year my place of employment would have wrapped up operations and I would have been out of a job. When April finally rolled around, I never imagined how much my life would change with one fateful encounter with an individual. Before meeting the stranger, I thought with all the good deeds I had done in my life up to that moment, God owed me something in exchange for my “good works.” When I lost my job and wasn’t immediately seeing a way-out, I was silently accusing God of failing to deliver on His promises to me. When I explained this to the stranger that day, he opened my eyes to my own misunderstanding of Christianity and God. After listening to my complaints, he paused for a moment before beginning to clear up my misconceptions of the relationship between God and what I believed it meant to be a Christian. “Everyone has their own preconceived idea of what Christianity is,” he began, “and most times what they believe is incorrect.” I was taken aback by that statement, and I guess my facial expression showed it as he continued to speak. GOD OWES US NOTHING “First of all, God owes us nothing. Many people believe He must do something for them in exchange for their undying commitment. Do you think because we claim the title of Christianity and we give of our time and money to a cause that God should ‘compensate’ us for doing some good to others?” I was dumbfounded as he spoke, and it took me some time to realize he was right. Individuals look at the happiness and success that some people appear to have only to read in the tabloids of their troubled lives. Meanwhile the impression many have of Christianity keeps them away from God though many of their beliefs are based on their misunderstanding. “So, what does it benefit me then to serve Him? Why should I read the Bible and believe and do anything it says if I am not getting a return?” I asked. “I will leave you to answer that question yourself,” he responded. He explained that when God created man in the Garden of Eden, He created him in His own image. He gave Him a home, a wife, food and everything else that He needed to make life comfortable, and both individuals were happy. Did God ask for rent or financial compensation for food and the amenities that were being enjoyed? No, He did not. The one thing He asked for was trust. To this day that remains the most difficult thing for mankind to do – Trust God and His word. We serve Him as we see fit according to our own imagination, but we do not trust Him enough to follow Him as to the dictates of our own imagination. The Bible states, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path,” Proverbs 3:5-6. UNDERSTANDING GOD, WORSHIP, SUCCESS and HAPPINESS . The stranger told me the life I was living up to that moment was a result of the compounded effect of my thought processes over the years. My fears, doubts, failures and belief had only been exasperated to that point. “Think of a balloon being filled with air,” he said, “based on its size, when air is put in after a certain point it can’t stretch any further bursts as a result. The way you feel now is based on the air of misinformation you were filled with to the point where you popped. You popped before more damage could have been done.” He laughed after saying this. I understood what he meant and didn’t feel embarrassed. How could I – he was telling the truth, and he wasn’t trying to put me down. On the contrary he was helping me to build a new and stronger foundation on which to build, and I was grateful. At that moment I was being asked to change my view of God, worship, success and happiness. It was a decision I had to make for myself. I wasn’t being asked to throw away the bible and listen to a total stranger. Instead, I was asked to be open to a different way of thinking. I was being asked to have a new heart created in me so I could have a renewed spirit to then compare the results of my past life to the life I was about to embark on. Change is always a difficult thing to make but it’s the only thing that is consistent in life. It is happening around us every day. Choosing to remain the same can only lead to being left behind and personally I wanted to move forward even if it meant moving out of my comfort zone. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THE WORK ? We spoke for a while, and we got to know more about each other. It was getting late, and I had to get back home. As I got up from the bench to leave, I asked if he would mind being a mentor, he paused for a moment before responding. “If you are willing to do the work and then promise to help others along the way sharing what you learn then yes.” With that we exchanged numbers, shook hands and I headed to the bus stop smiling at myself as I couldn’t believe what had transpired.