Stock-taking
I don't think stock taking is a simple task because having to physically count your inventory to check it against your records means that you must actually have the records kept. In a spiritual sense, it means, your heart must keep records. Now, we are compelled by Mark 12:31 to love our neighbour as we love ourselves; and if that is so, then 1 Corinthians 13:5 compels us to keep NO RECORD of wrongs if we have this love for our neighbour. Then what will stock-taking entail if we have no records? Oh, but we do have records. We have records of good deeds.
Scripture:
- Acts 9:36-45
Please refer to your bible for the scripture and make notes in your bible if that is your preference. Verse 36 says, "this woman was full of good works and charitable deeds, which she did". It is without a doubt that this woman was not Jesus, she was only 100% human, and she made some mistakes. But those around her kept a record of just her charitable deeds. Dorcas got a second chance in life because of the charitable deeds she had kept in people's hearts and a record of what would be needed when stocktaking had to be done in her life. In 2 Kings 20:1-6, Hezekiah pleaded his case and God heard him and added 15 years to his life because he had a record to present before God against the decision that God had taken.
I would like to encourage you today to keep a record of just the good deeds for the people in your life, family, and friends. This is because when things get tough and the relationship with them (parent, daughter, son, friend, sibling, spouse) goes south, you need to take stock, and you can only compare that fall out with the kept stock. You will be amazed at how much easier it may be to journey towards fixing the temporary fallout than when your records have been spoiled by keeping the bad stock as well. Everybody messes up one another at some point, but a record of honourable deeds can save us from a deadly situation (even spiritual death due to unforgiveness). 1 Peter 4:8 says that love covers a multitude of sins. Maye Jesu yebonine. Here is a challenge for you, shops close shop from time to time to do stock-taking. Large department stores may take weeks because they must operate during the day and do stock taking at night.
This subject leaves me without much to say because, as I am taking stock of myself, I am asking myself how many times I have let go of people easily because of fallout that could have been temporary. Many a time, we find ourselves going in and out of relationships of all sorts because we keep the wrong stock; hence, we find ourselves without good records. It's a great challenge.
There are some situations in our lives that may require us to go to God and put something forward to "talk" on our behalf, only to find that we have no good records for God to use. It's a challenge.
The invitation today as we look at this scripture is for you to:
- Keep a good stock for the people in your life
- Make your own collection of charitable deeds that will count before God
This sort of seems like a challenging thing, as I am beginning to imagine it, but our prayer is, "So help me, God.".
Have a blessed day.