Survival Kit

Survival Kit
(Godly Life)
(Survival)
(Sanctification)

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body. II Peter 1:13

The Basic Bible Truth

We live in a very dangerous world and our success at remaining intact and unbroken is based upon our survival skills as a Christian. God has told us that we must live in this world but not indulge in the sin that presents itself each day. We need the proper tools to survive.

The Object

A Survival Kit:
A Toothpick
A Rubberband
A Bandaid
A Pencil
Chewing Gum
Mint Candy
Candy Chocolate Kiss
Bottle Of Water

I place all of the items into a container of some sort and pull them out as I talk about each one. The lesson is not completely written out, but rather in a rough outline form.

The Lesson

Toothpick—We need to pick out the good in others. Matthew 7:5

We are actually quite good at picking out things in other people. Unfortunately, we tend to see the less that perfect things first. To notice and appreciate the positive in others is a challenge. If we look too closely, we may find that they are actually better than we are and that makes us feel bad. Compliments are an amazing thing. We need to become encouragers of others. That requires an decided effort on our part to see the good in others and encourage them to continue the good work.

Rubberband—We need to be flexible. Romans 8:28

We are creatures of habit. It is our way of making a very complex world more convenient and simple and understandable. And that is OK. There are probably very few of us who would be comfortable waking up to a world each day that was completely new and strange and exciting. That is called a vacation for most of us. Real life is much more predictable and measured. But we must always be willing to change a bit if necessary. Our self imposed rules about how we want life to look like are simply that—self imposed and therefore must remain negotiable as we deal with other personalities around us.

Bandaid—Don’t hurt others, but if you do, dress the wound as best you can. Colossians 3:12-14

There will be times of conflict with other people in our lives. As Christians we must me ever ready to apologize and restore any damaged relationships if possible. We had a tremendous conflict with God—sin—and He forgave us and restored us to a relationship to Himself. How could we do less for others?

Pencil—Count our blessings. Ephesians 1:3

God is good. We do not always count the ways. He generosity extends into every aspect of our lives and largely goes unnoticed by us. The very fact that we woke up this morning is a gift. That we have the opportunity to enjoy our life as we do is a gift. I dare say that if we understood all of the things that God does for us each day that slip by in the background we might be shocked at the dangers that He has kept at bay, the troubles that have been thwarted and not allowed into our lives. God uses the picture of a fence to describe His watch care over His own. Fences keep us in a safe area, and keep many unwanted things out.

Chewing gum—When we start something, we stick with it, we see it through. Philippians 4:13

Discouragement is one of our greatest enemies in life. We start well, but finishing well can be much more difficult that we might wish. One of the greatest life lessons that my father instilled in me as a child was that of “stick-to-it-iveness.” He pointed out that many will start something, but few actually complete it. When things get difficulty, the monster of discouragement appears and takes control and we quit. If we are going the direction God has pointed us, we must not give up and quit.

Mint—We are worth much to God. John 3:16-17

In the book of Revelation there is a very detailed description of the New Jerusalem coming down ou t of Heaven to the earth. It is an amazing city with huge foundations of solid precious stones. But there is one stone noticeably missing from the list of gems—diamonds—highly compressed carbon, the most precious gem on earth, yet not in the foundation of the city. Why? I believe that we are the diamonds of Heaven. There is an Old Testament verse found in Malachi 3 where God talks of His jewels—us—His most treasured possession.

Candy kiss—Love is the greatest thing in the world. I John 4:7

Love is the greatest thing in the world. Christ demonstrated it to us, we must demonstrate it to others.

Bottled water—We are cleansed by the washing of the Word. Psalm 119:9

Sometimes we might have the tendency to look at the Word of God as a list of “Thou shalt not’s.” An honest look through the Scripture does point to a large number of warnings and dire predictions for disobedience. We need the warnings, because we don’t heed the warnings.

Compromise can be disastrous for even the most Godly of believers. We can never claim immunity from the temptation of sin. As I read through the Bible, I find God has recorded both the good and the bad concerning the lives of many of the heroes mentioned in Scripture. God does not white wash their lives, but gives us the entire story as an example to us of what can happen if we are asleep at the wheel in regards to Satan’s efforts in our lives.

We should be so familiar with God’s Word that we recognize immediately when something does not look quite right or normal and avoid being caught in the trap.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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