Keep It Simple

"Better a little with righteousness than a huge income with injustice." -Proverbs 16:8

There are now many documentaries on the market about the corrupt food industry. I've watched "Food, Inc." and "Supersize Me" and read numerous books and articles revealing the detestible practices done in large scale farming. Very little of what I would speak about here would be something you didn't know.

I'm not out to bash 'agro-biz' and join a 'go green' rally. However, I believe that each one of us can make a difference in the simple day to day choices we make about how to live ethically. It's a simple fact that to operate your farm the way many 'industrial farms' do is quite literally unjust; it's unjust to the land, it's unjust to the animals, it's unjust to your neighbors, it's unjust to the consumers, and it's unjust to our God who allowed us dominion of the earth He meticulously created. I've been occassionally criticized by hardcore vegans that would like to see all livestock returned to their wild state. To such accusations of misusing property, I would point out that agriculture is a richly blessed profession throughout scripture. It is pure power....and it's up to me how I will wield it.

I don't have to defend my practices. Most small farms are operated with much care and sensitivity to the lives of the animals, and mine is no exception. I care richly for the land and try to consider those who would come after me.

So, I say to you that what God has given you, manage wisely. Manage your estate with care and ethic. It's better to live in a cardboard box with peace and a clean conscience than to dwell in a palace with discord and wickedness. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

God has reduced me so that truly the thing I long for more than anything is to be with Him. I say 'reduce' because when I was a little girl, all I longed for was for myself to be a god. I wanted to be famous, rich, beautiful, and waited on hand and foot. I didn't know what I wanted to be famous for, but that didn't matter. I wish my parents would have had the foresight to rebuke me when I'd speak of my fantasies, but alas, they didn't. To this day, my God is still needing to reduce me. Granted, I don't long to be famous, rich, beautiful, and pampered anymore. I am actually very content and don't strive much for worldly things.

The sin I've recently fallen into is actually to 'strive in my walk'. I have somehow fallen into a pit of believing my walk had everything to do with me. It's an easy pit to fall into. That's why the scriptures say,"Search my heart, O God", because if we spend too much time searching our hearts, we begin to make an idol of our walk. It's God who searches our hearts, God who changes our hearts, God who directs our paths, God who heals, God who speaks, God who justifies us, and God who paid for our victory over the grave 2000 years ago. All I need to do is say,"Yes, Lord."

So I say today,"Lord, adjust my heart. Lord, set your standard. Lord, your son is in me and I am made righteous. Lord, thank you for not adorning me with the things of this world."

Better is fellowship and unity with our Savior than anything else...at all....ever.....

Live Well. God cares what we do. He will teach you how to live righteously. He will extract injustice from our hearts like a snake fang and draw the poison out. Just say,"Yes, Lord."