Diamonds In The Rough

FAITH

Would you prefer to know every step of a journey? Is there a part of us that is like that?

1) Anticipation: I once had a church member who would sometimes make a list of pros and cons with some of the decisions that she would make. Sometimes her list would be detailed with great precision of anticipation. That is what Paul clarifies as the difference between walking by faith versus sight (II Corinthians 5:7).

2) Ambivalence: Do we swing back and forth between belief and unbelief (Mark 9:24)?

Are we like diamonds in the rough when it comes to our faith? In his book Acres of Diamonds, Jentezen Franklin recalls the story of a Ali Hafed who sold his farm so that he might pursue looking for diamonds. Ironically, the man who bought his property had a thirsty camel who was drinking from a stream on his new property when he discovered a diamond in the rough. It became known as Golconda, the world’s most “magnificent diamond mine”. Ali Hafed left home in search of what had always had all along and didn’t know it---a diamond mind on the farm that he sold. (pp. 10 -11).

1) Seize the opportunities: Don’t be like the boy who shopped for a sport car with his father as a graduation gift. On the day he graduated, his dad gave him a gift. It was a Bible. The son was disgusted and gave the Bible back to his dad. They never spoke again. Years later after his father died, he found that Bible and eventually discovered a check written for the amount of that car. (Jentezen Franklin. Acres of Diamonds. Minneaplois, Minnesota: Chosen, 2020).

2) Diamond ingredients: “Time, extreme pressure and heat” (p. 13).

3) Advice: Jentezen gives his readers this advice, “Dear reader, you are made of dirt. In other words, you’re acreage. And only Jesus knows how to give birth to diamonds of purpose and destiny in your life---no matter what you are facing right now. It will not happen without Him”. (p. 14). We have to trust God and fully rely on God to get where we need to go in unlocking our potential.

PURITY

Why did Paul include this trait in his list of the codes to live by? Paul obviously understood that others will always be watching with a critical eye. Paul was obviously indirectly pointing out how all of these things… an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity all point to our integrity as Christians. All who know us and even those who come after us will know us by the example we set.

What if nobody notices our contribution or example? It will not mean that we lived life in vain. It will mean that we did what was honorable, upright and upheld favorably by God. Consider these reasons ….

1) Truth: Mark Twain once said, “ It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them”. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/honor.htm How could any accomplishment be a genuine accolade of honor if it was not truly deserved?

2) Integrity: Stuart Briscoe tells of being hired by a bank. He was young, new, and just learning the business. One day his boss told him, "If Mr. _______ calls for me, tell him I'm out." Briscoe replied, "Oh, are you planning to go somewhere?" "No, I just don't want to speak to him, so tell him I'm out." "Let me make sure I understand--Do you want me to lie for you?" The boss blew up at him. He was outraged, angered. Stuart prayed and God gave him a flash of insight. "You should be happy, because if I won't lie for you, isn't it safe to assume that I won't lie to you?"