On the 28th of February 2001, Buck and Luciene moved to the Amazon Basin of Brazil. We lived in Macapá, right on the equator. Why would a web designer give up his career and take his family from their comfortable life in Columbus, Ohio, USA, to live on the Amazon River? We came with a vision to save the Amazon, to tell people about Jesus, and plant a Vineyard church. We have planted a church, and we are turning it over to the national leaders, heading back to the States in Sept. 2009.

 
“That’s not fair,” my daughter said. “Why does she get to play on the video game? I cleaned the yard, and she didn’t help. I raked up all the leaves. She didn’t help at all.”

And once again, my kids have taught me a valuable spiritual lesson. You see, I didn’t ask my other daughter to rake the yard. I asked her to wash the dishes, and clean the house, which she did. I did not assign them the same task, but they were both faithful to obey, and fulfill the task I had given them.

The fact that she was mad that her sister was blessed and was allowed to play the Pooh game only reflects her own problems of envy. The fact that she compared herself with her sister reflects her misunderstanding of what obedience is.

Obedience is doing what the Father has asked. It is not forcing everyone else to do what God has told you to do, or judging others by what work you have done, and the fact that they haven’t done the same work you do. Obedience is simply hearing the father’s voice, and doing what he has asked.

How often do we do the same thing? We look at others, and think that they aren’t REALLY serving God as much as they can. They aren’t doing everything that I am doing, they aren’t suffering like I am, so how could they be receiving blessing when I’m not? And by our petty attitudes, we show our misunderstanding of God, and our own deep roots of envy and pride.

It is God’s heart to bless, to shower blessings down on all of His children. He wants good for all of His precious offspring. But our own complaining, comparing, pointing fingers and accusations against our brothers and sisters often hamper the blessing that God wants to give to us.

Do not compare your service with the service of your brother or sister. It may be that they have done what the father has asked, and are just enjoying the just rewards, playing the Pooh game, having fun while the father looks on, enjoying the reward of watching his happy child.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Friday, July 29, 2005