PUSHY PEOPLE PREY INSTEAD OF PRAY

Philippians 2:3-4 (The Message)  Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 

As I look up to the heavens I see the Glory of God revealed in the clouds and the blue sky.  No matter what is going on in my life at the very moment, I can rest assured that God is in Heaven reigning on His throne of grace and love.  For a moment I lose track of where I am and what I am doing.  I feel surrounded by love, I feel surrounded by grace, I feel surrounded by a feeling of utter peace and joy.  I am in my own little heaven on Earth when I gaze upon the Glory of God.  I wish you could experience what I feel, maybe you do in your own way.  But there are times I feel like I am on top of the world, nothing or no one can bring me down.  Life is sweet and Heaven is right in the palm of my hand.  I almost feel like I am floating on one of those white, billowing clouds that God made.  In that moment God is with me, right  by my side.  I can feel His presence as strongly as I feel Jerry's hand in mine.  The overwhelming sense of His presence brings me to tears and sense His loving arms around me.  For just a moment in time I am lost in the presence of my Almighty, Heavenly Father.  No cares, no problems, no worries, no lies to deal with.  Just me an God, alone.  It's a great place to be especially after a day of dealing with pushy people.  Have you ever dealt with pushy people?  

Pushy people want what they want, when they want it.  They will push a small child out of the way to get what they want, they will even push down the aging mother, to get what they want.  They use flowery speech and compliments to get others to be at their beckon call.  As they walk up the ladder of success, they will gladly knock others out of the way, so that they can reach the top before anyone else.  God forbid someone reach the top before them.  If that happens, there will be hell to pay.  On the pathway to success they may see someone in need, but that's not their problem, let the government step in and help them out.  On the road to the top, they may see someone hurt and disabled, they don't have time to help anyone, they're too busy.  Pushy people, in my eyes, are some of the rudest and cruelest people around.  If you don"t believe as they believe, if you don't live as they live, if your thoughts, words and actions don't agree with their philosophy then you are out of their circle of friends.  "Put yourself aside"?  No way, that is for the weak and the lame.    Pushy people just make life difficult for those around them.  No one wants to listen to them because they force their opinion down everyone's throat.  They don't listen to anyone but themselves.  They are always right.  They know it all, or so they think.

Ever been around people like that?  I have and it's not fun.  Like the professor in the movie, "God's Not Dead".  He was a pushy jerk who made life miserable for those around him.  I have been around some of those people and let me be totally honest here.  They may make life miserable for those who work or live around them, but they are the saddest, most miserable people I know.  Why?  They miss out on the ability to reach out to those in need.  People don't always need money thrown in their faces during a time of need, sometimes they just need an open ear.  Someone who will stop and listen to them.  Someone who will reach out with a hand and help a person up.  Could you imagine what it would be like to help someone else climb the ladder of success?  Could you imagine the what it would be like to help someone in need without expecting anything in return?  Could you imagine what it would be like to give to charity without having your name spread all over the papers and the news channels?  Could you imagine seeing someone give their "Vera Wang" shirt off their back to someone in need?  

I want to be that person who puts myself and my needs aside for others.  I want to be that person who takes time to stop and really listen, the way Jesus Christ did.  I truthfully do not care about the ladder of success because God is in charge of my life, not me.  I want to stop and give a meal to a homeless man on the street instead of driving by him.  Jesus Christ, who was sitting on a throne in Heaven, thought enough of me to come down off His throne, live here on Earth and die a criminals death so that I could have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and be forgiven, why can't I get off my lazy boy chair to help someone in need?  My faith is not something I will ever push down anyone's throat.  Instead I will do my best to show people what my faith stands for instead of talking about it.  Pushy religious people are the worst in my eyes.  Stop getting in everyone's faces about Jesus and just live like Jesus.  Jesus was never pushy or rude.  He loved others and He stopped along His journey to help others.  That is the way I want to live.  

May the Glory of God be revealed in our words and actions.  May we stop being pushy Christians with our words and instead show the love and mercy that God has shown us.  May we be not so quick to run up the ladder of success that we miss out helping others in need, in Jesus name I pray, amen.