Killer Toys

Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.

The joke among bankers in western Kansas when I was learning credit was you can always tell when it’s been a good year for the farmers by the number of new pickups at the donut shop. When I attended Agricultural lending school, the instructor called these “killer toys“. Killer toys were all the things, including new pickups, that farmers tended to believe they “needed” or deserved when production and prices were good. His theory was the farmer with the fewest toys was the one who had the discipline to succeed in the years when production and/or prices were not so good.

That principal was a good one to learn early in my career. It’s one of the first things I analyze when looking at a new request. What have they done with their cash in the past? Has there success resulted in a growth in net worth? (Net worth = assets - liabilities or as one of my favorite mentors would say, stuff - bills.) Over the years I have seen it proven over and over again as the borrowers who lack the discipline to resist the killer toys are the ones who end up on the bank‘s “Problem list”. (And it’s not an affliction unique to farmers.)

If we are honest, we all have killer toys. Things, habits or attitudes that pull us off track and interfere with our growth. Most of mine hang in my closet, some of them at the back waiting for me to drop a few pounds. (At least the ones I’m willing to acknowledge in writing!)

When I read Romans 8:13, it is abundantly clear that our inability to control ourselves is nothing new. In fact, it is the very reason Christ came.

“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Because we could not control ourselves, Christ came to make it possible for us to live E² lives. That is a good God! That is knowledge that gives us hope! And should inform our actions.

In Galatians, chapter 5, Paul is speaking to the Galatians about their freedom from the Law. He says to them that if they are trying to make themselves right or find favor with God by keeping the Law, they have forgotten the message of grace. The message of Romans 8:3. This sounds like the same thing Peter said in our primary text about those who fail to grow according to the 2 Peter formula. They are shortsighted and have forgotten they have been cleansed from their sin. So perhaps, one key to self control is keeping our eye on our Source! That sounds familiar.

Let’s look at verse 16, “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil” In the context of our formula we might say, the sinful nature wants to participate in the corrupt. Paul talks about the fighting within ourselves; fighting to avoid the corrupt or working to achieve the divine. Neither can be done absent the guidance of his Spirit.

The good news is not only did he come to end sin’s control, he left his Spirit to produce results in us. One of which is self control. (verse 23)

Self control, alone, will not make us right or win us favor with God. But knowing His goodness, mercy and compassion; we place our confidence in Him and He provides his Spirit to assist us in our pursuit of E² lives. Lives that are not shortsighted or controlled by the corrupt, but productive, useful lives that reflect His goodness.

On those days when the “killer toys” are pulling our hearts and minds off track, let’s not give into being shortsighted. When you find angry words or clever lies on the tip of tongue, remember the message of grace. Let’s make good use of our knowledge of Him and replace anger with mercy, selfish ambition with compassion, greed with generosity, arrogance with humility … . I’ll let you finish the list, you know your killer toys better than me.

I challenge you to do a little self analysis this week. Are you making good use of your sources; his grace, his spirit, his word? Are you growing in your desire to live a useful life? Can it be seen in your actions?

Thanks for listening,

See you next week,

Ronda

"Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."  Galatians 5:25