Is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
He refreshes the soul of his masters.
Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
I’ve heard Rudy Giuliani (remember him!) say, “Under-promise and over-deliver.” We are prone to do just the opposite!
We all have our stories: I have a friend who lives in CO who exemplifies this proverb. He’s reliable. What does that look like? Well, he’s not really eager to accept new responsibilities, but once he commits to it - consider it done (and done well)! Brian always comes through.
And then the other stories: I remember a teacher I’ve had. At the start of the semester he wowed us with what we would learn, he hinted that we would come out of his class completely transformed. He threw around some impressive words.
But a couple of weeks into semester we noticed he always arrived late, he always seemed harried. In the back of our minds we thought, “Funny traits for the guy with the goods.” But we still hoped…
Come to the end of the semester, we were squarely disillusioned. His lectures were scattered. He had some rhetorical flourishes, but didn’t really understand the subject. He graded our papers quickly and too high. He moved ahead on flattery and flippancy. Bottom line: he couldn’t control his life; how was he to change ours?
Perhaps the most oft-admired quality of God in the Old Testament is His faithfulness. And this long-standing attention to His plan reached an incredible pinnacle when He sent His Son and gave Him over to be killed. God “endures all things.”
What I want for myself, what I hope my kids manifest, is not mainly a talent for novelty or cleverness: We’re after reliability.
Bible Reading: Romans 16:21-23
Paul asks for his greetings to be sent (1-16) and then sends his greetings (21-23). Do you see what the crucifixion and resurrection has brought about? Civility and brotherly kindness! When you come into the office, don’t just plop in your chair - greet people. When you leave home, say goodbye.
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